Finance Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan has strongly refuted allegations that the government’s recent proposals to increase salaries and provide insurance benefits for public officials, including the Liberia National Police, are fraudulent schemes. Speaking on a local radio station in Monrovia on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Minister Ngafuan dismissed the claims as “baseless”. “I don’t know why people would think these initiatives are scams. Maybe they are used to scams, but this government has no intention to deceive its people. Everything I stated at the MICAT press briefing is what the government is committed to doing,” he emphasized. His remarks follow criticisms from some members of the public who are concerned about the credibility of the government’s announcement to fund insurance coverage for police officers and increase civil servants’ salaries as outlined in the Draft National Budget for FY 2025. Critics of the Boakai led Administration have labeled the initiatives as unrealistic and deceptive, a narrative Ngafuan vehemently rejected during his radio interview. “The only way these measures won’t be implemented is if the National Legislature fails to approve them,” Ngafuan clarified. He stressed that these proposals represent decisive steps to tackle long standing issues affecting public sector employees, including health workers, teachers, and security personnel. It can be recalled during a press briefing at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT) on November 19, 2024, Minister Ngafuan detailed the government’s plans, stating that the FY 2025 Budget includes a salary top-up program benefiting approximately 28,200 government employees, representing 45 percent of the public workforce. Key highlights of the plan include: the health sector, nurses, midwives, and physician assistants will receive monthly increases of $50, while other health workers will see raises ranging from $25 to $40. For the education sector, he said, teachers and staff at public institutions will also benefit from the salary adjustments. Additionally, he said, personnel, including Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) soldiers, Executive Protection Service (EPS) officers, police officers, and agriculture extension workers, will receive top-ups between $30 and $40 monthly. He reiterated that the government’s commitment is rooted in addressing perennial challenges faced by public workers. “This is not a temporary gesture; it is a deliberate policy decision to improve the livelihoods of civil servants and enhance service delivery across critical sectors,” he stated. The Minister urged skeptics to focus on the broader goals of these reforms, noting that the success of these initiatives depends on legislative approval and assured that the government would continue to act transparently and in the best interest of its citizens. LINA
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