Civil Service Agency Warns Against Unlawful Salary Withholding for Suspended or Dismissed Civil Servants

Monrovia, Liberia – The Civil Service Agency (CSA) has issued a stern warning to heads of government spending entities, cautioning them against instructing commercial banks to withhold the salaries of civil servants who are either suspended or dismissed.

In a press release signed by CSA Director General Josiah Joeakai, the agency expressed concern over reports that some heads of government entities, along with their Human Resources Directors, have been contacting banks to halt salary payments for civil servants deemed suspended or dismissed.

The CSA clarified that this authority does not fall within the purview of the heads of spending entities or their Human Resources Directors. "This action is neither backed by law nor common practice, considering the roles and responsibilities of the CSA as outlined in the 2012 Standing Orders of the Civil Service, the 1973 Act creating the CSA, and the Revised Human Resource Policy Manual of 2014," the release emphasized.

The CSA further noted that the exclusive responsibility for blocking, withholding, or suspending the salary of any civil servant lies solely with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP). 

Director General Joeakai called the attention of commercial banks to this directive, stating that only the CSA and the MFDP are legally empowered to take any action regarding the payment of civil servants' salaries.

This announcement comes as a firm reminder of the CSA’s mandate to safeguard the rights and payments of civil servants, ensuring that salary suspensions follow due legal processes.