—— But Gov’t Vows To Expedite Payment For Pensioners Across the Country
IPNEWS: The National Pensioners’ Union of Liberia is calling for the unconditional settlement of their retirement benefits by the Liberian government.
The pensioners with a membership of more than over 5,000 say if the government reneged on its obligation, it would institute unspecified actions to compel the government in settling their retirement benefits.
The Union also called on the government to secure the benefits of their members and place them on government pension allowances.
The National Pensioners’ Union of Liberia Vice President, Alfred Warnley stated that since some of them were retired by the government in 2020, most of their colleagues have not received retirement packages, adding that about 250 of the members have transitioned to National Social Security Corporation.
Warnley spoke when the entity made an official request to the embattled Secretary General of the National Teachers Association of Liberia, Samuel Johnson, to negotiate with the appropriate authorities on their members’ behalf.
Responding, Samuel Johnson assured the National Pensioners’ Union of Liberia that he will peacefully engage the relevant authorities for the retirement package and benefits.
Delivering his State of the Nation address to the joint Legislature in 2022, President George Manneh Weah announced his government’s intention to expedite payment to pensioners across the country, disclosing that government, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Civil Service Agency and the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, intends to fully reform the entire process of retiring and paying retirees on time.
“In this regard, I am hereby admonishing all relevant entities to accelerate their work and complete the reform by the middle of this year”, he urges.
Delivering his 5th Annual Message to the 54th Legislature on Monday, January 24, 2022, at the Capitol President Weah said his administration continues to implement several reforms on the Central Government payroll and pension schemes, citing that the government has successfully placed all workers on biometric ID; reduced non-contributory pension scheme from about 17,000 pensioners in 2017 to about 6,000 pensioners to date; expanded social security coverage and increased social security contribution by 300 percent in some instances.
“At the completion of this exercise”, he says, “workers who retire today must receive their money the following month” and looks forward to announcing this to the Nation during his next annual message in 2023.
