The Liberian government's Civil Service Agency (CSA) has announced that 2,718 workers will retire on December 31, marking a significant test of the Boakai administration's retirement reforms. According to CSA Director General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., the retirement system now works, but figures show that more than half of the retirees come from the Ministry of Education, with Health and local government accounting for much of the rest.
Dr. Joekai unveiled the pension reforms at the Ministry of Information in Monrovia, highlighting the government's efforts to address longstanding administrative challenges in retirement processing, personnel documentation, pension enrollment, and timely payment of retirement benefits. He noted that since President Joseph Nyuma Boakai assumed office in January 2024, the government has taken measures to improve retirement administration and pension security.
The CSA, in collaboration with the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), conducted a nationwide pre-retirement counseling and data collection exercise, which covered all 15 counties and involved employees from 67 government spending entities. The exercise captured 2,835 employees, with 2,718 scheduled to retire effective December 31, 2026, and 117 representing outstanding retirement cases from previous years.
According to the CSA's National Retirement Exercise Performance Summary for Fiscal Year 2026, the exercise covered 15 counties, reached 67 government spending entities, and captured a total of 2,835 employees. The summary shows that 2,125 (78.2 percent) of the employees scheduled for retirement are male and 593 (21.8 percent) are female.
The Ministry of Education accounts for the largest number of employees scheduled for retirement, with 1,493 employees, or 54.9 percent of the 2026 batch. The Ministry of Health accounts for 300 employees (11.0 percent), and the Ministry of Local Government for 297 (10.9 percent). These three institutions represent approximately 76.9 percent of the 2026 retirement batch.
Dr. Joekai emphasized that the government recognizes the importance of retirement security for employee welfare, family stability, institutional credibility, and the integrity of the Civil Service. He stressed that public servants who have faithfully served their country deserve a retirement process that respects their contributions and protects their lawful entitlements.
Meanwhile, 117 Liberians who retired between 2020 and 2024 still await their first pension payment. Dr. Joekai cited 294 cleared cases as proof of capacity, and succession planning and NASSCORP's January payroll will determine the verdict on the effectiveness of the pension reforms.
Key points
- The Liberian government's Civil Service Agency has unveiled pension reforms aimed at improving retirement administration and pension security for public servants.
- A total of 2,718 workers are set to retire on December 31, with the Ministry of Education accounting for the largest number of retirees.
- The reforms include a nationwide pre-retirement counseling and data collection exercise, which captured 2,835 employees and demonstrated the government's improved capacity to plan retirement transitions.
