Beach cleaners want workforce increased

Contractors of the Liberia Maritime Authority beach and waterways clean-up exercise are calling on the Government of Liberia to recruit more workers and increase salaries.

Over 600 beach and waterways workers over the weekend carried out a voluntary clean-up exercise on Popo Beach and other nearby beaches in the borough of New Kru Town on Bushrod Island.

Speaking to reporters during the campaign, the chairperson for the group, George Young, said the exercise is aimed at giving the coaster areas facelift as well as keeping the communities hygienically clean.

He also said the initiative is aimed at grasping government’s attention to continue the exercise. Mr. Young is meanwhile calling on government to recruit more people mostly woman into the program for economic empowerment.

There are reports that the Government of Liberia through the Liberia Maritime Authority is contemplating halting the project due to lack of funding.But the over 600 contractors predominantly young women and men, including the elderlies are appealing for continuation.

Beach and waterway cleaners had staged series of protest both before the Maritime head office in Sinkor and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on Bread Street in demand of eightmonths’ salary arears owed by government, but the authorities here have paid all the arears. Bridgett Milton– Editing by Jonathan Browne