Monrovia – Liberia: The wage harmonization policy implemented by the Weah-led Administration is facing criticism, with Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs Anthony Myers labeling it a “disaster.”
Myers stated that the policy failed to achieve its intended purpose and was misapplied, resulting in significant disruption to government operations.
He suggested that the harmonization policy should have prioritized pension-driven initiatives to provide relief to elderly government workers.
Addressing issues of ghost names within the government salary payment system, Myers emphasized the need for the program to tackle such discrepancies.
Instead of enhancing government operations, Myers argued that the harmonization scheme led to salary cuts and arrears, resulting in decreased productivity across ministries and agencies.
He highlighted instances where civil servants were unwilling to process documents due to financial constraints, further hindering government efficiency.
In response to these challenges, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning plans to suspend the harmonization policy until a comprehensive payroll audit is completed.
The audit aims to identify ghost names and verify the actual number of government personnel, informing future decisions regarding the policy’s continuation.
Myers also revealed instances of individuals abroad being on the government payroll without contributing to the country’s development, underscoring the need for thorough scrutiny.
He cited the National Civil Servants Agency’s discovery of 149 ghost names within agencies like the Liberia National Police and Liberia Land Authority as evidence of the policy’s inadequacy.
According to him, until the completion of the comprehensive audit, the government will refrain from further implementation of the harmonization policy to ensure transparency and efficiency in payroll management.
“Until we conduct a comprehensive personal and payroll audit to the exact identity of government workers, we will hold on to harmonization for now,” Anthony Myers said.
