MONROVIA: The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) yesterday, July 4, 2024, had a rare guest at its Regular Press Briefing. The MICAT Press Briefing is a national platform used by government officials to promote the programs and policies of the incumbent administration to the populace and international audience. Perhaps for the first time in the history of the platform, a sitting president was a guest. And that was when President Joseph Nyuma Boakai broke the record with his attendance, launching of a critical anti-corruption program. The Analyst reports.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has officially launched Government’s Employee Status
Regularization Project (ESRP), which is under the auspices of the Civil Service Agency.
The project represents a pivotal step towards a more transparent, accountable, and efficient government committed to serving the people of Liberia with integrity and dedication.
Appearing at the MICAT Press Briefing Thursday, July 4, 2024, the President said the ESRP is a response to the current challenges Government faces, including the accumulation of ghost names, incomplete Personnel Action Notices (PANs), and outdated information that have compromised the integrity of our government payroll system.
“This comprehensive clean-up is essential to ensure the accuracy and transparency of our payroll system,” he said, adding that the scope of the ESRP encompasses all government Spending Entities, focusing on verifying and updating employee records across all 103 Entities.
According to president Boakai, the methodology includes thoroughly auditing the existing payrolls, cross-referencing current employee records, and implementing a robust data collection and management system to prevent future discrepancies.
Regarding what is envisioned from the three key deliverables of this project, the Chief Executive said they included an updated and accurate payroll system free of ghost names and incomplete
Personnel Action Notices; a streamlined process for ongoing payroll data management and verification; a depoliticized, professional workforce maintaining payroll integrity, and an improved and capable workforce.
The President further said: “These goals will be achieved over three months, July to September 2024, with key milestones, including the initial audit and assessment, data verification and updating, system implementation, and training, culminating in a final review and report. I want to personally thank the Civil Service Agency for undertaking this major national reform initiative, which will bring integrity to the national payroll system, save the government
millions, and strengthen and improve the workforce.”
Throwing jabs at the CDC government, he asserted: “Fellow Liberians, it is vital to inform you that by July 2023, this time last year, the previous administration had already hired about 1,000 so-called consultants, primarily casual laborers, who did not significantly contribute to bridging the human resource and institutional capacity gaps and advancing our governance system overall.”
In sharp contrast, today, he said, “we proudly announce the recruitment of 97 highly qualified
professionals and experts through a rigorous vetting process consistent with the National Consultancy Policy Guidelines I launched on April 30, 2024. Many of the consultants present here today include legal, human resource, management experts, and specialized doctors.”
The President extended special thanks to the leadership of the Civil Service
Agency for instituting these consultancy reform measures, ensuring effective utilization
of consultancy resources, and delivering value for money.
He said the launch of the ESRP marked a significant milestone in his administration’s journey, a
“day of immense pride and progress as we gather to launch one of our leading programs, the
Employee Status Regularization Project (ESRP), dedicated to enhancing employment and payroll transparency and accountability in the government.”
He emphasized that the project is a significant step forward for my administration and a leap towards a more efficient, transparent, and accountable civil service.
“Our government’s ARREST Agenda, rooted in transparency and accountability, is the
cornerstone of our actions,” he said, adding: “The launch of the Employee Status Regularization Project (ESRP) is a testament to this commitment. By cleansing the bloated payroll system we
inherited, we aim to create a more productive workforce with improved wages for our hardworking civil servants. This initiative is not just a part of our agenda, but a significant stride towards its realization.”
According to him, the ESRP is a testament to his administration’s dedication to those guiding principles.
“This comprehensive employee headcount and physical verification exercise will not only identify and remove ghost names, double dippers, and unqualified individuals from our payroll system, but also significantly improve the wages of legitimate civil servants and provide
opportunities for qualified professionals to deliver efficient and effective services,” he opined.
“This is a major step towards a more productive and efficient civil service,” the President continued. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our ARREST Agenda, promoting transparency and accountability across all sectors.
“I am pleased to report that the ESRP has already made significant strides, covering 26 out of the 103 government Spending Entities. Progressive reports have revealed huge numbers of ghost names, double dippers, unqualified and inefficient employees, duplicate names, and National Identification Numbers (NIN) on the payroll.”
These discrepancies and inefficiencies are not just numbers on a balance sheet, he asserted further. “They represent a significant loss to our government, amounting to millions monthly. The Employee Status Regularization Project (ESRP), designed and implemented by the
Civil Service Agency (CSA), is our robust response to this financial drain.”
By addressing these issues, he said, “we aim to not only strengthen and manage our payroll system but also significantly reduce these financial losses, ensuring it operates with transparency and efficiency, and improving compensations for qualified employees.”
“By identifying all legitimate government employees and improving payroll data
collection, we aim to minimize waste and abuse of government resources and ensure
the effective utilization of public resources,” he concluded.