Liberia to issue biometric ID cards to civil servants to combat payroll fraud

The National Identification Registry (NIR) and the Civil Service Agency (CSA) in Liberia have partnered to issue biometric ID cards to civil servants to combat financial fraud in the public sector. The agreement will provide ID cards to employees in 103 government agencies to reduce payroll fraud and prevent identity duplication. CSA Director General Hon. Josiah F. Joekai stressed that this initiative will improve the verification process for public servants, which, in turn, is expected to enhance service delivery.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes a comprehensive biometric verification system, allowing the CSA ongoing access to the NIR’s e-verification platform to ensure all Government of Liberia employees’ National Identification Numbers are included on their ID cards. NIR Director General Andrew Peters noted that this collaboration will improve the collection of civil servants’ data, helping to identify those committing fraud.

Additionally, the government is making efforts to expand ID coverage among citizens by launching a mass biometric enrollment exercise this month, as per The Biometric Update.

Why does it matter? 

The initiative comes after CSA Director General Josiah Joekai reported uncovering significant fraud and discrepancies in various government spending entities. At a press briefing, Joekai stressed that these issues have led to an average monthly wage expenditure of over $23.5 million and caused the past administration to spend $6.1 million on consulting services last year. Regular audits revealed fraudulent payments, ghost employees, and other financial mismanagement.