Liberia News: ‘US$11.8m for District Development Projects Insignificant, Says Lace Boss

LACE Director Criticizes Insufficient Budget Allocation for Legislative Support Projects

By: Moses M. Tokpah

 

The Executive Director of the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE), Julius K. Sele has described as insignificant money appropriated in the National Budget for Legislative support projects across the country.

The National Legislature allotted US$100,000 for each member of the House of Representatives and US$150,000 for each member of the Senate with the aim of supporting district and county development initiatives lawmakers claimed were proposed to them by their constituencies.

But Julius Sele who heads LACE, the agency of government responsible for responsible for implementing Legislative projects, said lawmakers provided LACE with a list of proposed projects to be implemented across the districts and the counties after the appropriation was made.

Sele disclosed that the Agency has been assessing the projects in question, to figure out how the projects can be implemented with the appropriated funding regime approved.

“LACE identified 356 projects that have been earmarked by members of the House of Representatives while 181 projects have been earmarked by members of the Senate for implementation in their respective districts and counties,” Mr. Sele disclosed.

In view of the number of projects earmarked, according to him, the amount appropriated to the Lawmakers is very insignificant, stressing “When I look at the amount and I try to do some mathematical analysis, I feel strongly that even the amount appropriated is very insignificant.”

“11.8m divided by the 5.5m population in Liberian will mean that the government is spending one dollar fifty cent to one dollar eight cent on each Liberian in a year for district development project,” he went on saying.

“What is important for district development is for every Liberian to ensure that they are real projects and they will be implemented with whatever amount that is being appropriated rather than people arguing that the amount be used for healthcare,” he expressed, and indicated that what is even being appropriated for healthcare is insufficient.

He called on all Liberians to work around their Lawmakers to ensure that the development projects, especially the ones in the rural areas are implemented

 

 

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