By Mark N. Mengonfia- mmenginfia@gmail.com
Montserrado County District #8 Representative, Acarous Moses Gray of the ruling CDC party has officially communicated with the House of Representatives, requesting a reduction in their benefits, but another Lawmaker says it is deception.
Rep. Gray, who Co-Chairs the House Committee on Executive said in his communication addressed to Speaker Bohfal Chambers on Thursday, that the reduction will greatly help address some of the pressing economic problems in the country.
But Montserrado County District #4 Representative, Rustonlyn Suakoko Dennis (Independent) told Legislative Reporters earlier this week that Rep. Gray was this pay cut proposal did not originate from him.
Rep. Dennis said Rep. Gray was only making it appear that he first advanced the call for cut in Lawmakers’ benefit.
She said the issue has been in the corridor of the Capitol Building for some time.
When Margibi County Senator Oscar Cooper proffered the suggestion of a 25 percent pay cut for Lawmakers several years ago, he did not get the back of his colleagues at the Capitol, including Rep. Gray who is a second-term Lawmaker, who was in the 53rd Legislature.
According to some well-informed estimates and research, while a majority of Liberians live on less than US $2 per day, Liberian lawmakers earn at least $12,000.00 monthly each in allowances/benefits.
Some reports and estimates have it that each Liberian lawmaker can earn up to $US 200,000 a year, once you include bonuses for extras like power generation, phone and internet bills , housing allowance, constituency transportation, scholarship allowance, among other things.
With this, Liberian lawmakers earn more than British members of the parliament and almost as much as Nigeria’s highly-paid lawmakers.
It appears as though Rep. Gray, who is also a ranking member of the Ruling CDC, has realized the huge disparity thus now prompting him to write his colleagues for a pay cut.
“I respectively request an urgent review of our benefits for possible reduction in order to meet economic reality of the day,” the Montserrado District #8 Rep. says in his communication to Plenary.
The CDC lawmaker adding that if said reduction is done, it will great the George Weah administration to meet up with some of the challenges that are faced in the health and educational sectors of Liberia.
“If such necessary austerity measure is taken, as it relates to our benefits being cut down, the government will be able to execute most of its developmental agenda that even include our legislative projects,” Rep. Gray added.
After the communication was read, a motion was raised to send it to the committee on Ways, Means and Finance & Development Planning, Public Accounts and Judiciary to report to the plenary of the House of Representatives within the time period of one month.
Some lawmakers who refused to be recorded on tape had the view that it was even necessary for those benefits to be cut, because they are not even receiving them.
One of them said, “even if I will make US $100 as my pay, I don’t have any problem with it, because I came at the legislature as an established person.”