Liberia: CSA Moves to Tighten Government Payroll Controls as Dr. Joekai Pushes for Greater Accountability in 2027 Budget

Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Dr. Joekai emphasized that the government is moving toward a system in which personnel expenditures must be supported by credible employment records, legitimate institutional needs, and available financial resources

MONROVIA — As the Liberian government intensifies preparations for the 2027 National Budget, the Civil Service Agency (CSA) has announced significant steps aimed at strengthening payroll accountability, controlling personnel expenditures, and ensuring that government institutions receive compensation allocations based on verified staffing requirements rather than unsupported financial demands.

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***By Selma Lomax, [email protected] ***

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The latest development follows the submission of a comprehensive Annual Manpower Hearing Report to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), marking an important stage in the government’s efforts to establish a more transparent and disciplined system for managing public sector employment and compensation.

Civil Service Agency Director-General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr. disclosed that the report contains assessments of staffing requirements across government institutions and will serve as a critical reference in determining personnel compensation allocations during the ongoing national budget preparation process.

Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Dr. Joekai emphasized that the government is moving toward a system in which personnel expenditures must be supported by credible employment records, legitimate institutional needs, and available financial resources.

According to the CSA Director-General, the initiative is intended to address longstanding concerns surrounding personnel expenditure management, including discrepancies between institutional staffing requirements and the compensation allocations requested during national budget preparations.

He explained that the Annual Manpower Hearing, conducted between August 18 and September 1, 2026, at the CSA headquarters in Congo Town, brought together technical representatives of the CSA, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and participating government institutions.

The exercise provided an opportunity for spending entities to present their staffing needs, explain their personnel compensation proposals, and justify requests for workforce-related expenditures ahead of the formulation of the 2027 National Budget.

Dr. Joekai disclosed that 109 government spending entities were invited to participate in the hearing, but only 77 institutions appeared before the technical teams, representing slightly more than 70 percent of those invited.

The remaining 32 institutions did not participate in the scheduled hearings, creating an additional administrative challenge as the government works to complete the national budget within the established statutory timetable.

Despite the absence of those institutions, the CSA Director-General maintained that the exercise achieved its principal objectives and was completed within the approved timeframe. “The exercise was completed within the established timeline, and the CSA has submitted the comprehensive manpower hearing report to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. A total of 109 entities were invited. Hearings were completed for 77 entities, with 32 remaining,” Dr. Joekai stated.

He explained that the report provides the government with an important foundation for assessing the relationship between approved institutional mandates, actual staffing requirements, and the financial resources needed to support public sector employees.

With preparations for the 2027 National Budget already at an advanced stage, Dr. Joekai said organizing another comprehensive round of manpower hearings for the 32 institutions that failed to participate would not be practical.

Instead, he disclosed that the CSA and MFDP have agreed to subject the personnel compensation proposals of those institutions to a separate technical review using information presented during the ongoing Executive Budget Hearings. “Accordingly, the CSA, working closely with the MFDP, will review their proposed personnel compensation envelopes as presented during the ongoing Executive Budget Hearings,” Dr. Joekai stated.

The arrangement, according to the CSA leadership, is intended to ensure that institutions that missed the original hearings are still subjected to appropriate scrutiny before their personnel compensation requests are considered for inclusion in the national budget.

The review will examine existing personnel records, institutional staffing structures, budget proposals, and other relevant documentation to determine whether the compensation requests submitted by the affected entities are justified.

Dr. Joekai emphasized that the government remains committed to preventing the inclusion of unauthorized or inadequately supported personnel expenditures in the 2027 National Budget.

He reminded government institutions that the guiding principle established at the beginning of the budget preparation process remains unchanged: personnel compensation allocations must undergo validation through the Annual Manpower Hearing or the approved joint review process conducted by the CSA and MFDP.

The CSA Director-General indicated that the measure is designed to promote consistency between government employment records and national budget allocations while reducing the possibility of unnecessary personnel expenditure pressures.

Under the arrangement, government spending entities will be expected to demonstrate that their proposed personnel compensation requirements correspond with actual workforce needs and approved institutional responsibilities.

