MONROVIA, March 16 (LINA) – The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has made three modifications and passed into law a Bill seeking to adopt an integrated pension and benefits scheme for certain categories of officials of the Government of Liberia.
The Bill seeks to repeal and/or amend certain portions of Title 19, Legislative Act, Title 12, Executive Law of Liberia, and Title 17, the Judiciary Law (1972), as amended in 2003.
The proposed modification of the Pension Benefits Law was passed Tuesday in the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill.
Under the modifications, the current line in the National Budget for ‘Benefit and Served Officials’ should be carried from year-to-year pending enrollment of the beneficiaries who have served prior to the effective date of the Act into the NASCORP Program or any other benefit program.
At the same time, all benefits for President, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice, President Pro-tempore and Deputy Speaker will be a certain percent as indicated of basic salary instead of it being applied on the sum total of Salaries and Benefits.
The modification is indicating that if any of the officials retires and subsequently receives gainful employment and then retires finally, his pension will be the highest of the two jobs instead of being asked to make a choice.
When passed into law, the Act will provide annuities to the President and Vice President, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives, Pro-tempore and Members of the Liberian Senate, Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, as well as Judges of the Circuit and Specialized Courts, who honorably retire to private life and who is not in any way gainfully employed by the Government.
The retired Speaker of the House of Representatives, who honorably retires to private life shall receive 50% of his last salary per year, paid in equal monthly instalments, as well as be entitled to police or other state security protection and other services around the clock.
In the same vein, the retired Deputy Speaker shall receive 50% of his last salary per annum, paid in equal monthly instalments, as well as be entitled to a personal staff and facilities for the remainder of his/her natural life.
Under the Act, members of the House of Representatives who honorably retire, shall receive 50% of their last salaries per annum, paid in equal monthly instalments, but shall not be entitled to personal staff and other benefits.
The President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, who honorably retires to private life, shall receive 50% of his last salary per annum, paid in equal instalments, as well as be assigned a police, personal staff and other benefits and services for the rest of his/her life.
In similar fashion, members of the Liberian Senate who retire to private life, shall receive 50% of his/her last salary per annum, paid in equal monthly instalments, as well as be entitled to personal staff, police and other services around the clock.
While the President and Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, who retire to private life, shall receive 50% of his/her last salary per annum, paid in equal monthly instalments, as well as be entitled to police, personal staff and other services around the clock.
At the same time, retired Chief Justice, Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia, and Judges of the Circuit and Specialized Courts, shall receive 50% of his/her last salary, per annum, but only the Chief Justice shall be entitled to police, personal staff and other services around the clock.
The proposed instrument has been sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence.
Calvin Brooks
