President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has mandated the Ministry of Finance to begin disbursement of US$25.00 salary increment for the country's 35,000 civil servants, including members of the Armed Forces of Liberia within 10 days.

President Sirleaf said the increment is to be paid retroactively, beginning July 1, 2012 in what is being seen here as a promise fulfilled.

Civil Servants did not benefit from salary increment during debate on the 2012/2013 national budget last year by the 53rd Legislature.

The Civil Servant Association subsequently called for a go-slow in protest to the decision to leave them out of the salary increment process.

However, the Executive promised to have increased civil servants' salary, pending an audit of the government payroll to remove suspected ghost names.

President Sirleaf told members of the Legislature in her State of the Nation Address on Monday, January 28, 2013 that the audit of the payroll is being carried out throughout the country in collaboration with the Civil Service Agency and the Ministry of Finance.

Since 2007, salary for the least civil servants has increased from US$15 to US$100.00; the president noted and pledged to further enhance conditions of work for workers in the public sector.

The current salary increment is to also affect members of the Armed Forces of Liberia, whose salary and benefits continued to remain an issue of public debate, amidst reports that some soldiers were leaving the military to seek greener pastures.