A row has broken up salaries each lawmakers takes home after Montserrado County Senator, Darious Dillion told reporters the actual salaries of each lawmaker amounting to US$15,000.
He explained that the salary was too huge looking at the current economic situation of the country.
But this did not go down well with some senators. One of them is Sinoe county senator, Milton Teahjay. He told reporters Monday in a press conference that Dillon lied to the public.
“The figure communicated to the press regarding the salary of Senators by Senator Abe Darius Dillon are totally incorrect, and that is the purpose I want to make this clarification,” Sinoe County Senator J. Milton Teahjay told Legislative reporters on Monday, September 30, 2019.
He said after carefully analyzing the salaries, he realized that Dillon did not bring out the facts. “What Senator Dillon communicated to the public is in error.”
According to him, Dillon put all the income into one sum to amount to the US$15,000 per month.
“By that aggregation, Senator Dillon has failed to perfectly read the fiscal chart of the Senate to interpret it; from this chart, the net monthly income of a senator is US$7,994.32; L$29,000, which when converted amounts to US$138 as part of the transportation reform.”
He added, that salary and benefits and entitlements, such as house rental fees for lawmakers, which amount, goes directly to the owner of the property.
He said; that transportation reimbursement; amounts to US$3,175 which is given to each senator. “over a period of four years, it comes to zero, and you can decide whether to keep the vehicle, that is not an income that you take home as a pay.”
On gasoline, he said, the amount of US$2,200 is given which comes to 428 gallons a month; “that cannot be seen as an income, it is an entitlement, but Senator Dillon has aggregated everything to say senators are making US$15,325, which is not the case.”
This is the first time for Senator Teahjay to comment on senators salaries since he has been in there for over four years. Recently, Senator Dillon gave a complete breakdown of salaries given each lawmaker.
“We have had the time to review his press conference in terms of the contents, and what he articulated is totally incorrect and does not reflect the reality of the figures that are on our books.”
Teahjay said he took the matter before plenary, which is the highest decision-making body so as to enable him effect correction; “because the Senate is a body of government composed of Senators and, as employees of the government, the budget is opened.” TNR
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