The Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Hon. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., delivered a comprehensive year-in-review report on Tuesday, December 17, at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT). In his address, Joekai outlined the agency’s significant achievements, challenges, and priorities for Fiscal Year 2025, emphasizing the CSA’s pivotal role in enhancing governance and the civil service workforce in Liberia.
One key achievement Joekai highlighted was the successful streamlining of government payroll systems. This initiative aimed to eliminate duplications, reduce fraud, and ensure accurate compensation for public servants. “The reforms we introduced to the payroll system have saved the government valuable resources while ensuring transparency and accountability,” Joekai stated.
The CSA also renovated its headquarters, providing a modern and conducive environment for staff and stakeholders. Furthermore, the agency upgraded its testing centers, creating a more tech-savvy and efficient environment for recruiting public sector employees. Joekai emphasized that these improvements were necessary to align the CSA’s operations with international best practices.
In addition to these accomplishments, the CSA launched initiatives focused on capacity-building for civil servants. These programs are designed to equip government employees with the skills needed to meet the evolving demands of modern public service. “Investing in the professional development of our workforce is a cornerstone of our efforts to improve service delivery across all sectors,” Joekai said.
Other notable achievements included standardizing recruitment processes to ensure meritocracy and accountability, marking a significant step toward building a credible and professional workforce. This aligns with the government’s broader reforms aimed at strengthening good governance.
Despite these successes, Hon. Joekai acknowledged the challenges that continue to hinder the CSA’s work. He identified resource constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and limited technological infrastructure as ongoing obstacles. The complete digitization of the CSA’s operations remains a priority, but Joekai noted that limited funding and outdated systems still impede the pace of reforms. “We are committed to modernizing Liberia’s civil service, but challenges like limited funding and outdated systems continue to hinder the pace of our reforms,” he said.
Looking ahead to Fiscal Year 2025, Joekai outlined key priorities for advancing the CSA’s mission, including implementing innovative reforms to modernize the civil service further. These plans include adopting digital tools for human resource management and performance tracking and expanding professional development programs to bridge capacity gaps at all levels of government.
Joekai emphasized that the CSA’s future initiatives will align with the government’s broader development agenda, stressing the importance of a professional and accountable civil service for achieving national growth. “Our vision for the coming year is clear: to build a dynamic, efficient, and transparent civil service that serves as the backbone of public sector governance,” he concluded.
Joekai’s remarks at MICAT critically reflected on the CSA’s progress and laid a roadmap for addressing existing challenges while building on past successes. As Fiscal Year 2025 approaches, the CSA remains committed to fostering innovation, accountability, and professional excellence in Liberia’s civil service.
