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Claim: “Under CDC’s leadership from FY2017/2018 to FY2023, the wage bill moved slightly from $290 million to $296 million,” an ex-official of the Weah-led government said.
Verdict: False. In the fiscal year 2017/2018 budget, the actual wage bill was $307,424,614, while by FY2023, it went to $314,736,796.
Full text
An ex-official of the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), made a Facebook post saying that the largest expansion of the wage bill happened during the Unity Party regime.
Benedict Kolubah said that during the Unity Party’s (UP) rule between fiscal year (FY) 2013 to FY2017/2018, the wage bill of Liberia surged from $113 million to $290 million.
According to the former assistant minister for development planning at the finance ministry, “under CDC’s leadership from FY2017/2018 to FY2023, the wage bill moved slightly from $290 million to $296 million.”
He added that in less than two years (FY2024 –FY2025) of the current ruling UP administration, the wage bill has again surged from $296 million to $316 million.
To promote truth in the information ecosystem, DUBAWA verified Kolubah’s claims.
Verification
DUBAWA reviewed the approved national budget of Liberia, from the FY2013, up to FY2025 to verify Kolubah’s assertion.
The actual wage bill, which is also referred to as the compensation of employees on page ii of the 2015/2016 national budget, the fiscal 2013/2014 budget was $166,740,377.
Screenshot of page ii
As seen on page xxvii of the 2019/2020 budget, by FY2017/2018, the actual wage bill was at $307,424,614, contrary to Kolubah’s assertion that it surged from $113 million to $290 million.
Page xxvii
The CDC then took the wage bill from $307,424,614 in FY2017/2018, to $314,736,796 by fiscal year 2023, as seen on page xxiv.
Screenshot of page xxiv
Conclusion
Benedict Kolubah’s claim that the wage bill moved slightly from $290 million to $296 million under the CDC administration is false.
