Libya’s 2024 budget…wide controversy over its approval session

by times news cr

2024-07-11 16:25:17

The House of Representatives suspended its session held today, Tuesday, to discuss the approval of the draft state general budget for the current year 2024 AD, and it will resume tomorrow, Wednesday.

According to MP Abdul Moneim Al-Arafi, the budget is likely to be approved during tomorrow’s session, Wednesday, after some amendments are made to it.

The parliament session to approve the budget sparked widespread local controversy, which began with the announcement by 6 members of the Supreme Finance Committee, representing the Presidential Council, the Supreme Council of State, and the Government of National Unity, of their reservations about not being informed of the proposed budget law, stressing that they were not responsible for this proposal.

Meanwhile, the President of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Al-Menfi, called on the President of the Supreme Council of State and the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya to work on unifying the country’s general budget, stressing the importance of adhering to the constitutional reference and respecting the applicable legislation.

Al-Manfi explained the steps for approving the budget, which begin with submitting a draft from the competent executive authority instead of unconstitutional figures or entities or those in violation of the provisions of the state’s financial law, according to him.

Al-Manfi pointed out the necessity of binding consultation between the executive authority and the Supreme Council of State before submitting the draft law to the House of Representatives for approval, noting that the approval of the House of Representatives is by the constitutional majority described for the draft budget law.

For his part, the head of the Supreme Council of State, Muhammad Takala, warned, in an official letter addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh, against approving the state’s general budget law for the year 2024, without presenting it to the Supreme Council of State for an opinion.

Takala stressed the need to adhere to the provisions of the Libyan Political Agreement in Skhirat, which obliges all authorities, including the House of Representatives, to present any laws to the Supreme Council of State before they are approved.

The head of the Supreme Council of State hinted at his rejection of any consequences arising from the budget law if the House of Representatives did not respond to his speech.

It is noteworthy that Aguila Saleh discussed, last Saturday, with the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, during their first meeting in years, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, the steps taken to approve the budget.

Source: Libya Al Ahrar


2024-07-11 16:25:17

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