Monrovia – As the festive season begins and employees of government agencies and ministries anticipate getting their salaries for December and all other months due them, the deputy spokesperson of the Government of Liberia, Eugene Fahngon has warned that all civil servants should spend “wisely” during the festive season, while hinting that there will be salary delays for the month of December.
He said that the government hopes to pay salaries for December in the month of January of 2020.
Said Fahngon: “As a government, we would like to advise you as citizens and employees of government to do all you can in your powers to spend wisely during this festive season.”
According to him, the government is appealing to civil servants to accept salaries for the months of October and November, which he said are being processed. He, at the same time, called on civil servants to exercise patience for the month of December.
“We are still in December, so if we are supposed to pay you for October and November, which is owed you and due you, then you need to understand that by the 20th to the 23rd of December it means the government would have been cut off. So the month of December is not going to come by quickly,” said Fahngon, who was speaking at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing on Thursday, December 19.
“So, we want to appeal to our people that when January comes in which we all know is a tough month and then we will be able to pay you the month of December in January so we are appealing to you to please exercise patience.”
He stressed that civil servants should give the government some “room and window” and not to allow themselves to be used by anyone.
“We are not saying that it is not your right, but you will be out there saying you have not taken paid and therefore you will be demanding money so we are saying please exercise patience. We are saying this because you will have people who want to take advantage of the situation and disrupt our peace,” stressed Fahngon.
“As a government, we would like to advise you as citizens and employees of government to do all you can in your powers to spend wisely during this festive season.”
– Deputy Information Minister for Press and Public Affairs, Eugene Fahngon
Fahngon statement comes barely a day after Finance and Economic Planning Minister Samuel Tweah said that the government is doing everything to ensure salaries are stable for civil servants in the new year.
“The government is working to deliver and the Word Bank’s US$40 million budget support in February will mark the beginning of that stability,” Minister Tweah said.
“The government is on course with most of the triggers. The Legislature is expected to pass the revised Custom Code, which is a precondition.”
The minister said the government is positive that cash flow since the approval of the Extended Credit Facility from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).