Ngafuan Pledges Better Pay -Finance Minister says ‘17,000 Public Servants To Benefit’

MONROVIA – Liberia’s public servants have long done equal work for unequal pay. Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan says the draft US$1.539 billion 2027 budget will narrow that gap. About 17,000 people stand to gain from raises, new hires, and standardized pay. Directors would earn at least US$500 a month, and teachers with master’s degrees US$650. The deeper story is the pension debt. Successive governments left nearly US$60 million in employer contributions unpaid to NASSCORP. Retirees have paid the price in delayed benefits. Ngafuan concedes that one budget cannot correct every disparity. The test is revenue, and whether lawmakers keep these lines. As THE ANALYST reports, observers say the workers will judge the promise by their January pay slips.

Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan says the draft US$1.539 billion (L$280.65 billion) National Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 places renewed emphasis on improving the welfare of public servants, addressing longstanding salary disparities, and ensuring that government employees can retire with greater financial security.

Speaking Wednesday, November 11, 2026, on the Super Morning Show of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), Ngafuan explained that the Government’s public sector reforms are about more than increasing salaries. They are also intended to give workers greater dignity, improve their working conditions, and ensure that years of service to the country are recognized.

Better Pay for Public Servants

Ngafuan disclosed that the draft 2027 Budget builds on salary adjustments introduced in 2025 and continued in 2026, with approximately 17,000 people expected to benefit from the next phase of compensation and employment-related interventions.

Under the proposed reforms, nearly 13,000 existing government employees are expected to receive salary increases, while approximately 4,350 new hires, including volunteers, are expected to benefit from employment and compensation interventions.

Ngafuan explained that the Government understands the frustration of public servants who have experienced years of salary differences, even when performing similar jobs. He said the Boakai Administration is addressing these gaps progressively because meaningful salary reform must be supported by sustainable revenue.

Beginning in January 2027, the proposed minimum monthly salary for government directors will be US$500 (L$91,180), Ngafuan asserted. Deputy directors are expected to receive at least US$450 (L$82,062), assistant directors US$400 (L$72,944), and mayors of government-approved cities US$300 (L$54,708).

Ngafuan indicated that these adjustments are part of a broader effort to correct disparities that have left some directors and other senior public officials earning significantly different salaries despite holding comparable positions.

Teachers to Receive Standardized Salaries

The education sector is also expected to benefit from a new salary structure aimed at ensuring that teachers with similar qualifications receive more consistent compensation across government-run schools.

Ngafuan stated that under the proposed arrangement, teachers holding master’s degrees are expected to earn a minimum of US$650 (L$118,534) monthly, bachelor’s degree holders US$400, associate degree and B-Certificate teachers US$240 (L$43,766), and C-Certificate teachers US$200 (L$36,472).

The proposed adjustments, he intimated, also provide for minimum monthly salaries of US$1,200 (L$218,832) for County Education Officers and US$700 (L$127,652) for District Education Officers.

Ngafuan stressed that the objective of the proposed initiative is to address situations where teachers with similar qualifications receive different salaries simply because they work in different government-operated schools.

The proposed budget also provides for salary adjustments benefiting 358 health workers across 146 health facilities and offices, as well as 1,934 Liberia National Police (LNP) personnel. Additionally, 616 officers of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) are expected to receive a 15 percent salary increase.

Tackling NASSCORP Arrears

Commenting on other salary-related activities, Ngafuan addressed one of the longstanding concerns of public servants: access to retirement benefits. He acknowledged that successive governments have failed to fully meet their employer contribution obligations to the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), resulting in accumulated arrears of nearly US$60 million (L$10.94 billion).

He said the Government has recognized these obligations and made provisions in the draft 2027 Budget to meet its statutory six percent employer contribution while progressively settling the outstanding arrears through an amortization arrangement. Ngafuan emphasized that civil servants who have dedicated years of their lives to government service should not be left struggling to access their retirement benefits because of delays in government remittances.

According to him, the objective is to ensure that workers can look forward to retirement with greater confidence, knowing that the Government is taking steps to meet its obligations.

Insurance for Foreign Service Personnel

The draft budget also makes provision for insurance coverage for personnel serving in critical Liberian diplomatic missions.

Ngafuan explained that some foreign service personnel work in countries where insurance is a requirement, but the Government has not consistently provided the necessary coverage. Although available funding may not initially cover the entire foreign service, he said critical missions will be prioritized as the Government begins addressing the gap.

Opportunities for Liberian Businesses

In another policy change, Ngafuan announced that the Government intends to revise its longstanding restriction on the purchase of used vehicles by public spending entities. Beginning in 2027, government institutions will have the option of using up to 25 percent of their vehicle procurement budgets to purchase qualifying used vehicles, subject to standards and guidelines to be issued by the General Services Agency (GSA).

The proposed change will give government institutions greater flexibility in meeting their transportation needs while creating additional opportunities for Liberian-owned businesses operating in the used-vehicle market.

Budget Also Addresses Workers’ Welfare

Ngafuan highlighted that the proposed interventions are part of a multi-year public sector reform strategy that recognizes the importance of the people behind government institutions. He acknowledged that the Government cannot correct every salary disparity or settle all accumulated obligations in one budget cycle.

However, he said the Administration is committed to making gradual and measurable improvements without compromising fiscal sustainability.

The FY2027 budget proposal represents one of the most comprehensive government-wide efforts since the salary harmonization exercise to address longstanding compensation disparities, improve public servants’ conditions of service, and strengthen retirement benefits.