The Liberian government through the Ministry Finance has announced an increment in the salary of all Civil Service Agency (CSA) personnel at government ministries and agencies in the country. The announcement follows the passage of the US$550 Million Budget by the Legislature last Friday in Monrovia. Making the announcement at a press conference in Monrovia over the weekend, Finance Minister Augustine K. Ngufan said the least civil service employees will now receive US$100 as salary during this fiscal year of 2011/2012.

According to him, the 2011/2012 fiscal year national budget has recorded a huge increment of US$56.5 million and could accommodate the government salary increment scheme for CSA personnel as part of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS).

Speaking further, the Finance Minister said the increment will benefit not only individual group of the current CSA personnel, but also pensioners and the security institutions.

He disclosed that the security sector has received US$64 million allocated in the national budget for 2011/2012 fiscal year due to security challenges the government will have to address during the ensuing Presidential and Legislative Elections.

He further disclosed that the increment of the national budget has pre-war connections to the development of Liberia.

"The increment in the national budget indicates that Liberia has passed the half billion mark needed and is operating at the peak of a pre-war level in productivity, and we are certain that this country will reach the one billion mark in the few more years," Minister Ngafuan stated.

Quizzed about the civil servants who have already received pay without increment due to the late passage of the national by the Legislature, he said the increment for the past two months will be reflected on the salary checks of the civil servants in August and September respectively.

Despite the increment in the national budget for 2011/2012 fiscal year to 550 million, Minister Ngafan added that the government encountered challenges that affected the fund generation to address other developmental areas during this fiscal year.