IPNEWS: The Liberian Senate has initiated a formal review of the controversial Harmonization Policy, a Weah-era wage reform that significantly impacted the salaries of civil servants. While the Senate leadership moves to investigate the policy’s fairness, former Finance Minister Samuel Tweh has staunchly defended it, declaring that no government will be able to reverse it for the next 50 years.
Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence announced a formal review of the harmonization process at the start of the 3rd Session of the 55th Legislature on January 12, 2026.
The Senate Committees on Ways, Means & Finance and Public Accounts have been instructed to investigate whether civil servants were fairly compensated based on their qualifications and actual work performed.
The committees are expected to report their findings back to the Senate within two weeks.
Other lawmakers, including Senator Edwin Snowe, have also pushed for the reversal of the policy to restore pre-harmonization salary levels in the 2026 national budget.
However, Former Finance Minister Samuel Tweh has dismissed the Senate’s review, arguing that the policy is a necessary pillar of Liberia’s economic stability.
Tweh stated late December 2025, while on an appearance on “Spoon Talk” that harmonization is a “sound policy” that cannot be undone in the next 50 years without causing the collapse of the government or jeopardizing International Monetary Fund (IMF) programs.
He maintains the policy was intended to ensure “equal pay for equal work” and to address massive salary disparities between government ministries.
Tweh accused the current Unity Party (UP) government of “deception,” noting that despite campaigning against the policy, they have continued to use the CDC-era pay scale and are negotiating even further wage bill reductions with the IMF.
The debate coincides with the scrutiny of a historic US$1.2 billion draft budget for FY2026.
Civil Servant Demands
The Civil Servant Association of Liberia (CSAL) has welcomed the billion-dollar budget but is pressing for an immediate salary increment to offset the “losses” incurred under the 2019 harmonization policy.
