The Inquirer
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

Posted May 11, 2004

In a major move intended to address the issue of civil servants’ salary arrears, the Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL), C. Gyude Bryant has instructed the Director of the Budget Bureau to program the payment of salary arrears, commencing July 1, 2004, on a pro rata basis, as part of the 2004-2005 fiscal budget.

Additionally, the Special Presidential Committee on Salary Arrears has been mandated to work with the Ministry of Finance to ensure the payment of one-month salary arrear prior to the observance of Independence Day on July 26, 2004 as a good-faith demonstration of the NTGL’s commitment to honor salary arrears.

The Chairman’s directive means that as of the end of July this year, civil servants will receive their arrears on a period basis until the end of the 2004-2005 fiscal year which ends on June 30, 2005.

Addressing the nation last Friday, Chairman Bryant also announced the pending establishment of a Joint Committee of the Special Presidential Committee on Salary Arrears, the leadership of the Civil Servants Association and relevant government agencies to monitor the implementation of his decisions.