Liberia Finds 40,000 Unregistered Government Workers
The Liberian government recently uncovered a surprising issue within its civil service: more than 40,000 employees were found to be working without proper registration.
This discovery was made by the Civil Service Agency (CSA), which revealed that these workers’ details were either entered incorrectly or not at all into the mandatory employment system known as the Personnel Action Notice (Pan).
The Pan process, essential for employment, includes thorough evaluations and credential checks for individuals entering government roles.
Shockingly, some individuals were placed on the civil service payroll between 2019 and 2023 through informal means like text messages, phone calls, emails, and even WhatsApp messages.
In response to this revelation, the CSA is giving these unregistered workers a 90-day grace period to complete the proper registration process. However, those who fail to do so will face termination.
President Joseph Boakai’s government aims to address what it sees as a bloated payroll and reduce the government’s wage bill by ensuring a smaller and more efficient public service.
While this initiative may streamline government operations, its reception among the Liberian population remains uncertain.
Source: BBC