MONROVIA: Attempts by heads of Government ministries, agencies and commissions or MACs to fill vacancies in the public service have defiantly been one of the root causes of payroll padding, nepotism, recruitment of incompetent persons, and corruption. It appears the ultimate solution is in the offing, as the new leadership of the Civil Service Agencies (CSA) has begun to take concrete, sensible actions to address the situation. The Director General of the Agency and his team just announced a breakthrough in how to replace retired, deceased, dismissed civil servants with the publication of what they called ‘Steps and Procedures for Direct Replacement’ in Government. The Analyst reports.
The Civil Service Agency, headed by its Director General Josiah F. Joekai, has been fighting tooth and nail since the incumbency of the team to sanitize a critical component of the Liberian bureaucracy, the Civil Service Agency, which has long been a headache for successive Liberian political administrations.
One of the near-incurable headaches for Liberian governments has been how spending entities, or ministries, agencies and commissions fill positions left vacant as a result of death, dismissal, retirement and other reasons. The uncoordinated approach in carrying out this critical employment action has resulted into problems of ghosts, incompetent civils servants on payroll, and the making of “supplementary” employees outside official payrolls.
It appears a solution is in sight because the new CSA team is jealously putting into place new measures and robust enforcement regime to correct the errors of the past.
The CSA leadership has thus released steps and procedures for direct replacement at various government spending agencies.
The CSA says the action is intended to reinforce its commitment to effective resource utilization in fostering transparency and expediency in the Liberian civil service.
The Agency said this “is a strategic move aimed at addressing critical vacancies promptly and ensure continuity in essential services.
The steps include notification of the CSA by the concerned MAC in accordance to the Civil Service Section 2.1.2.1 of the Standing Order of 2012. This entails the MAC notifying the CSA of the number and types of vacancies requiring direct replacement with the entity.
Another procedure is to be aware of funding availability where the CSA, after being notified by the entity, engages with the Ministry of Finance to ascertain the availability of requisite fund for the proposed replacements.
Once Finance Ministry confirms funding, the procedure declares, the spending agency receives greenlight to proceed with the replacement activities.
The third procedure is the processing of Personnel Action Notices (PANs), which consistent with Section 35 of the Human Resource Policy Manuel of 2014, stipulates that spending entities are directed to process and submit PANs to the CSA for thorough review and approval.
“The meticulous review process ensures compliance with established guidelines and regulations,” the CSA stated.
The leadership of the CSA is urging all spending entities to adhere to the outlined protocols in light of the prescribed steps and procedures.
“The CSA reiterates its commitments to uphold the highest standard of governance and accountability, underscoring that no direct replacement will be processed outside of the established framework,” the CSA avers.
The Director General emphasized the significance of the measures in fostering operational efficiency and maintaining of governmental integrity, affirming the CSA’s unwavering dedication to facilitating seamless transitions and optimizing resource allocation across all government spending entities.
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