Liberia: GAC to Audit All 103 Spending Entities

The Civil Service Agency has requested the General Auditing Commission to conduct a thorough audit of payroll compliance across all 103 spending entities in Liberia. This audit, covering the period from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023, aims to uncover financial mismanagement and irregularities within the system, as highlighted by CSA Director General Josiah Joekai at a recent press briefing in Monrovia.

Concerns have surfaced regarding discrepancies, inefficiencies, and potential irregularities in the government’s payroll system, with an excessive monthly wage expenditure of US$23,543,874.64 for 67,746 personnel.

An employee headcount exercise conducted in certain entities revealed discrepancies, including individuals unaccounted for and suspicions of ghost employees, the CSA boss revealed at the MICAT’s press conference.

Citing an example was the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, the Office of the President, where 69 individuals could not be properly accounted for, signifying the presence of ghost employees. At the Liberia National Police, 98 employees remain untraceable, raising suspicions of fictitious personnel on the payroll.

Internal audits by the Internal Audit Agency consistently reveal issues that undermine the integrity and efficiency of the system, Joekai told reporters. These issues include payments for services not rendered, fraudulent payments, payments to ghost employees, and the continued payment of salaries to employees who have left their positions. The CSA Director General also highlighted the previous administration’s spend of US$6.1 million on consulting services in the last fiscal year, despite the lack of quality provided.

He stressed the need for comprehensive reforms to address these issues is paramount, with the CSA requesting a forensic audit of its governance and fiscal operations from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2023.

This audit, scheduled for July 2024, aligns with efforts to enhance the integrity and efficiency of fiscal operations. In a move towards fiscal prudence, the CSA has also reduced the consultancy budget allocation for the upcoming fiscal period by US$2 million, resulting in US$4.1 million in savings, compared to the previous administration’s expenditure on consultancy services.

Additionally, the CSA will reverse all promotions and salary increments made during the period of the presidential directive in collaboration with the concerned spending entities.

These measures aim to address the rampant financial mismanagement and irregularities within the civil service and pave the way for a more accountable and efficient system, according to the CSA Director General.

Moreover, the agency has taken steps to emulate former President George Manneh Weah’s directive to suspend new employment and service contracts, ensuring accountability and efficiency within the civil service.

Weah, during the transitional period, issued a directive, suspending all new employment and service contracts across government institutions — and regarding this directive, the CSA says it has blocked the salaries and removed from the payroll all individuals employed as of December 18, 2023.Joekai noted that his entity is collaborating with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to finalize the payroll automation process. This initiative aims to transition from the manipulated Alternative Temporary Automated Pay System (ATAPS) to the more efficient Civil Service Management system. In the meantime, he disclosed that the CSA intends to keep the ATAPS version of the payroll accessible for the upcoming audits to ensure all discrepancies are appropriately captured.