LIBERIA SHOULD FOLLOW GHANA: END THE BEGGING AND SOLICITATION OF TIPS AT RIA

By George H. Nubo

Let us talk about something that many travelers know happens at Roberts International Airport (RIA), but we often act as if it is normal. The begging and solicitation of money from passengers must stop. Not every worker at RIA does it. There are plenty of decent, hardworking, and professional employees at the airport who serve passengers without asking for anything. They deserve recognition.

But we cannot ignore the complaints about some workers asking passengers for “something,” “cold water,” a “tip,” or some other unofficial payment just for doing the job they are already paid to do. Ghana has decided to address this problem at its airports. Liberia should do the same. The issue is bigger than whether someone gives an airport worker US$5 or US$10. The real question is: Why should a passenger feel pressured to pay an employee to perform an official duty?

Imagine flying for ten or twelve hours and finally arriving home. You are tired; and you are carrying luggage. Before you even leave the airport, someone involved in immigration, customs, baggage handling, security, or another service starts hinting that you should “do something.” Is it a tip; is it a fee; is it required; and will refusing cause a problem with your luggage or documents?

A visitor should never have to ask those questions at Liberia’s international gateway. And this is where we need an honest investigation. How widespread is the practice at RIA? How many passenger complaints have been received over the last five years? Which agencies receive the most complaints? What disciplinary actions have been taken? Are airport employees clearly prohibited from soliciting passengers? Are workers required to display identification so passengers can report misconduct? And why isn’t there a highly visible hotline or WhatsApp number throughout RIA for passengers to immediately report demands for unofficial payments?

These are reasonable questions that the Liberia Airport Authority and other agencies operating at RIA should answer publicly. Liberia should declare RIA a NO-SOLICITATION AIRPORT. Put large signs at Immigration, Customs, baggage claim, and departure areas:

1. YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO TIP ANY GOVERNMENT OR AIRPORT OFFICIAL.

2. PAY ONLY OFFICIAL FEES AND DEMAND A RECEIPT.

3. REPORT ANYONE WHO ASKS YOU FOR UNOFFICIAL PAYMENT.

Give every worker a visible identification number. Set up a WhatsApp complaint line. Install complaint QR codes. Review CCTV where appropriate. And, like Ghana, use mystery passengers to check whether employees are following the rules.

But enforcement must be fair. An accusation alone should not get somebody fired. Investigate complaints, look at the evidence, and give the accused employee a chance to respond. However, when an investigation shows that an employee demanded money, deliberately pressured passengers for tips, or withheld official service because money was not provided, there must be consequences.

Government should also address low salaries and poor working conditions. Airport workers deserve decent compensation. But passengers cannot become an unofficial payroll system. RIA is Liberia’s front door. We say we want tourism; we say we want investors; and we ask Liberians in the diaspora to come home and invest.

Then their first encounter with Liberia cannot be someone reaching out a hand for money. This is also unfair to the many honest employees at RIA whose reputations are damaged by the actions of a few. So, perhaps, it is time for the Government of Liberia to follow Ghana’s example:

No begging.

No pressure for tips.

No unofficial fees.

And no payment for official services without a receipt.

And one final question for anyone who has traveled through RIA: Have you ever been asked, directly or indirectly, to give an airport worker money, and what happened when you refused?

Let us hear from passengers and airport workers alike.