Africa-Press – Liberia. The National Port Authority of Liberia (NPA) is set to commence the disbursement of live checks to over 2,000 employees and contractors this week.
Accordingly, the initiative which will impact personnel at the ports of Monrovia, Buchanan in Grand Bassa County, Harper in Maryland County, and Greenville in Sinoe County, is geared towards eliminating non-existent or ghost names from the payrolls to ensure an accurate and transparent compensation system.
The NPA Management said that the exercise will verify the legitimacy and accuracy of payroll salaries and confirm that all individuals receiving salaries are bona fide employees of the NPA.
The process, which is expected to last for two months, would ensure the institution identifies opportunities to enhance systems, procedures, and processes, thereby preventing the reactivation of non-legitimate employees on the NPA’s payroll, a statement said.
“The payroll verification process is one of the top priorities of the Management of the National Port Authority of Liberia,” the communication said.
The NPA has also announced the commencement of a comprehensive audit of its ports nationwide by the General Auditing Commission (GAC), which began on May 20, 2024.
The institution emphasized that the audit, which is expected to last 90 days, will cover human resources, financial statements—including balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and notes to the financial statements—and the physical infrastructure of the NPA.
“This audit will span the period from 2019 to 2023, providing insights into the NPA’s financial health and performance,” the communication indicated.
NPA expressed satisfaction with the economic viability at the Port of Buchanan in Grand Bassa County. Accordingly, the management emphasized that since assuming control of Buchanan Port, a little over two months ago, revenue intake has significantly increased due to the implementation of a robust financial management control system.
NPA further emphasized its commitment to transforming the Port of Buchanan into a world-class shipping facility through rehabilitation and expansion with the aim to improve internal controls, financial reporting processes, and governance practices.
The NPA management says it believes that operational inefficiencies identified during the audit will enhance overall effectiveness and help the NPA in achieving its strategic goals.
The institution revealed that they contracted the services of Power Marine to drag two tugboats at the port of Greenville, in Sinoe County.
NPA explained that the two tugboats had been immobilized at the Port for the past four years, stressing that it will cost about USD $40,000 (forty thousand US dollars) to drag the boats from the Greenville Port.
“If it is left to sink into the basin of the water, it will cost over one hundred thousand US dollars to remove them.”
Adding, “A team of four divers from the Power Marine services, is expected to take 14 days beginning Monday May 27, 2024, to drag the two tugboats from the water. The contract to drag the boats from the Port of Greenville includes to repair, clean, and restore the fenders of the boats.”
Meanwhile, the NPA has resumed the distribution of rice to its employees and contractors as part of their monthly benefits, a practice that had been dormant for the past 10 months.
According to the release, all employees, including Senior Management, will receive two bags of rice for equitability and transparency. Previously, Senior Management received six bags of rice as part of their monthly benefits. This move underscores the NPA’s commitment to fairness and employee welfare.
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