LIBERIA :MFDP withholds Salaries of 17 Comptrollers

The Ministry of Finance and Development-Planning(MFDP) has withheld the salaries of 17 comptrollers of government entities over claims of non-compliance of annual financial statements submission for Fiscal Year 2023.

A MFDP press release on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 said the Comptroller and Accountant General of Liberia, Elwood T. Netty, has directed that the March 2024 salaries of Comptrollers of 2024 be placed on hold for the said action.

According to the press release, the annual financial statements of various government spending entities should have been submitted to the Office of the Comptroller and Accountant General on or before March 15, 2024.

Accordingly, the Comptroller and Accountant General has instructed that the March 2024 salary of the comptroller of each entity will be placed on hold until their respective reports are submitted to his office.

The affected Comptrollers include Fambah Crayton of National Food Assistance Agency, Mallay Ndorbor of Paynesville City Corporation, and Nathaniel Vonhm of Independent Information Commission.

Others are: Winston Willie of Liberia Board for Nurse and Midwifery, Benard Kekula of National Aids Commission and Benchie Brown of National Public Health Institute.

The non-compliant Comptroller’s list also has Samuel David of West African Examination Council, Boima Barclay of the Rural Renewable Energy Agency, Armstrong Dillon of the Agricultural and Industrial Training Bureau, Kiziah Morris of Central Agriculture Research Institute, William Nyonyon of Rubber Development Fund Incorporated, and Onike Thomas of National Housing and Saving Bank.

The rest are: Charlotte Kpannah of National Insurance Corporation of Liberia, Emmanuel Harmon of William V.S Tubman University, Togar Gibson of University of Liberia, Allen Doe of the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Authority and George Youh of Liberia Airport Authority.

Meanwhile, Mr. Netty has reminded all Comptrollers and Financial Managers, as well as, institutions’ heads that they are to submit their first quarter on or before April 15, 2024.

The Comptroller and Accountant General said the reminder is consistent with Section 19 of the Public Financial Management Regulations.

It quotes Section 19 of the PFM Regulations as saying, “There shall be prepared by each entity head of government agency and transmitted to the Auditor General, the Comptroller General in respect of each quarter commencing from the beginning of the Fiscal Year, the accounts covering all Public Funds under his/her control.”