Senate passes Law to Adopt Integrated Pension and Benefits Scheme

The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has made three modifications and passed into law a bill seeking to adopt an integrated pension and benefits scheme for certain categories of officials of the Government of the Republic of Liberia.

The bill seeks to repeal and or amend certain portions of Title 19, Legislative Act, Title 12, Executive Law of Liberia, and Title 17, the Judiciary Law (1972), as amended in 2003.

According to a Senate Press Release, under the modifications, the current line in the National Budget for ‘Benefit and Served Officials’ should be carried from year to year pending enrollment of the beneficiaries who have served prior to the effective date of this Act into the NASCORP Program or any other beneficial program.

At the same time all benefits for Presidents, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice, President Pro-tempore and Deputy Speaker will be a certain percent as indicated of basic salary instead it being apply on sum total of Salaries and Benefits.

The last modification is indicating that if any of the officials retires and subsequently receives a gainful employment and then retires finally, his Pension will be the highest of the two instead of been asked to make a choice.

When passed into law, the Act will provide annuities to the President and Vice President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, Pro Temp and Members of the Liberian Senate, Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, as well Judges of the Circuit and Specialized Courts, who honorably retired to private life and who is not in any way gainfully employed by the Government.

The retired Speaker of the House of Representatives, who honorably retired to private life shall receive 50% of his last salary per annual, paid in equal monthly installments, as well as be entitled to police or other state security protection and other services around the clock.

In the same vein, the retired Deputy Speaker shall receive 50% of his last salary per annual, paid in equal monthly installments, as well as be entitled to a personal staff and facilities for the remainder of his/her natural life. Under the provision of the Act, members of the House of Representatives who honorably retired, shall receive 50% of their last salaries per annum, paid in equal monthly installments, but shall not be entitled to personal staff and other benefits.

Accordingly, the release, the President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, who honorably retired to private life, shall receive 50% of his last salary per annum, paid in equal installments, as well as be assigned with police, personal staff and other benefits and services for the rest of his/her life.

In similar fashion, members of the Liberian Senate who retired to private life, shall receive 50% of his/her last salary per annum, paid in equal monthly installments, as well as be entitled to personal staff, police and other services around the clock. Also, the President and Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, who retired to private life, shall receive 50% of his/her last salary per annum, paid in equal monthly installments, as well as be entitled to police, personal staff and other services around the clock.

At the same time, retired Chief Justice, Associate Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, and Judges of the Circuit and Specialized Courts, shall receive 50% of his/her last salary, per annum, but only the Chief Justice shall be entitled to police, personal staff and other services around the clock. The proposed instrument has been sent the House of Representatives for concurrence.