Pressure Mounts On Candidates To Sign Social Contract With Liberian Voters, As Oct. 10 Polls Draw Closer

Candidates Must Commit Themselves To Cutting Pres. & VP Salaries To US$8 And US6K, Sen. And Rep. To US$5K & US$4K, While Increasing Civil Servants Average Pay To US$300

By Our Reporter

Salaries and benefits of the presidency, lawmakers and other top Liberian officials consume the lion’s share of the national budget, with top Liberian officials making far more than their counterparts in other African countries and even developed countries.

But now, a new pressure group, Social Contract Liberia is calling on candidates in the October 10 elections to sign up to an agreement committing themselves to lowering salaries and upholding the tenets of good governance, transparency and accountability.

Ahead of the official kickoff of the elections campaign on August 5, 2023 and with presidential and legislative elections some 90 days away, the Social Contract Liberia is on a massive campaign to sensitize voters and increase public awareness of what is considered to be a patriotic endeavor.

Factsheet of the Liberian budget from 2006-2023 released by the group shows that the bulk of the country’s resources are spent on the top government officials, with key sectors such as health, agriculture and education literally getting peanut.

According to reports, as Liberian Lawmakers make up to US$12K a month, their counterparts in countries like Ghana and Sierra Leone make US$2,600 and US$1,000 respectively.

See Social Contract below:

PREAMBLE

THIS SOCIAL CONTRACT IS A BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS OF GOVERNMENT, BE IT ELECTED OR APPOINTED. THE PURPOSE IS TO ELIMINATE WASTE AND ABUSE OF FINANCIAL AND OTHER RESOURCES, PROVIDE BASIC SOCIAL SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS AND ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY, GOOD GOVERNANCE, FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSEMBLY AND AN UNFETTERED COMMITMENT TO UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW.

LIBERIA: SOCIAL CONTRACT (FOR THOSE VYING FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT)

I, _______________________________, VYING FOR THE OFFICE ____________________, REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA, DO HEREBY SOLEMNLY COMMIT TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. UPHOLD THE TENETS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
2. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION;
3. ZERO TOLERANCE ON RAPE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE;
4. ZERO TOLERANCE ON EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS;
5. TOTAL OVERHAUL OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET THAT FAVORS THE CITIZENS OF LIBERIA BY ACTIONABLE AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES THAT INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:

A) CAP THE SALARY OF THE PRESIDENT AT US$8,000;

B) CAP THE SALARY OF THE VICE PRESIDENT AT US$6,000;

C) CAP THE SALARIES OF MINISTERS, DEPUTY MINISTERS, ASSITANT MINISTERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS AT US$5,000, US$4,000, US$3,000, AND FOR RANKS BELOW, APPLY REMUNERATIONS APPROPRIATE BEARING IN MIND THE COST OF LIVING. WE FULLY COMMIT TO DOING AWAY WITH EXTRA BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS INCLUDING UNECESSARY TRAVELLING AND GIVING OF GIFTS; AND

D) WORK, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE LEGISLATURE AND JUDICIARY, TO ENSURE THAT THE SALARIES OF JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT, SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD NOT BE EQUAL TO THAT OF THE PRESIDENT AND GREATER THAN THAT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT. SAVINGS FROM THIS PROCESS WOULD BE USED FOR PRIORITY SPENDINGS ON ROADS, ELECTRICITY, HEALTH, AGRICULTURE, AND EDUCATION.

6.INCREMENTAL RISE IN BUDGETARY ALLOCATION TO PUBLIC SECTOR INVESTMENT PROJECTS (PSIPs) BY 15 PERCENT OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET IN YEAR 1, 20 PERCENT IN YEAR 2, 30 PERCENT IN YEAR 3, 40 PERCENT IN 4, 50 PERCENT IN YEAR 5, AND 60 PERCENT IN YEAR 6.

PREAMBLE

THIS SOCIAL CONTRACT IS A BINDING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THEIR OFFICIALS OF GOVERNMENT, BE IT ELECTED OR APPOINTED. THE PURPOSE IS TO ELIMINATE WASTE AND ABUSE OF RFINANCIAL AND OTHER ESOURCES, PROVIDE BASIC SOCIAL SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS AND ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND UNFETTERED COMMITMENT TO UPHOLDING THE RULE OF LAW.

LIBERIA: SOCIAL CONTRACT (FOR THOSE VYING FOR LEGISLATIVE SEATS)

I, _______________________________, VYING FOR THE OFFICE ____________________, REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA, DO HEREBY SOLEMNLY COMMIT TO THE FOLLOWING BEARING IN MIND THE CORE RESPONSIBILITIES OF LAW MAKING, OVERSIGHT, AND REPRESENTATION:

1. UPHOLD THE TENETS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE, TRANSPARENCY, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
2. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION;
3. ZERO TOLERANCE ON RAPE AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE;
4. ZERO TOLERANCE ON EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS

TOTAL OVERHAUL OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET IN CONSULTATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE THAT FAVORS THE CITIZENS OF LIBERIA BY ACTIONABLE AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES THAT ARE NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. A) CAP THE SALARY OF THE PRESIDENT AT US$8,000;
2. B) CAP THE SALARY OF THE VICE PRESIDENT AT US$6,000;
3. C) CAP THE SALARIES OF MINISTERS, DEPUTY MINISTERS, ASSITANT MINISTERS AND CIVIL SERVANTS AT US$5,000, US$4,000, US$3,000, AND FOR RANKS BELOW, APPLY REMUNERATIONS APPROPRIATE BEARING IN MIND THE COST OF LIVING. WE FULLY COMMIT TO DOING AWAY WITH EXTRA BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS INCLUDING UNECESSARY TRAVELLING AND GIVING OF GIFTS; AND

1. D) WORK, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIARY, TO ENSURE THAT THE SALARIES OF JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT, SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD NOT BE EQUAL TO THAT OF THE PRESIDENT AND NOT GREATER THAN THAT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT. SAVINGS FROM THIS PROCESS WOULD BE USED FOR PRIORITY SPENDINGS ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE, ROADS, AND ELECTRICITY.
2. INCREMENTAL RISE IN BUDGETARY ALLOCATION TO PUBLIC SECTOR INVESTMENT PROJECTS BY 15 PERCENT OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET IN YEAR 1, 20 PERCENT IN YEAR 2, 30 PERCENT IN YEAR 3, 40 PERCENT IN 4, 50 PERCENT IN YEAR 5, AND 60 PERCENT IN YEAR 6.

See factsheet below: