The Civil Service Agency (CSA) has communicated to the Acting Finance and Development Planning Minister, Anthony Myers, that 6,387 individuals who are not verified on the national payroll will be temporarily blocked.
“Effective September 2, 2024, 6,387 individuals who remain unverified on the national payroll will be temporarily blocked, pending a two-month verification from September 2 to November 4, 2024,” the joint circular from the MFDP and CSA reveals.
According to the communication sent by CSA Director General Josiah Joekai, this action is part of an ongoing commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the utilization of public finance in the Government of Liberia. The letter emphasized that the implementation of such measures by the Civil Service Agency (CSA) and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) constitutes a significant payroll reform initiative.
Joekai mentioned that the 6,387 individuals have consistently failed to participate in mandatory payroll verification processes, including the General Auditing Commission’s (GAC) Payroll Compliance Audit in 2021 and a subsequent 90-day post-audit verification exercise. He attributed this oversight to the former administration of President George Weah, pointing out that it has resulted in substantial financial losses, with millions potentially being paid out monthly and annually to non-existent employees, commonly referred to as “ghost workers.”
In the communication, the CSA Director General outlined the Auditor General’s recommendation: “The Office of the Comptroller and Accountant General (CAG) would place a moratorium on salaries of all employees (6,387) not verified during the physical verification exercises and for whom legitimate excuses were not provided.”
Furthermore, Joekai believes that this blocking action is a crucial step toward correcting past oversights and safeguarding the integrity of the Government’s payroll system.
