By Bill W. Cooper
The hope of thousands of Civil servants across Liberia was on yesterday, downplayed after Finance and Development Planning Minister, Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, smartly dodged direct questions regarding whether the Unity Party-led government will reverse the controversial salary harmonization policy.
Appearing on a live ELBC interview yesterday in Paynesville, Minister Ngafuan was repeatedly asked if the government plans to undo the harmonization introduced by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) under former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah.
Throughout the UP’s 2023 election campaign, reversing the harmonization policy was a prominent issue. Harmonization, a salary restructuring initiative implemented during Tweah’s tenure, has been widely criticized for its impact on civil servants’ pay.
The policy continues to spark debate, with the public eagerly awaiting the new government’s stance on the issue but despite the journalists’ persistent efforts, Ngafuan remained dodgy, leaving the future of the policy uncertain.
When repeatedly asked, Ngafuan in an attempt to neglect the questions shifted focus to the financial burdens allegedly inherited from the Weah administration as well as outlining plans for Economic recovery.
He said, “Even in harmonization, there was victimization. People with equal salaries were harmonized to unequal gross pay, and there are civil servants who still make less than 70 dollars.”
“So, our administration goal is to increase disposable income of civil servants, and most of the details on this will be unveiled in the next budget Fiscal Year 25,” Ngafuan intoned.
In a more passionate plea, Minister Ngafuan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the financial status of all civil servants, a move he said will be reflected in the FY25 budget expected to be submitted this or next month.
He also assured the Liberian public that efforts are in progress to increase the disposable income of civil servants, with key details set to be disclosed in the upcoming national budget.
“Our administration’s primary goal is to elevate the disposable income of civil servants and the specifics of this initiative will be revealed in the next budget, which we anticipate presenting to the Legislature at the end of October,” he noted.
Minister Ngafuan at the same time emphasized the government’s dedication to ensuring that Liberians enjoy improved disposable income, and said, “As responsible government, we are committed to making informed fiscal decisions regarding both expenditures and revenues.”
Minister Ngafuan also addressed issues related to the previous administration’s salary harmonization efforts, expressing concern over the resulting inequities which he said many civil servants with equivalent salaries experienced unequal gross pay, which has led to dissatisfaction and financial difficulties for some.
The Minister further explained that the current administration faces challenges in moving away from the previous harmonization model, particularly after $83 million was withdrawn from the Central Bank of Liberia’s reserves to cover two months’ salaries in 2023.
“We are grappling with issues like unpaid ECOWAS trade levies that have been passed on to us, and we also need to address outstanding checks totaling millions left with vendors. We are diligently working to resolve these obligations”, he added.
Minister Ngafuan, has meanwhile assured civil servants of the government’s ongoing commitment to improving their lives and the well-being of all Liberians.
