Calls for Immediate Action.
Monrovia, Liberia – Josiah Joekai, the Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) of Liberia, has asked the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to direct Liberian commercial banks to stop processing supplemental payrolls for all government agencies with immediate effect.
Director Joekai stated the decision is in line with the National Remuneration Standardization Act of 2019, which former Liberian President George Weah signed into law, during a press briefing held at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism in Monrovia on Thursday, January 23, 2025.
He emphasized that the ruling comes after an inquiry that found widespread hiring overlap and salary irregularities at the House of Representatives. 243 cases of double dipping were found throughout the investigation, the CSA director added.
The National Remuneration Standardization Act aims to standardize government wages, remove redundancies, and encourage fiscal prudence. He pointed out that the payroll inconsistencies cause a $1,566,564 yearly financial loss to the country.
Josiah Joekai claimed that the CSA investigation also found that there were numerous duplicate jobs under different titles, such as Protocol Officers and Research Officers, with employees getting paid from both payrolls, which compromises accountability and transparency.
The head of CSA also suggested that the Human Resource Director of the House of Representatives, along with three other people implicated in the double dipping, be suspended immediately and subject to an inquiry. He maintained that since these people’s acts clearly violate the 2019 Act’s rules, they ought to be paid less while the inquiry is ongoing.
Reported by: Joseph Kerkula
Contact: +231777376826
