By Our Staff Writer
MONROVIA: President George Manneh Weah and his government have begun the execution of two schemes including the “Legal Power of Attorney (LPA)” and “Quick Cash Credit,” that now benefit thousands of civil servants who, through salary deduction, now have access to fast credit for cash, building materials, furniture and fixtures, electronics, and food items among others in the country.
President Weah: “This year we plan to expand the LPA scheme to rural Liberia to benefit more civil servants, including teachers, health workers, security officers, traditional leaders and workers. This expansion will also benefit rural businesses by increasing their sales and profits.”
The disclosures about the two schemes for civil servants were contained in the Sixth State of the Nation Address (SONA), delivered by the President recently before the 54th National Legislature on Capitol Hill in Monrovia.
“As domestic revenue improves, we remain committed to enhancing the welfare of Government workers. I have been informed that some 15,000 Government workers still make below the minimum wage of US$150, as mandated by the Decent Work Act. This is completely unacceptable. No Government worker should make below the minimum wage mandated by public law. I have therefore directed that, as part of the 2023 budget, the wages for all such workers be raised at or above the minimum wage. I am informed that the cost to achieving this is estimated at US$6 million annually,” President Weah pointed out.
The Liberian Leader also called on the Legislature to help accelerate the discussion for the 2023 National Budget, to make the securing of US$6 million for the 15,000 public service workers one of the highest priorities of the Liberian National Legislature.
Touching on Official Development Assistance (ODA), otherwise referred to as “Foreign Aid,” Weah told his fellow compatriots that it is critical to Liberia’s economic growth and development, as it represents an important share of the national budget.
In 2022, the Weah Administration negotiated and signed approximately nine (9) financing instruments with Development Partners, worth a total of about US$282.2 million.
According to President Weah, “These projects and programs supplement our continual commitment to inclusive growth and development in Liberia.”
Weah: “We continue to take steps to improve aid coordination. At a Steering Committee Meeting of the PAPD held last year, I emphasized to our Development Partners the importance of coordinating resources in critical sectors such as health, education, and agriculture for more transformative results.”
He added that the Government and its Partners have both reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the tenets of the Paris Agenda on Aid Effectiveness, and are delivering frameworks under the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) to achieve this.
However, the Liberian President made it clear that “much more work needs to be done to deliver more results for the Liberian people.”
