By Festus Poquie
Nearly 10 months after the government announced funds to raise low public-sector salaries, thousands of Liberian civil servants continue to receive less than the national minimum monthly wage of US$150 once statutory deductions are applied.
In November 2024 the Joseph Boakai administration said no central government employee earning below the US$150 threshold set by the Decent Work Act (2015) would receive less than US$150 in gross monthly pay, effective January 2025. The 2025 national budget included a US$16 million allocation to address public-sector remuneration shortfalls.
Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan said about 28,200 government workers—roughly 45% of the central government workforce—would receive top-ups.
Under the adjustment plan, nurses, midwives and physician assistants were to receive US$50 monthly increases; other health workers would receive US$25–US$40 depending on role.
Selected agriculture and security personnel, including Armed Forces of Liberia soldiers, police officers and agricultural extension workers, were slated to get US$30–US$40 increases.
Despite those commitments, thousands of employees remain below the intended threshold after deductions. Estimates vary, but reports place the number of workers taking home under US$150 at more than 15,000 and, in some counts, over 20,000. Rising inflation—9.9% in June 2025 versus 6.4% in June 2024, according to the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo‑Information Services—has eroded real incomes for many civil servants.
Employees in several agencies have also reported higher personal income-tax withholdings. Authorities made some tax adjustments in coordination with the International Monetary Fund as part of broader fiscal measures.
The Decent Work Act sets a national minimum wage of US$150 per month in gross terms; it does not guarantee that employees’ net, or take-home, pay will equal that amount after deductions. Gross salary refers to total earnings before taxes, social-security contributions and other withholdings; net salary is the amount paid to the employee after those deductions.
Critics argue that focusing on a US$150 nominal minimum wage without addressing deductions and cost-of-living pressures is inadequate, especially given pay disparities in which some senior officials earn more than US$15,000 monthly.
Responding to questions, Minister Ngafuan said confusion between gross and net pay explains why many workers still receive under US$150. He noted that mandatory deductions—taxes, social-security contributions and loan repayments, whether statutory or personal—reduce take-home pay but do not violate the law on minimum gross wages.
Ngafuan also said central government salaries are disbursed in a dual-currency structure—70% in U.S. dollars and 30% in Liberian dollars—which, together with individual financial obligations, can affect final net amounts.
The Ministry of Finance has taken responsibility for ensuring central government payrolls comply with the Decent Work Act and encouraged any employee with concerns about their pay to seek clarification through the appropriate administrative channels.
