On Sunday, the Minister of Finance for the Government of National Accord (GNA), Faraj Boumtari called on the Directors of the Budget Department and the Chairman of the Permanent Committee for the Rationalization of Salaries, to directly supervise the payment of salaries for employees in government administrative units, starting from December 2020. In a statement, Boumtari said that he has previously sent a letter to the Audit Bureau regarding the same issue.
The ministry set a number of controls this month, including that hiring decisions be issued by the competent authority, and that employment contracts must be approved by the Ministry of Labour and Rehabilitation.
Libya suffers from a bloated public service, with many employees receiving multiple salaries, as well as ghost workers being registered on the official payroll. Salaries make up more than half of public spending, which depends on oil and gas revenues, the country’s primary economic resource.