By Festus Poquie
Liberian authorities have confirmed with the International Monetary Fund that salaries and benefits for public sector employees will remain stagnant until 2028 despite the Unity Party Alliance campaign promise to increase workers wage nearly13 months ago.
This decision comes as part of a broader economic strategy to enhance public spending quality and reduce recurrent expenses amid ongoing fiscal challenges.
The revelation was made in the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest report on Liberia’s economic outlook, which outlines an agreement made by the government to maintain nominal wage levels at a relatively stable rate over the program period. The IMF said that these measures are crucial for generating fiscal space for increased investment in essential sectors, such as health, education, and infrastructure.
Under the previous George Weah administration, a payroll harmonization policy was implemented to minimize salary disparity. This policy matched the salaries of employees with the same positions partially or fully. As a result, the government wage bill was reduced from $322 million in the fiscal year 2018/2019 to $297 million for the fiscal year 2019/2020.
Then the country’s main opposition political party, the Unity Party criticized the harmonization policy and promised to undo it once elected.
Following its electoral victory, the new administration proposed a reduction in the country’s wage bill, in the 2024 national budget cutting annual salaries and other remuneration by 2.6%, equivalent to $8 million. This reduction took the total wage bill from $305 million to $297 million.
Recent off-budget spending suggests the figure may have increased. Over half a million United States dollars was spent on expanded new hires in the Executive Mansion as the President has appointed more aides than his predecessors
Former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah who was condemned for driving his administration’s policy o address discrepancies in the wage bill has sharply criticized the authorities’ decision to freeze salary increment.
Taking to Facebook Monday, Tweah demanded an apology from the Unity Party for allegedly deceiving voters during the recent elections. He accused the government of failing to honor its promises to increase civil servants’ salaries, a cornerstone of their electoral platform.
In his post, Tweah highlighted the contents of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP), indicating that the government plans to reduce the nominal wage bill from approximately USD 305 million in 2023 to around USD 270 million in 2024, claiming a “slight” reduction.
He vehemently contests this characterization, asserting that the current wage bill trends suggest a substantial increase above USD 300 million for the upcoming year.
“I call upon the Unity Party government to release a public statement apologizing to voters for misleading them about harmonization,” Tweah stated.
He stressed that the government’s approach supports ongoing trends initiated under previous administrations and undermines its commitment to “reverse harmonization,” a term used during the campaign to suggest restoring equitable salary levels across various ministries.
Tweah further elaborated on the implications of these changes, pointing out that maintaining the wage bill at 6.3 percent of GDP signals a continuation of policies that have disadvantaged many public sector employees.
He expressed concern for the promises made to health workers and other civil servants, who have been awaiting documented pay increases that have yet to materialize.
Critics fear that the government’s adherence to the IMF’s recommendations may lead to austerity measures that could disproportionately affect public sector employees, deepening the economic challenges faced by many Liberians.
