The National Social Security & Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) has taken over the administration of the Government of Liberia (GOL) pension program. The GOL Pension Program was administered by the Civil Service Agency in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning (MFDP).
But with the coming into force of the new NASSCORP Act of February 13, 2017, the program was transferred to NASSCORP in fulfillment of one of the Transitional Provisions of the Act. According to Section 2, Count A, on the commencement of this Act, the administration of the Civil Service Pension Program shall cease to exist. Section 2, Count B of the Act says,
“Every person to whom Decree No. 14 applied before amendment to an Act shall continue to be credited for the number of months that person has contributed to the Social security Scheme.”
Section 2, Count C calls on former civil servants and public servants in receipt of pension benefits under the Civil service Pension Program to continue to receive such pension benefits under the administration of the National Social Security Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP).
According to Section 2, Count D, there shall be budgetary allotment by the Government for the payment of (i) existing pension liabilities under the defunct Civil Service non-contributory pension program to former civil servants and public servants, who acquired rights under the Civil Service Pension; and (ii) There shall be budgetary allotment by the Government for the payment of accumulated pension liabilities of the Government due to the National Social Security & Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) in settlement of pension premium for public sector employees.
In order to properly administer the GOL Pension Program-paying the right benefits to the legitimate beneficiaries-a joint team from the Civil Service Agency and NASSCORP carried out a vetting and validation exercise of all persons then enrolled under the GOL across the country. The purpose of the exercise was to establish a biometric identification system to ensure that all former civil and public servants on GOL pension payroll were legitimate beneficiaries, and to establish a CLEAN LIST, capturing employees’ biometric data for the issuance of biometric ID cards.
So as to be captured, primary beneficiaries were required to submit former employer pension Letter, pension certificate, pension payroll ID card, Social Security ID card (If receiving benefits in both original and photocopy) and two passport-size photos.
Survivors were required to submit to the vetting teams primary beneficiaries pension letter, pension certificate, death certificate, marriage certificate (for survivor children), pension payroll ID card, Social Security ID card (If receiving benefits in both original and photocopy) and two passport-size photos.
Several joint CSA-NASSCORP validation teams traversed the entire country between August 27 and September 24, 2018, visiting Margibi, Montserrado, Bomi, Cape Mount, Gbarpolu, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, Maryland, River Gee, Grand Kru, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, Nimba, Bong and Lofa Counties.
According to the nationwide vetting and validation schedule, the vetting exercise in Margibi County took place from August 27 to September 7, 2018, at the NASSCORP Office in Kakata from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In Montserrado county, the exercise was conducted by the vetting and validation team from August 27 to September 24, 2018, in Monrovia at the Williams V.S. Tubman High School from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties, the exercise was conducted from September 10-19 2018 in Tubmanburg at the NASSCORP Regional Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The vetting and validation exercise in Gbarpolu County took place from September 20-24, 2018 in Bopolu City from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In Grand Bassa County, the exercise was conducted from August 27 to September 11, 2018, in Buchanan City at the NASSCORP Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. The Cestos City vetting and validation exercise in Rivercess County took place from September 12-19, 2018 from 9 a.m-5 p.m.
The exercise in Maryland was scheduled from August 27 to September 1, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the NASSCORP Office in Harper City. In River Gee County, the team carried out similar duties in Fishtown from September 3-8, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From September 10 to 12, 2018, the vetting and Validation exercise for Grand Kru County was carried out in Barclayville City from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In Sinoe County, the exercise was done at the NASSSCORP Office from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from September 14 to 17, 2018.
In Zwedru, the vetting and validation exercise for Grand Gedeh County was carried out from September 14-17 last year from 9 to 5 p.m. For geopolitically strategic Nimba County, the exercise was held in five phases. From August 27 to September 1, the first Ganta exercise was conducted at the NASSCORP Regional Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From September 3-8 and 10-15 the team was in Saclepea and Tappita respectively, vetting GOL/CSA pensioners from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The team arrived in Sanniquellie and carried out the exercise from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from September 17 – 19, 2018. The final vetting exercise for Nimba County was held in Ganta City at the NASSCORP Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., September 20-24, 2018.
In Bong County, the vetting exercise was conducted at the NASSCORP Office from August 27 to September 7, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The vetting and validation team processed GOL/CSA Pensioners in Voinjama, Lofa County from September 10-15, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thereafter, the team moved to Zorzor and conducted the final vetting exercise from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from September 17-24, 2018 before returning to Monrovia. At the end of the exercise, a little over 6,000 GOL pensioners were captured out of the estimated 17,000 under the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Agency. As spelt out in Section 2, Count D of the Act, the Government of Liberia will provide the funding while NASSCORP pays out the benefits. The first payment to CSA/GOL pensioners was made in January 2019, according to statistics provided by the Claims & Benefits Department.