By Julius Konton
On Wednesday, October 22, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai officially launched the Automated Legal Power of Attorney (LPA) System.
Formally referred to as Liberia Pay after, the system, signaled a new era of digital transformation, and civil service reform.
The initiative revives a once-vital welfare scheme for government employees, now modernized to reflect the administration vision for an inclusive, accountable, and people-centered public sector.
At a high-level ceremony in Oldest Congo Town, Pres. Boakai declared the launch a “new day for all government workers,” underscoring the significance of the LPA as a symbol of restored dignity and economic empowerment.
“Today, we gather not merely to launch a digital platform,” the President said, noting: “But to rekindle a legacy of empowerment, trust, and dignity for every public servant.”
The LPA scheme, once an integral support system for public workers before the civil war, enabled government employees to access goods and services without upfront payments.
Workers repaid through monthly salary deductions; a process that promoted welfare and loyalty across the public sector.
After decades of dormancy, the Boakai administration has brought the program back to life, fully digitized and secured with biometric enrollment.
With the introduction of the LPA, government employees can now verify their identity using fingerprint technology at approved vendors equipped with LPA Point-of-Sale (POS) systems; collect goods on credit, and repay in six monthly installments.
“You take plenty things and pay small, small,” Boakai said, drawing applause from the gathering; many of whom represented country’s core public institutions.
The revamped program applies to all government workers, including civil servants, and appointed officials.
It is hailed as a model of financial inclusion that not only simplifies access to goods, but does so with dignity and efficiency.
The digital LPA launch follows the Employee Status Regularization Project (ESRP), launched in July 2024, which sought to clean up the national payroll and integrate long-neglected volunteer workers into the system.
Boakai then announced that no civil servant currently earns less than US$150, with over 23,000 essential workers in education, health, agriculture and security receiving salary top-ups.