Amid mounting public pressure, Ngafuan highlights financial challenges inherited from the Weah administration, leaving the future of the controversial policy unclear.
In a highly anticipated interview on ELBC, Liberia’s Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan avoided directly addressing whether the Unity Party-led government plans to reverse the contentious salary harmonization policy. This issue, a focal point during the Unity Party’s 2023 election campaign, remains unresolved as the public eagerly awaits clarity on its future.
Ngafuan was repeatedly pressed by journalists to confirm if the government intends to undo the salary restructuring policy introduced by former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah under the CDC administration. However, the minister sidestepped the question, instead shifting focus to the financial burdens inherited from the previous government.
He revealed that the Unity Party government is currently grappling with a $15 million repayment owed to the Central Bank of Liberia, claiming that these funds were withdrawn from the reserves during the Weah administration. Additionally, Ngafuan disclosed that approximately $18 million in unpaid ECOWAS taxes, which he argued could have been used to reverse harmonization, had also been left unsettled by the CDC government.
While the harmonization policy, which adjusted civil servants’ salaries, has been the subject of widespread criticism, Ngafuan’s evasive response leaves uncertainty about the administration’s intentions. Despite journalists’ persistent attempts to extract a clear position, the finance minister remained non-committal, raising further questions about whether the Unity Party will follow through on its campaign promises to revisit the policy.
As the nation waits for a definitive stance, the debate surrounding harmonization continues to fuel public discourse.
