MoFED ends bilateral budget discussion in Port Loko District

The Ministry of Finance and Economic development {MoFED] has on Saturday 28th October concluded a two- week budget discussion for Ministries Departments and Agencies {MDAs] to defend their 2014-2016 fiscal year budgets.The exercise started on September 13th brought together many MDAs that presented their 2014- 2016 Fy budgets for discussion to stakeholders in the budgetary process, which included Technical Team from the Ministry of finance and Economic development. It should be noted that the Ministry of Finance organized this year’s budget discussion with a difference involving 101 MDAs and 19 Councils. It must be maintained that the intervention of senior officials of the ministry of Finance created a positive impact in this year’s budget discussion, which changes the attitudes of presenters of different MDAs. The Minister of finance and Economic Development Dr Khelfala marah and the two minister’s of state at MoFed Hon Momodu Kargbo and Foday BL Mansaray monitored the process, during which Dr Khelfala Marah ,expressed appreciation of the District Budget oversight Committee {DBOCs] work and promised to institutionalized them.

During a press briefing held at the weekend by the Senior Deputy Financial secretary, Dennis Vandy, he extended thanks and gratitude to all stakeholders that participated in the budget discussion, stressing that the exercise was daunting, exhaustive and challenging as they had several hiccups with some MDAs discussion during the process. According to the synopsis articulated by the Director of Budget, Matthew Dingie on the principles of 2014- 2016 budgets, mr Vandy said 80% OF MDAs did not meet the Guidelines set for the 2014 – 2016 budget process compliance of the MDAs, most of them were requested to re-submit their budgets for final conclusion within one week from now. He said this year’s budgetary process has been shifted from what is referred to as the usual line item budget to activity based budget which focused on identifying activities that relate to the 8 pillars of the Agenda for Prosperity and MDAs cost these activities, factor them in the budget estimate for implementation. He further noted that by understanding the relationship of all the activities of the organization, it is possible to create a realistic budget for each department that will be more equitable and in the best interest of every MDA while noting that Government is committed to continue improving on the delivery of public services, thus ensuring that public funds are spent in the most effective and efficient way, this new budgetary process is to cut down drastically on wastages that incurred by MDAs under the usual line item budgetary process. Mr Vandi warned that strict measures would be put in place for any MDA that fails to comply with the Ministry of finance in the new budgetary process. He however commended efforts of Ministers, heads of MDAs and other stakeholders that participated in the entire process and also commended the Technical Team of MoFED for guarding MDAs and Local Councils for reviewing their strategic plans and making sure their budgets were in line with the intervention for implementing the Agenda for Prosperity.

The Director of Budget Bureau, Matthew Dingie, informed that the Technical team was divided into three groups dealt with recurrent expenditure of MDAs that were assessed by his group failed to meet the criteria set by the Finance Ministry, noting that most of them including Senior Ministries were stood down for non –Compliance. He cited examples of MDAs that were found culpable of non-culpable, including Health and Sanitation, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Education, Sierra Leone Police[SLP}, Ministry of Defence and many others. Director Dingie, also informed that this year’s budget discussion was an eye opener as financial stake holders were given the opportunity to go into the nitty-gritty of the budget process of all MDAs, to know their strategic plans were being implemented. He emphasized that the Agenda for Prosperity is not a parallel document that is used to implement Government programme, but that 90 to 95% of the issues on Agenda for prosperity has to be funded and that the only financial instrument that will fund the 8 pillars of the agenda is the budget. It should be noted that most of the MDAs were taken by surprise as the 2014-2016 budget has moved away from line item budget to activity base. Mr Dingie also observed that over 80% of MDAs budget proposals presented far exceeded their budget ceilings, noting that the excess budget is over Le five trillion given that the domestic revenue country generate per fiscal year is between Le 2 to 3 trillion.

Hon Claude Kamanda who played a key role during the entire process, Hon Sheriff and development secretary John Somaila, made meaningful contribution.

By Hawanatu Bockari

SLENA/ MoFED

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