As the 55th National Legislature opened its third session this week, the Senate has signaled a renewed and consequential examination of one of the most divisive public-sector reforms in recent history: the salary harmonization policy introduced under the former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration.
In a special statement delivered Monday on Capitol Hill, Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence announced that the Senate would formally review the harmonization policy, citing concerns over fairness, just compensation, and alignment between qualifications and duties performed by civil servants. She immediately mandated the Senate Committees on Ways, Means and Finance and Public Accounts to begin the review process and report to plenary within two weeks.
The move has reopened a national debate that many believe played a decisive role in the CDC's electoral defeat in 2023, when thousands of disgruntled civil servants allegedly mobilized against the ruling party.
The salary harmonization policy was introduced in 2019 by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and the Civil Service Agency (CSA), under the leadership of then Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr. The reform was later codified into law through the National Standardization and Remuneration Act, making harmonization the official civil service compensation framework of the Republic.
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The policy emerged amid mounting fiscal pressure, ballooning wage bills, and growing inequities within the public sector. Some officials earned salaries several times higher than others performing similar or even lesser responsibilities, largely due to a dual system of "basic salary" and "general allowance" that escaped uniform taxation.
The CDC government defended harmonization as a bold corrective measure anchored on the principle of "equal pay for equal work." Officials argued that reducing the wage bill would free resources for infrastructure, education, healthcare, and other development priorities while also helping Liberia meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) benchmarks.
But while the policy made fiscal sense on paper, its rollout proved politically explosive.
Public Outrage and Civil Servant Backlash
For many civil servants, harmonization translated into abrupt and sometimes severe salary cuts. Take-home pay dropped, tax deductions increased, and long-standing allowances were collapsed into a single taxable income. In a country already grappling with high inflation and unemployment, the impact was immediate and painful.
The policy triggered protests, strikes, and persistent public outrage. Teachers, nurses, administrative staff, and other public workers complained that the reform was implemented without adequate consultation, transparency, or cushioning mechanisms.
By the time Liberia entered the 2023 election cycle, harmonization had become more than a policy--it was a political symbol of hardship. A popular chant among nurses and other workers during campaign season captured the mood: "You harmonized our pay, we will harmonize your vote."
Many political observers believe this resentment translated into votes against the CDC, contributing significantly to former President George M. Weah's loss and the return of the Unity Party to power under President Joseph N. Boakai.
Despite the change in administration, harmonization has remained largely intact, fueling continued debate. Pressure for review intensified in late 2024 when Bomi County Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe urged the government to use the national budget to restore pre-harmonization salaries and benefits.
Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan later acknowledged public concerns and pledged a comprehensive review, signaling a possible policy shift.
Against this backdrop, Pro Tempore Karnga-Lawrence's directive marks the most concrete legislative step yet toward reassessing the reform.
Tweah Pushes Back
Former Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah Jr., widely regarded as the chief architect of harmonization, has welcomed the Senate's review--but forcefully rejected calls to reverse the policy.
"As the minister who presided over the harmonization reform, I welcome this review," Tweah wrote on social media. "Particularly for the light it will shed on the misinformation and propaganda that affected the reform."
Tweah described talk of reversing harmonization as "impossible and illusory," arguing that the policy corrected decades of pay inequity and dismantled a flawed salary system. He referenced what he termed the "Farmington Consensus," a key agreement reached with lawmakers and stakeholders that protected teachers and healthcare workers from salary cuts while ensuring contributions from the judiciary through national legislation.
"No healthcare worker or teacher was cut," Tweah insisted, adding that harmonization actually expanded government responsibility for thousands of health workers previously paid by donors, albeit with the introduction of taxes and social security deductions.
He also challenged prominent political figures--including Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Senator Francis Dopoh, and others--to publicly account for their roles in shaping and supporting the reform.
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The Senate's review places the Unity Party-led government in a delicate position. While revisiting harmonization could ease tensions with civil servants--a critical voting bloc--it also risks reopening fiscal vulnerabilities and donor concerns if not handled carefully.
Addressing the opening of the session, Vice President Koung, who serves as President of the Senate, urged lawmakers to rise above partisan politics.
"Our political diversity should be a source of strength, not division," Koung said. "The true measure of leadership is not in promises made, but in deliverables achieved."
As committees begin their work, expectations are high that the review will be data-driven, transparent, and inclusive of all stakeholders. Whether it leads to policy adjustments, improved implementation, or a full political reckoning, the harmonization debate remains a powerful reminder of how economic reforms can reshape not only livelihoods--but electoral outcomes.
For thousands of Liberian civil servants, and for a nation still grappling with questions of fairness and governance, the Senate's review may finally offer answers long demanded.
