Benin : Salary Suspension for Certain State Employees
In Benin, authorities have suspended the payment of certain civil servants until further notice. This decision applies exclusively to employees serving in structures under the supervision of state ministries and institutions.
According to a decision from the Minister of Economy and Finance, certain civil servants will no longer receive their salaries until further notice. The measure takes effect from January 2024. The information was communicated in a letter addressed to the secretaries-general of ministries and state institutions and will come into effect from January 2024.
This measure is taken due to the observation that the affected civil servants would have been assigned to agencies and other structures under the supervision of ministries and state institutions without the required formalities being completed beforehand. This situation creates irregularities, which, in principle, should prevent them from receiving salaries from the state payroll, as explained in the note signed by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Finance, Alban Bienvenu Bessan.
This decision represents a significant setback for these state employees assigned to subsidiaries and structures under ministries and state institutions. The Ministry of Economy indicates that allowing them to receive their salaries in these conditions would be a violation of laws no. 2015-18 of September 1, 2017, and no. 2020-20 of September 2, 2020.
« Thus, the concerned individuals continue to be listed in the state payroll file in disregard of the referenced laws, which stipulate, among other things, that salaries as well as allowances and any other benefits must be fully covered by the respective public enterprises », specified Alban Bienvenu Bessan.
As a reminder, the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Benin is tasked with monitoring and evaluating the general economic, financial, and monetary policies of the state. It also oversees the conservation of state real estate and property.
