Monrovia – After two months without pay, officers of the Liberia National Police are expected to receive their salary.
“As we speak the LNP payroll has been signed today July 20, 2016 and forwarded to the management of Eco-bank,” LNP Director Chris Massaquoi told a news conference Wednesday.
The delay in the payment of salaries to officers plus the drawdown of the UN Mission became a serious concern in several quarters of Liberia.
Critics argue that having officers who are expected to protect the peace without being paid more than two months is worrisome; adding that in spite of any measure, the security should be a priority.
The LNP Director blamed the delay in the payment of salaries on the impromptu measure taken by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to begin paying salaries in Liberian dollars.
“In the second month of fourth quarter (MAY) of the fiscal year 2015/2016, the Liberia National Police submitted 100% USD payroll to the MFDP to begin the payment of our officers May, 2016 salary, but without prior notice, the Ministry rejected the LNP payroll and subsequently advised the LNP Administration that the payroll submitted earlier be re-submitted with 50% in United States Dollars and 50% in Liberian dollars,” Massaquoi added.
Director Massaquoi said since the inception of this administration, officers of the Liberia National Police have been receiving USD 100% monthly salary payments from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning through direct deposit scheme with Eco-bank.
“Owing to the fact that the LNP maintained no LRD account for its officers, the LNP administration met with the Eco bank management to open the officers LRD accounts. Ecobank refused to do so, on grounds that those fiscal measures by the Ministry of Finance were temporary and could cost the bank additional expenses to have the account maintained.”
He said that the LNP administration has exerted all efforts to ensure that the bank opens LRD account for the officers but it proved futile.
“The bank suggested that LNP opens LRD payroll account, which was done and the 50% LRD GOL cheque was deposited.”
Said Massaquoi: “Based upon the bank’s position that they could not open LRD salary accounts for the officers and having deposited the May 50% GOL cheque issued by the MFDP, the administration of the LNP began exploring alternative modes of payments, and finally decided to make payments through cheque against the LRD account of the LNP, while the 50% USD was being credited to the officers’ USD salary accounts.
As we speak, significant numbers of our officers have received 50% of their LRD salary cheques and soon to complete payment for the month of May 2016.”
The LNP Boss averred that his administration, in an effort to have the officers get their pay on time, began a negotiation to have officers remain at their various posts and their payments are made.
“Given the strengthening of the LNP, VISA-VIS the nation-wide deployment and the need to ensure that they remain at the their various posts, the administration initiated a negotiation with the Finance Ministry authority to see the need to avoid making payments through other means, foreseeing that any other option would cause delay in the salary payment to officers,” Director Massaquoi said.
He said following two weeks negotiation, the MFDP finally advised that the payroll be re-submitted 50% USD and 50% LRD on grounds that the government of Liberia was not in the position to pay 100% USD salaries into the accounts of officers as was being done in the past.
“LNP prepared and submitted two separate payrolls which took over three days for its completion; at this point vouchers were being processed at the MOFDP and the LNP continued its negotiations with the management of Eco-bank on way forward for the possible opening of LRD accounts for all officers, since indeed the bank already had USD accounts for the officers.”
The police boss said the LNP has advised officers to open LRD account at Eco-Bank, LBDI and IB.
“The LNP administration, considering the difficulties faced in the writing of individual cheques for more than five thousand officers, encouraged all officers to open individual LRD accounts at either Eco Bank, LBDI and IB for the possible remittance of their salaries against the ratio (30:70) issued by the MFDP for June,” Director Massaquoi said.
“Wherein 30% USD goes into the officers’ account while the 70% LRD is to be credited to the anticipated accounts; as we speak, the process is ongoing and at least 85% of these account numbers have been receive by the LNP HR Section and included on the LNP LRD payroll,” Director Massaquoi added.