Engineer salaries are deemed disrespectful, ridiculous, and intolerable says Designate Deputy Minister of Public Works for Technical Services.

Monrovia, Liberia – Paying skilled engineers at the ministry $300–400 per month is something that Prince Tamba, the deputy public works minister designate for technical services, has called completely disrespectful and ridiculous.

During his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Thursday, February 15, 2024, Mr. Tamba addressed the Senate Committee on Public Works and Rural Development. He emphasized that Liberia has skilled and competent civil engineers employed by the Ministry, but they lack drive.

The Deputy Public Works Minister for Technical Services designate emphasized this as one of the many difficulties faced by professionals at the government organization and noted that although engineers are underpaid, the public and federal governments depend on them to manage road projects more effectively.

He claimed that when a road is damaged or poorly maintained, people frequently look down on the experts who are giving up their time and effort to fix it. This suggests that even the tools required for workers to complete their tasks in the nation are unavailable.

According to Mr. Tamba, there is obvious evidence of corruption or compromise when onsite engineers are forced to ask contractors for fuel because they lack fuel and government officials in Liberia lack motivation.

The designate Deputy Minister of Public Works for Technical Services stated that the Senior Management Team is committed to inspiring those engineers and treating them with the respect they deserve so they can carry out their duties as professional engineers, pending confirmation by the Liberian Senate.