The President of Liberia, Joseph Boakai, has announced a 40% reduction in his salary, taking it from $13,400 to $8,000 per year. This move follows a similar action taken by his predecessor, George Weah, who cut his own pay by 25%.
The move comes amidst increased scrutiny of government spending as residents of the west African country continue to live on less than $2 a day, on the average.
The president said the move reflects his resolve to lead by example in strengthening accountability, according to a statement posted to the government website.
“In fulfillment of his commitment to fiscal integrity and national financial security, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has announced a voluntary 40% reduction in his salary.
“In addition to his own salary reduction, the President has pledged to empower the Civil Service Agency (CSA) to ensure that public servants’ salaries are in line with the current state of the nation and that workers receive fair compensation for their contributions to the country.
The Liberian Chief Executive pledged his commitment to financial responsibility and fair compensation for public servants from various sectors of society as a positive step towards fostering a culture of accountability and equity within the government,” the statement read.
The announcement was greeted with mixed reactions amongst residents, while many hail the move, others insist more needs to be done to earn the trust of citizens and address their challenges.
Anderson D. Miamen of the Centre of Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, called the pay cut “welcoming,” expressing hope that “the public will clearly see where the deductions will go and how they will be used to positively impact the lives of the people.”
