The reviews confirmed numerous irregularities, including failure to reconcile bank transactions, unauthorized payments to third parties, unsupported expenditures, discrepancies in bank overdrafts, and mismanagement of funds allocated for disaster relief. /PAC Chairman Senator Amara Konneh.
Monrovia – The Joint Public Accounts, Audit and Expenditure Committee (PAC) of the National Legislature has concluded its review of 12 audit reports from key government ministries and agencies, revealing millions of United States dollars in undisclosed expenditures and significant financial improprieties.
By Obediah Johnson
The findings, based on reports released by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), were formally submitted to the Plenary of the Liberian Senate under the signature of PAC Co-Chair Senator Amara Konneh.
The PAC comprises lawmakers from both the House of Representatives and the Senate and is mandated by Section 4.2 of the GAC Act to conduct hearings and provide recommendations to the President based on audit outcomes.
The audit reports cover the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC); the Cote d’Ivoire-Liberia-Sierra Leone-Guinea Rural Electrification (CLSG-RE) Project; the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC); the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA); the Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Center (LOIC); the Bong County Development Fund and Social Development Fund; the National Road Fund (NRF); the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA); the Liberia Road Asset Management Project (LIBRAMP); the National Transit Authority (NTA); and the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL).
According to the PAC, these audits were thoroughly reviewed during a technical retreat conducted in collaboration with the Auditor General and his team. The reviews confirmed numerous irregularities, including failure to reconcile bank transactions, unauthorized payments to third parties, unsupported expenditures, discrepancies in bank overdrafts, and mismanagement of funds allocated for disaster relief.
The committee also cited failure by several entities to remit employee withholding taxes to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), which constitutes a breach of financial regulations. The audit review was guided by the Public Financial Management Act, the Public Procurement and Concessions Act, national budget laws, and international best practices.
“The findings represent a reconciled and validated position between the PAC and the General Auditing Commission,” the committee noted. “They highlight systemic weaknesses in public financial management and the urgent need for institutional reform.”
The Senate Plenary has agreed to debate the report and its recommendations. Upon approval, the report will be forwarded to President Joseph Boakai for potential executive action. A similar report from the House of Representatives’ PAC has already been endorsed and submitted to the President.
