Civil servants In Liberian To Receive Salary Arrears For October 2004
By: C. Winnie Saywah
The Inquirer
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
Posted November 4, 2003
The Speaker of the National Transitional Legislative Assermbly(NTLA), George
Dweh says the incumbent transitional government will begin the payment of
salary arrears owed civil servants by the end of this month, October, 2003.
Briefing journalists on Monday, shortly after NTGL Chairman Charles Gyude
Bryant had visited the Capitol Building, Speaker Dweh disclosed that the payment
of salary arrears and other state matters were discussed.
He said both the legislative and executive branches of government are working
assiduously to ensure that government workers receive all of the salary arrears
owed them by the previous government including the current months in the transitional
period.
Assemblyman Dweh stressed that it is unfair for people to work only for them
to know that what they are laboring for would not be received to take care
of their families and dependants.
He also disclosed that Chairman Bryant promised to do anything that will enable
the peace process remain on course.
Commenting on the issue about the Central Bank of Liberia(CBL), Speaker Dweh
who is one of the signatories to the Accra Peace document, stated succinctly
that the silence on the CBL was a deliberate, willful and wrongful intent
on the part of the conference.
Speaker Dweh said CBL's issue was never addressed but the five-year tenure
of the CBL Governor as is being speculated in the city, cannot hold, noting,
"according to the Accra Conference, all of such persons as Taylor, the
senate pro-tempore and others are to leave including Chief Justice Gloria
Scott who is almost out."
He maintained that both branches of government have pledged to work together
for total security and peace and that meetings of such will continue from
time to time.
For his part, the NTGL Chairman, Gyude Bryant upon his arrival at the legislature
told assemblymen that his visit was to see and appreciate the circumstances
under which the legislators had to conduct their daily hearings.
Chairman Bryant said it was a pity to see the first branch of government so
disorganized, and that the honorable lawmakers had to work under constraints,
but he congratulated them for accepting the challenge.
He then promised to ensure that the Capitol Building be made decent for the
assemblymen.
It can be recalled that the past Blah-led government among many things, promised
to pay civil servants at least three months salary arrears owed them for which
a US$10 million budget was submitted by the Budget Bureau and passed by the
51st legislature.
Also during the most recent outbreak of hostilities in Monrovia which was
described as the "third war", many public buildings including the
Capitol Building were massively looted.