By: H Ralph Flomo
Grand Bassa County Senator Jonathan Lambort Kaipay has made a call for the Ministries of Finance & Development Planning, and Commerce to answer to concerns why the Country faces shortage of the nations’ staple food, rice on the local market.
In a communication to the Senate plenary on Thursday, October 20, 2022, Senator Kaipay drew the Senate’s attention to Liberia’s political history which provides an instructive lesson as to the crippling effects the unavailability or short supply of rice has on peace and stability in the land.
“It is in realization of this obvious fact that it has always been a decision of government rooted in sound judgment that proactive measures are taken to mitigate the potential social and political disorder that come with the shortage or unavailability of the commodity on the market”.
The Bassa Lawmaker disclosed that the Legislature made specific provision in the current Budget in the amount of eleven million United States Dollars (U$11,000,000.00) in general subsidy to the importers of rice. This, according to him, was a pre-emptive move on the part of the Legislature to avert an undesirable situation.
“In other words, what happened that occasioned the strangulation of the population should not have happened at all, considering that the Budget is in its full implementation stage, and there being no representation from the Executive Branch regarding any impediments that may have hindered its capacity to apply the legislated funds to the purpose for which it was allocated in the Budget”.
Senator Kaipay; therefore, wants the Plenary of the Liberian Senate to invite the two principal Agencies of Government, the Ministries of Finance and Commerce, to appear before that August Body to provide explanation into this situation. This, according to Senator Kaipay, is a proper and necessary step in fulfillment of the Senators’ oversight function.Senator Jonathan L. Kaipay, under his “Development Is Now” slogan, is committed to transforming the living condition of the Liberian people through Lawmaking, Oversight, and Representation
