MONROVIA — The Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Anderson D. Miamen, has criticized the Liberian Government’s reported early payment of July salaries to civil servants and public sector workers, arguing that the move, while welcomed, should not be presented as a major achievement or something worthy of government celebration.
In a statement issued Monday, July 6, 2026, under the caption “Reported Early Salary Payment for July Welcoming, but It is Not Anything for Government to Brag About,” Miamen acknowledged the importance of timely salary payments but challenged what he described as attempts by government supporters to portray the action as an unprecedented accomplishment.
According to Miamen, paying workers their earned salaries is a fundamental responsibility of any employer and should not be elevated into a major governance milestone.
“Whoever works must be paid deservingly by the employer, the Liberian Government in this instant case,” Miamen stated. “While welcoming, doing so cannot be deemed as an achievement, even if paid long ahead of schedule.”
The CENTAL Executive Director’s comments come amid public discussions surrounding the government’s reported decision to pay July salaries ahead of Liberia’s Independence Day celebration, with some individuals believed to be associated with the administration praising the move as a significant accomplishment.
However, Miamen argued that Liberia’s history of delayed salary payments should not become the standard by which government performance is measured.
He acknowledged that previous administrations struggled with salary delays, including periods when public workers reportedly went several months without receiving their salaries. But he maintained that overcoming a longstanding problem does not automatically transform a basic obligation into a landmark achievement.
“Given our age, backwardness, and other unfavorable accounts of poverty, high unemployment, and other negativities, we cannot be seen as bragging about paying deserving worker salaries ahead of schedule,” Miamen said.
Instead, he urged the government to focus on broader economic transformation, including creating sustainable employment opportunities, improving wages, and reducing poverty.
Miamen argued that government should celebrate achievements such as creating decentralized, high-paying, and sustainable jobs for both skilled and unskilled Liberians, allowing citizens to live with dignity and greater economic security.
He further challenged the administration to demonstrate measurable progress in areas including poverty reduction, anti-corruption efforts, governance reforms, and the implementation of development projects that directly improve the lives of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and persons with disabilities.
The CENTAL Executive Director also called for stronger action against drug trafficking and substance abuse, describing these issues as among the serious challenges affecting Liberian society.
“In short, in this period of gross underpayment of civil servants and many public service workers, salary payment, whether two or three months ahead of schedule, cannot and should not be considered as an achievement for any government or leader to brag about,” Miamen stated.
He argued that a more meaningful accomplishment would be a comprehensive and equitable increase in salaries for civil servants and public sector employees to reflect the economic realities facing workers.
“A bold statement of calculated inclusive, equitable, and substantial pay rise for civil servants would be of far more impact on citizens, which government can reasonably celebrate,” he said.
Miamen’s remarks have reignited debate over how government performance should be assessed, with critics arguing that Liberia’s development challenges require deeper reforms rather than recognition for improvements in routine administrative functions.
While early salary payment may provide immediate relief to public workers ahead of the Independence Day celebration, CENTAL insists that lasting economic progress should be measured by job creation, improved living standards, stronger institutions, higher wages, and policies that address the country’s persistent social and economic challenges.
