By Mark N. Mengonfia, mmenginfia@gmail.com
CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia- President George M. Weah has praised members of the Liberian Legislature for taking the courage to have reduced Liberia’s wage bill which he said was a major challenge for previous governments.
Addressing the national on Monday, January 27, 2020 before 5 Pm GMT, the Liberian leader said that one of the best efforts the Liberian Legislature has made was to harmonized wage bill in the face of the pressing hard economic challenge.
“For the first time” he said in the Legislature of Liberia’s history, the 54 legislature to have helped in reducing the wage bill of the country the credit to added to the achievement of his administration.
President Weah said, “we took no pleasure in reducing the salaries, we know the pains it cause.”
He informed the Liberian legislature that his administration has put into placed all necessary measures to ensure that if one director or minister with the same education and scope of work makes 400 US dollars, the same should apply for other.
Speaking further, the Liberian leader intoned that relating to the reduction of salaries, he was the first to have announced the reduction of 25 percent of his salary.
President Weah, who is now in his third year in office, said that after his salary was reduced by 25 percent, during the harmonization process, he was again as well affected.
The president did not forget to highlight the role played by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in helping to dress the country’s economic problem, the process the president appreciates and gives the credit to his administration and the IMF.
The Liberian leader indicated that by next budget year, all government workers are expected to be identified by biometric ID system and those who have reached retirement ages will be layoff by next budget year.
He said ” my admission will continue to fight corruption” adding ” many believe that corruption is the way of life,but we will.”