Dr. Joekai further maintained that improving payroll management requires more than reviewing figures submitted by government institutions. He said the process must also establish a stronger connection between the number of employees needed to perform public functions, the responsibilities assigned to those employees, and the financial implications of maintaining those positions. In his view, effective manpower planning is essential to ensuring that government institutions operate efficiently without placing unnecessary pressure on limited public resources.

The CSA Director-General also underscored the importance of sustained cooperation among government institutions in implementing the new personnel compensation controls. He indicated that the success of the reform process would depend significantly on the willingness of spending entities to provide accurate staffing information, comply with established procedures, and recognize that national budget allocations must reflect genuine service delivery priorities. He stressed that stronger institutional accountability would help the government make better decisions about workforce management and the distribution of public resources.

Meanwhile, Dr. Joekai disclosed that the CSA and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning have reached an understanding to substantially reduce extra compensation allocations in the 2027 National Budget.

He said such expenditures would be subjected to stricter justification and oversight to ensure that additional compensation provisions are consistent with government priorities and available financial resources. The decision represents another component of the government’s broader effort to strengthen financial discipline within the public sector and improve the credibility of personnel expenditure planning.

According to Dr. Joekai, the objective is to develop a compensation management framework that prioritizes legitimate workforce requirements while discouraging unnecessary or unsupported spending requests.

He maintained that government institutions must increasingly recognize the importance of aligning their employment needs with realistic budgetary provisions, particularly as the country seeks to improve the management of its financial resources.

The CSA Director-General expressed confidence that the manpower review process would contribute to greater transparency in government compensation planning and provide a stronger basis for evaluating the financial implications of public sector staffing decisions.

He also noted that improved coordination between the CSA and MFDP would strengthen oversight of personnel compensation proposals and help

ensure that approved allocations are consistent with established employment records.

Dr. Joekai commended the leadership and technical personnel of both institutions for their collaboration throughout the manpower hearing process, describing their joint efforts as important to achieving the government’s workforce management objectives. “Our position is clear: government personnel compensation must be driven by verified manpower needs, institutional priorities, and responsible fiscal management,” he noted.

Beyond the government’s payroll management reforms, the CSA Director-General also provided an update on the nationwide Pre-Retirement Counseling and Data Collection Exercise, which is scheduled to conclude on October 16, 2026.

Dr. Joekai disclosed that approximately 2,042 government employees had been reached and their information collected across 14 locations as part of the nationwide initiative.

The exercise forms part of the CSA’s efforts to improve retirement preparedness among public sector employees and ensure that civil servants approaching retirement receive appropriate information about the procedures and benefits associated with leaving government service.

He explained that the initiative seeks to address important administrative concerns by helping prospective retirees understand their responsibilities, complete the required documentation, and obtain guidance on the transition from active employment to retirement.

The CSA Director-General emphasized that retirement should be approached as an important stage in the lives of public servants who have devoted years of service to government institutions.

He said the agency remains committed to promoting a retirement process that recognizes the contributions of civil servants while ensuring that the necessary administrative procedures are properly followed.

Dr. Joekai also clarified the respective responsibilities of the Civil Service Agency and the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), noting that both institutions perform different but complementary functions in the retirement process.

According to him, the CSA is responsible for providing information concerning retirement procedures, effective retirement dates, required documents, and the applicable government retirement handshake package.

NASSCORP, on the other hand, handles pension-related matters, including the registration of retirees, verification of contributions, completion of the required C1 Form, biometric identification, and guidance concerning pension payments.

He explained that pension payments may be processed through banking institutions and mobile money services, depending on the arrangements available to beneficiaries. The clarification is intended to help prospective retirees understand which institution to approach for specific services and reduce confusion during the transition from active government employment.

The CSA Director-General indicated that proper retirement counseling is particularly important because employees approaching retirement often require detailed information about the administrative steps involved in securing their benefits.

He maintained that providing such guidance before employees officially leave government service can help minimize unnecessary delays and improve their preparedness for retirement.

The nationwide exercise also provides an opportunity for the government to collect and update information concerning employees approaching retirement, an undertaking that could support more accurate workforce planning and personnel management.