MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia recognizes the financial difficulties private school teachers are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic which intensified in the country earlier this year. The government gathers that some owners of private schools, including faith-based schools, have been unable to pay their teachers and faculties since February 2020, owing to limited or no tuition payment.
Some parents and guardians, and students that are self-sponsored, have attributed their inability to pay balance tuition to significant reduction in economic activities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Having observed and studied the impact of the pandemic on the private school systems, especially their teachers and faculties, President George Manneh Weah, in consultation with the National Legislature, has instructed the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to provide U.S.$1 million out of the FY19/20 surplus to pay as honorarium to private school teachers who have not been paid for the past seven months. This is the Government’s way of assisting private schools and their teachers prepare for the resumption of normal school activities.
Pursuant to this objective, the government has constituted a vetting and payment taskforce to identify and pay eligible teachers and administrators of the different private schools across the country. The taskforce comprises the Ministries of Education as chair, Finance and Development Planning, the Civil Service Agency, and the Internal Audit Agency.
Owners of private schools are hereby requested to submit their last updated payrolls to the taskforce through the Ministry of Education for validation before payment. Payroll submission must include payment details such as account numbers, mobile money numbers and National Biometric Identification Numbers (NIR-ID). Private School Systems are also required to submit evidence of the last payment of withholding on income tax to the Liberia Revenue Authority.
As the government exerts effort to make these payments, it extends thanks and appreciation to teachers of private schools and encourages them to support their respective institutions.
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