By Grace Q. Bryant
The Civil Service Agency (CSA) says its ongoing payroll sanitization exercise has uncovered widespread fraud, costing the government millions of dollars.
Joekai stated that numerous transactions through the mobile money payment system used for salary disbursement have failed to align with payroll records and that those include payments made to agents, businesses, and individuals that were not listed on the official payroll.
Director-General Josiah F. Joekai making the disclosure at the Ministry of Information, Culture & Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing yesterday, disclosed that it has blocked 613 civil servants from the government’s payroll as part of measures to counter payroll discrepancies and that over 6,000 more civil servants face potential removal, pending further verification.
As a result, he announced the immediate blocking of 613 names from the payroll, pending further investigation and verification. “The CSA has uncovered alarming discrepancies in its ongoing payroll sanitization exercise. Individuals trusted to serve this country have deliberately defrauded the state.”
In addition to these immediate actions, Joekai warned that another 6,387 civil servants are at risk of being blocked, based on recommendations from the General Auditing Commission (GAC). A national compliance audit previously revealed that over 9,000 employees could not be verified during the verification exercise, representing potential losses of $3.7 million in monthly salaries.
Joekai also revealed that over 400 fraudulent mobile money transactions in July 2024 alone cost the government more than L$36 million and US$570,600 annually.
He reported that, in total, the government has lost L$89,372,085.60 and US$1,683,138.84 annually due to these payroll discrepancies.
The CSA has vowed to work closely with legal authorities to hold those responsible accountable. Businesses that received fraudulent payments will be referred to the appropriate agencies for investigation.
Joekai also provided updates on the CSA’s ongoing Retirement and Pension Scheme for 2024. In collaboration with the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), the CSA has launched a National Pre-Retirement Counselling Workshop and Data Collection exercise pointing out that, so far, 809 potential retirees have participated, with approximately 2,000 government employees expected to retire in 2024.
He expressed that plans are underway to establish a National Civil Service Testing Center aimed at ensuring transparency and meritocracy in recruitment and that, that center will provide a standardized testing environment for all civil service applicants, modernizing recruitment processes and enhancing the efficiency of the civil service workforce.
Joekai reaffirmed the CSA’s commitment to combating payroll fraud and ensuring accountability within Liberia’s civil service, calling on all citizens to join in the fight. “True change must start with us,” he emphasized, expressing gratitude to President Joseph N. Boakai for his leadership in reform efforts.
