—As Former Finance Minister Samuel Tweh welcome Move as crucial step toward clearing the air on a reform
Liberia’s Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence has announced that the Liberian Senate is moving to review the civil service salary harmonization process that affected workers across all sectors under the administration of former President George Weah.
Speaking at the opening of the Third Session of the 55th Legislature, Madam Karnga Lawrence said the objective of the review is to ensure fair and just compensation for civil servants, anchored in qualifications, responsibilities, and work output. She disclosed that she has mandated the Senate Committee on Ways, Means and Finance and the Senate Public Accounts Committee to begin the review immediately and submit a briefing to the full Senate within two weeks.
Salary harmonization was introduced in 2019 during the Weah administration through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and the Civil Service Agency (CSA). While the policy was intended to standardize pay and reduce disparities across government institutions, it drew widespread backlash from civil servants who complained of pay cuts, financial hardship, and declining morale.
The Senate’s directive marks a renewed legislative push to reassess the impact of the policy, placing harmonization squarely back on the formal agenda as lawmakers convene for the Third Session, which the Constitution sets for the second working Monday in January. By assigning a clear deadline, the Senate leadership has signaled urgency and seriousness in addressing the concerns of affected workers.
Madam Karnga Lawrence said the review will examine harmonization’s effects across all sectors, with particular attention to equity and sustainability. The committees are expected to scrutinize payroll data, grade and classification systems, and the overall public-sector wage bill, ensuring that any recommendations are backed by evidence and fiscal realities.
The move has raised public expectations of possible pay adjustments, especially among civil servants whose salaries were reduced under harmonization. Committee hearings are expected to involve the MFDP, the CSA, and major labor and worker groups. Possible outcomes under consideration include a return to pre-harmonization salary levels, targeted adjustments for lower pay bands, or the development of a revised pay and grading framework.
With the opening sitting held on January 12, 2026, the two-week reporting timeline points to a Senate briefing around January 26, 2026. The outcome of the review could shape the future of public-sector compensation policy and redefine the balance between fiscal discipline and worker welfare in Liberia.
On the heels of this call by the Pro Tempore’, Former Finance Minister Samuel Tweh has thrown his weight behind the Liberian Senate’s move to review the civil service wage harmonization policy, calling it a crucial step toward clearing the air on a reform he says has been widely misunderstood.
Tweh, who oversaw the implementation of the harmonization policy, said the Senate-led review offers an opportunity to set the record straight amid growing public speculation about reversing the reform an idea he described as impractical and counterproductive.
He urged the House of Representatives to join the process, stressing that a bicameral review would foster a broader national understanding of the policy and how it was adopted.
According to Tweh, key political figures who played roles in the harmonization process including Vice President Jeremiah Koung and several current and former lawmakers should testify during the review to explain their contributions, particularly regarding the passage of the National Standardization and Remuneration Act.
Reflecting on high-level discussions held at the Farmington Hotel, Tweh said stakeholders at the time agreed on measures aimed at cutting the national wage bill to about US$296 million, while protecting critical sectors such as health and education. Under that agreement, the judiciary was expected to shoulder part of the adjustment through legislation, and healthcare workers were largely spared from salary reductions.
He further noted that the harmonization policy brought significant structural changes, including the government’s takeover of salary payments for several health workers among them staff at Ganta Hospital and rural health facilities who had previously been paid through donor-funded arrangements.
“These workers were formally placed on the government payroll,” Tweh explained, “with standard tax and social security deductions applied, ensuring transparency and sustainability.”
Tweh maintained that a thorough review would help the public better understand the intent, impact, and shared responsibility behind the wage harmonization reform.
