By Lewis S. Teh
MONROVIA, July 29, 2026 — Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director General Dr. Josiah Joekai has praised the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) for advancing fiscal discipline and improving public service delivery, while announcing plans to begin manpower hearings early as part of preparations for the Fiscal Year 2027 National Budget.
Speaking at the launch of the FY2027 budget process in Monrovia, Joekai said Liberia has made notable progress over the past two and a half years under the current administration.
“Mr. Minister, we may not be where we aspire to be at this point, but the truth is that we are no longer where we were two years and six months ago. We’ve made significant progress in this collective journey, working together and delivering as one government,” he said.
Joekai cited improvements in education, agriculture, health, and the economy, crediting the Ministry of Finance for strengthening fiscal management and budget reforms.
“The economy is expanding and improving. There is traction and investment. The country is open, the economy is growing, our fiscal space has improved significantly, and our country is back to work and respected once more,” he said.
As part of efforts to improve budget planning and compensation management, Joekai announced that the CSA will begin manpower hearings earlier in the budget cycle beginning with FY2027.
He said the initiative will ensure that government institutions incorporate all personnel requirements into their manpower plans, reducing the need for additional compensation requests after the budget has been approved.
“We will do everything in our power to start early with the 2027 budget process by launching the manpower hearings so that, going forward, there will be no extra compensation requirements outside of the manpower planning report,” Joekai said.
He noted that personnel compensation accounts for a significant portion of the national budget, making effective manpower planning essential to improving fiscal discipline.
Joekai thanked Finance and Development Planning Minister Augustine Ngafuan for supporting the early rollout of the manpower hearings.
The CSA Director General also highlighted ongoing efforts to decentralize civil service operations through the establishment of regional offices.
He disclosed that construction of the Civil Service Regional Headquarters in Banga is progressing and is expected to be completed within 120 days. He further announced that groundbreaking for another regional headquarters in Zwedru will take place in about two and a half weeks to serve the five southeastern counties.
According to Joekai, the regional offices will reduce the need for civil servants to travel to Monrovia to resolve payroll and human resource matters.
“When we prevent our people from coming from the five counties in the southeast to Monrovia for payroll-related issues and HR-related issues, we are making progress,” he said.
He added that similar regional centers are planned for Central and North Central Liberia, describing the projects as strategic investments supported by the Ministry of Finance.
Concluding his remarks, Joekai pledged the CSA’s continued support to the Ministry of Finance in improving the national budget process and strengthening public sector service delivery.
“I want to assure you that you have our full support, and we will continue to work with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to improve the budget process and ensure efficiency in service delivery across the country,” he said.
