Legislature Breaks Deadlock On CBL Audit-Lawmakers agree to forward all reports

MONROVIA – After months of institutional hesitation, procedural divergence, and underlying tension over accountability in Liberia’s public financial system, the Legislature has now moved to close ranks, resolving a key impasse that had stalled the full transmission of critical audit findings to the Executive. At the center of the dispute was the contentious audit of the Central Bank of Liberia—an issue that had exposed deeper questions about oversight, autonomy, and constitutional authority. THE ANALYST reports that through a Joint Conference Committee process, lawmakers have now reached a unified position, clearing the way for all twelve consolidated audit reports to be forwarded for presidential implementation, signaling a renewed push toward fiscal scrutiny.

In a decisive move aimed at restoring coherence to Liberia’s public financial oversight process, the Joint Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Legislature has resolved to adopt and forward all twelve consolidated audit reports—including the previously disputed Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) audit—to the President for implementation.

The decision was reached during a Joint Conference Committee meeting held Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at the Chamber of the House of Representatives on Capitol Hill. The meeting brought together members of both the Senate and the House PAC structures to reconcile differences that had emerged between the two chambers.

At the heart of the impasse was the CBL audit report covering the period January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2023. While the House of Representatives had approved all twelve audit reports for submission, the Senate had withheld concurrence on the CBL audit, effectively creating a legislative bottleneck.

That deadlock has now been broken.

Following what insiders described as lengthy and detailed deliberations, the Joint Conference Committee resolved that all twelve PAC consolidated reports—including the CBL audit—be adopted and transmitted to the President of Liberia without further delay.

This decision marks a significant institutional alignment and reinforces the Legislature’s role in ensuring that audit findings are not only debated but acted upon.

The consolidated reports stem from extensive public hearings conducted by the Joint PAC in 2024 into multiple audit reports issued by the Auditor General of the Republic of Liberia. The reports cover a broad range of public institutions and projects, reflecting systemic issues across governance, financial management, and accountability structures.

Among the entities reviewed are the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC), the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC), the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), the National Road Fund (NRF), the Liberia Opportunities Industrialization Center (LOIC), and the National Transit Authority (NTA), among others.

The reports also include major project audits such as the CLSG Rural Electrification Project and the Liberia Road Asset Management Project (LIBRAMP), as well as sector-specific reviews like river-sand mining regulation.

The inclusion—and ultimate approval—of the Central Bank audit, however, stands out as the most politically and institutionally sensitive component of the package.

In addressing the issue, the Committee reaffirmed that the General Auditing Commission (GAC) possesses the constitutional mandate to audit all government institutions, including the Central Bank of Liberia. At the same time, lawmakers acknowledged the legal authority of the CBL Board to engage external auditors for periodic reviews of the bank’s operations.

To balance these overlapping mandates, the Committee clarified that GAC audits of the CBL will primarily focus on the Government of Liberia’s consolidated accounts held at the Bank, while also allowing room for additional audit procedures where necessary—even in cases where external auditors are engaged.

This layered approach appears designed to harmonize statutory mandates while preserving both institutional independence and accountability.

Beyond the immediate decision on the audit reports, the Committee also resolved to expedite the processing of existing audit reports currently on its docket. Lawmakers noted that many of the reports relate to activities under the previous administration, underscoring the importance of closing historical accountability gaps.

At the same time, the Joint PAC committed to accelerating its oversight work on the current administration, signaling a forward-looking posture in legislative scrutiny.

The meeting itself followed formal legislative procedures, beginning with a silent opening prayer, followed by welcome remarks, an opening statement by Acting Joint PAC Chairman Senator Amara M. Konneh, and focused deliberations on the CBL issue—the central item on the agenda.

Participants included key lawmakers from both chambers, among them Senators Amara M. Konneh, Gbehzohngar Findley, Momo T. Cyrus, and Jonathan Sogbie, as well as Representatives Prince K. Koina, Prince Toles, Thomas Romeo Quioh, Emmanuel Dahn, Robert Womba, Jeremiah Sonkan Sr., and Anthony F. Williams.

As part of the agreed action points, the PAC Secretariat has been mandated to prepare final copies of the consolidated reports for onward presentation to the President. Both Houses are also expected to formally endorse the reports before the legislative break, ensuring their timely transmission to the Executive.

For observers, the significance of this development extends beyond the procedural. It represents a test of Liberia’s commitment to transparency and institutional accountability—particularly at a time when public confidence in governance structures remains under scrutiny.

By resolving differences over the CBL audit and moving forward as a unified body, the Legislature has sent a signal that oversight, even when politically sensitive, cannot be indefinitely delayed.

The real test, however, now shifts to the Executive—where the implementation of these audit recommendations will determine whether this legislative breakthrough translates into tangible accountability or remains another procedural milestone in Liberia’s long struggle for financial discipline.