Former Minister of Finance and Development Planning Samuel D. Tweah Jr. has raised concerns that $26 million of Liberia’s 2026 government wage bill is being channeled through a budget line labeled “Other Compensation,” a practice critics say obscures the true size of the national payroll and weakens public accountability.
Budget figures circulating in the public domain indicate that Liberia’s government wage bill has expanded sharply-from $113.9 million in 2010 to an estimated $354 million in 2026.
While the approved Compensation of Employees line in the 2026 national budget stands at $329 million, Tweah argues that an additional $26 million is being paid through “Other Compensation,” a category classified under Goods and Services (Budget Code 222123).
Traditionally, “Other Compensation” was not intended to function as a salary line, Tweah asserted. However, he noted that during the past two years of the Unity Party (UP)-led “Rescue” administration, spending under this category has expanded significantly.
According to Tweah, under the former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government, the line reportedly peaked at just over $5 million in 2023, stood at more than $2 million in 2022, and averaged below $200,000 annually in earlier years.
He further alleged that the current administration is using the category to pay workers outside the core payroll, where public scrutiny is typically more intense. The former finance minister argued that this accounting approach distorts the true cost of government compensation and risks misleading both the public and Liberia’s international partners.
As a result, Tweah said calls are growing for the government to abolish the “Other Compensation” line and report all employee-related payments strictly under the 21-series budget classification for Compensation of Employees, in keeping with public financial management standards.
He urged the Legislature to enforce this reform during the midterm review of the 2026 national budget, while encouraging journalists and civil society organizations to closely monitor the line item.
Tweah asserted that with total compensation now estimated at $354 million, the wage bill has increased by more than $43 million since the CDC left office.
He said this contradicts public statements by the Civil Service Agency (CSA) claiming a reduction in the wage bill and raises concerns about commitments made under Liberia’s IMF-supported program.
Emphasizing the importance of transparency, Tweah warned that fragmented payroll reporting undermines fiscal credibility.
“You cannot reform the wage bill or convince the public and development partners if compensation is fragmented across unrelated budget lines,” he said.
Trend analysis of payroll data has also intensified political debate.
Many economists, including Tweah, contend that government wages tend to rise under Unity Party administrations, flatten during CDC rule, and are now increasing again under the current UP government.
Three distinct phases are often cited: growth under the AFT-era UP, stabilization during the Pro-Poor CDC years, and renewed expansion under the present “Rescue” administration.
Beyond partisan debate, Tweah noted that the figures present an opportunity for broader public understanding of public finance trends.
With a $1.2 billion national budget now approved, questions remain about how far the wage bill should grow-particularly as many rank-and-file government workers continue to complain of stagnant salaries.
