By Kruah Thompson
MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia has responded to former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor’s recent claims that she has not been receiving her retirement benefits, stating that they will investigate the matter to ensure any discrepancies are addressed.
Speaking during her appearance on a local radio and television program, on Monday, April 7, 2025, the former Vice President Jowel Howard Taylor alleged that she has not been receiving the benefits legally entitled to her since leaving office in January 2024. She claimed that although she receives remuneration as a former senator, she has not received any of the benefits due her as a former Vice President.
“This is an issue I have raised at many levels,” she said. “I even wrote a letter to the President indicating that I am still being paid as a former senator, not as a former Vice President. I have not received the salary, vehicle, or staffing benefits as provided by law.”
Taylor further claimed that during the inauguration of President Joseph Boakai, all vehicles assigned to her were taken away, leaving her stranded. “By the time I was about to go home, the entire convoy had shifted to the current Vice President, and there wasn’t a single vehicle left for me,” she said. She added that since then, she has relied on her private vehicle and has not been assigned any security escort.
However, in contrast to her public claims, leaked documents circulating on social media suggest otherwise. The documents indicate that former Vice President Taylor has in fact been receiving retirement benefits. According to the financial records, in March 2025, she received a total gross amount of USD $1,432.35, with a net payment of USD $1,117.88 after tax deductions. The payment included USD $782.52 in foreign currency and LRD $66,311.52 representing 30% of the benefits in local currency.
At the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing on Thursday, April 8, 2025, Information Minister Jerolinmek Mathew Piah, acknowledged the former Vice President’s claims and affirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the issue.
“We have taken note of the concerns raised by the former Vice President. The government is open to reviewing these claims to ensure that any benefits she is entitled to are appropriately delivered,”
Minister Piah said, “If there are any benefits, she is supposed to be receiving that she’s not, the government is ready to look into the matter.”
He explained that efforts to standardize post-service benefits for high-ranking officials began under the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration through proposed Transition Acts, which were never fully enacted.
“President Boakai himself once received as little as $800 monthly due to the lack of a standardized policy. It wasn’t until December 2016 that the legislature passed the Consolidated Pension and Retirement Act, which repealed Decree No. 14 of the People’s Redemption Council and created the legal framework for the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP).”
Piah further noted that the 2017 pension reform introduced a contributory system where all government officials were required to contribute to their own retirement plans.
However, he emphasized that senior officials such as former Presidents and Vice Presidents continue to receive benefits under the old, non-contributory system due to their special status and the precedence set by the Civil Service Agency (CSA) in 2014.
He further explained that eligibility for the new contributory pension scheme requires individuals to be at least 60 years old and have met a specific contribution threshold.
Former Vice President Taylor, he said, currently benefits from both the national social security scheme and the CSA-managed non-contributory pension program for top officials.
Despite this, the Minister Piah reiterated the government’s openness to reviewing any additional or overlooked claims. “We don’t want to dispute the former Vice President’s concerns outright. If there are supposed benefits she’s not receiving, we are ready to investigate and resolve the issue.” he discloses.
