Liberian president slashes own salary by 40%

Liberian President, Joseph Boakai, has announced a voluntary 40  per cent reduction in his salary.

This was disclosed in a statement shared on the website of the Liberian Government on Saturday which said the move aligned with Boakai’s commitment to fiscal integrity and national financial security.

This is coming days after some lawmakers arrived at the parliament in tricycles popularly known as ‘Keke’ in protest against the non-payment of funds for their vehicles by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

Boakai said the announcement reflects his determination to lead by example in strengthening government accountability and demonstrating solidarity with the citizens.

The statement partly read, “In fulfillment of his commitment to fiscal integrity and national financial security, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr.. has announced a voluntary 40% reduction in his salary.

“According to the President, the announcement reflects his determination to lead by example in strengthening government accountability and demonstrating solidarity with the people of the nation.

“The Liberian leader said the move is aimed at setting a precedent for responsible governance and nation-building.”

More so, Boakai “has pledged to empower the Civil Service Agency (CSA) to ensure that public servants’ salaries are in line with the current state of the nation and that workers receive fair compensation for their contributions to the country.”

Earlier on Thursday, Boakai officially launched the Employee Status Regularisation Programme aimed at enhancing employment and payroll transparency and accountability within the government.

The programme represents a crucial step towards creating a more efficient, transparent and accountable civil service.

A statement from the Liberian President indicated that the newly launched ESRP involves a comprehensive employee headcount and physical verification exercise to identify and remove ghost names and unqualified individuals from the government’s payroll.

The initiative also seeks to improve the wages of legitimate civil servants and create opportunities for qualified professionals to deliver efficient and effective services.

Boakai, who succeeded former President George Weah, is currently in Nigeria for the 63rd Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the ECOWAS.