By Grace Q. Bryant
Rep. Moima Briggs Mensah of District 6 in Bong County, has called for full salary transparency across all branches of government.
She emphasized before her colleagues in plenary that accountability and openness are essential to restoring public trust, especially as Liberia faces financial hardship and donor funding declines.
Rep Mensah’s statement comes amid widespread concerns from citizens who believe legislators earn significantly higher salaries than officially reported.
Addressing her colleagues, she outlined her own earnings, stating that after deductions, she receives approximately US$4,656.25, with an additional LD391,000 allocated to her salary structure.
However, she acknowledged the public perception that lawmakers receive anywhere between US$15,000 and US$20,000 per month.
“As public servants, our salaries should be public knowledge. The people’s taxpayer money funds our wages and we must ensure transparency in how government finances are managed,” Mensah asserted.
She proposed the formation of a special committee to investigate and publicly disclose the salaries of all legislators.
Additionally, she called for the Executive and Judicial branches to follow suit, urging a standardized approach to government compensation that reflects qualifications and responsibilities.
“If we do not take this issue seriously now, I don’t know when we ever will. This is a reform period, and we must lead by example to curb corruption and restore confidence in our governance,” she stated.
Rep. Mensah’s call for transparency comes on the heels of revelations that some government officials receive substantial allowances, including up to US$17,000 for housing alone. She argued that unless the Legislature takes decisive action, public frustration will continue to grow.
“We must be the first to act because, as elected representatives, we are the ones directly accountable to the people. If we don’t address this, the public will continue to blame us for financial mismanagement,” she said.
