Monrovia — The end of one era begins the turn of another. For the incoming Joseph Boakai administration, turning a somewhat dismal economy around will rely heavily on the performance of the State-owned Enterprises and how much contribution they would be able to make to the national budget. While SOEs contributions was less than 1 percent of the budget outturn in 2022. In 2023, a total of US$10 million was approved (1.3 percent of the budget) and later revised to US$9.3 million, about 1.2 percent of the revised budget. On the eve of Mr. Boakai’s inauguration, the issue of tenure regarding heads of the SOE’s have been heavily debated with some suggestions within the incoming government’s circle that those appointed by President Weah will be given hefty packages and shown the door to make way for new officials. The million-dollar question is, which of those officials of the Weah administration did fairly decent jobs to warrant a return – and who are the new faces likely to take their place.
By Rodney D. Sieh, rodney,[email protected]
Much of what unfolds in the coming months will largely depend on how far the incoming administration will be willing to go to change existing setups at the various SoEs – or find suitable replacements in areas that may require complete overhauls to fix broken or non-existing systems.
This is key for not just tenured officials but civil servants as well.
On November 22, 2023, outgoing President George Manneh Weah signed an Executive Order pretty much stating the fate of non-tenure officials. Section 9 regarding non-tenured presidential appointees’ states: “non-tenured presidential appointees shall be presumed to have resigned as of the date of inauguration. Accordingly, the most senior civil servants at all ministries, agencies, commissions, and the state-owned enterprises shall act as Officer-in-charge pending the appointment of their successors.”
Toward the end of his term, outgoing President George Weah sought to push the 54th Legislature to approve a bill calling for the cancellation of tenured positions within the Executive.
The President’s push came after both the House of Representatives and Senate passed two separate bills related to tenure positions. According to President Weah, in a letter to the Legislature, tenure positions were established to prevent agencies of the government from being politicized and not influenced by political appointments.
Part of the President’s argument was that the status of tenured personnel impedes and obstructs the development “agenda of the President.”
The Act Prohibiting the Tenure of Public Officials within the Executive Branch of Government was submitted by the Executive; and an Act to repeal all laws creating tenures in the Executive of Government and established in lieu thereof, the Tenure Act of 2022 was submitted by the Liberian Senate for concurrence.
The President’s version was passed in 2018 and forwarded to Senate for concurrence.
It consists of four sections. The first reads: “Except as otherwise provided in the constitution of the Republic of Liberia, all statutory provisions of laws providing for the tenure of office, terms of office, tenure, or anything that provides security of tenure, of all public officials appointed by the President under the Executive Branch of Government are hereby repealed.
Section two of the bill states: “The President shall have and exercise all the powers necessary and convenient for the effective administration of the Executive Branch and all the institutions under its control, and to this end, all appointed officials thereof shall hold office at the will and pleasure of the President.”
Section Three states: “That the law supersedes all other statutory provisions regarding tenure office under the Executive Branch of Government”; while Section Four calls for the law to “take effect immediately upon publication into handbills”.
The bill prohibiting the Tenure of Public Officials Within the Executive Branch, having passed by the House of Representatives for over four years, was forwarded to the Senate for concurrence.
Regarding the second tenure bill, the House concurred with the Liberian Senate on the draft law, an Act to repeal all laws creating tenures in the Executive branch of Government and established in lieu thereof, the Tenure Act of 2022.
The bill, aimed at integrity institutions, seeks to restrict presidential involvement and grant independence to the leaders of those agencies.
But for non-integrity institutions, the Senate believes that it was necessary to cancel the tenure position for its officials so that any President would have the authority to designate officials to carry out his agenda.
The National Elections Commission, Liberian Human Rights Commission, Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Internal Audit Agency, Central Bank of Liberia, and Civil Service Commission are among the institutions whose tenure positions were upheld by the Senate. However, the rest, including the Liberia Revenue Authority, and National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, lost their tenure position.
Since the election of President-elect Boakai, there has been discussion and debate surrounding the removal of certain government Ministries and Agencies with tenure positions by the George Weah Government.
There have been rumors that government Ministries and Agencies with job security were removed by the George Weah Government through the legislature. In fact, actions were taken to implement this goal; however, they faced obstacles in legislative practices and procedures, leading to an unsuccessful outcome.
Reports indicate that agencies such as the Liberia Revenue Authority, the Liberia Telecommunication Authority, and the Liberia Maritime Authority were affected by these actions. However, investigations reveal that the impact was limited to the actions of one chamber of the Legislature.
Recently, the Senate Secretary, responding to an inquiry from Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, clarified that, apart from the Liberia Maritime Authority, the legislature did not succeed in removing tenure from institutions earmarked for such action.
Former Senate Pro-Temp Albert Chie later explained that although the Senate attempted to remove tenure from the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) and others, their actions did not align with the House of Representatives, which had acted differently. Only a conference committee could have reconciled the differences, but that step was not taken.
This revelation implies that individuals heading institutions with tenure are protected by law, and the new administration of President-elect Joseph Boakai may have limited authority to remove them. However, removal may still be possible for cause, contrary to the Act.
During the dog days of his presidency, President Weah raised eyebrows when he tried to make an appointment at the Liberia Revenue Authority, possibly replacing the deceased LRA Commissioner General, Thomas Doe-Nah with outgoing Deputy Finance Minister, Samora Wolokollie.
Pressure from the incoming government led to public backlash and Wolokollie’s nomination failed to see the light.
The issue of tenure remains a matter of concern. Toward the end of the Weah administration, the Plenary of the Liberian Senate unanimously voted to repeal all laws creating Tenure in the Executive Branch of Government and establishing the tenure Act of 2019. Under the act, the senate maintains that there will be tenure positions for only integrity institutions.
The Senate’s action was triggered by a report from the Leadership of the Liberian Senate to amend several Agencies or corporations of government, thereby limiting executive interference and providing independence to heads of those entities.
The Institutions voted to be maintained under the current Act are the General Auditing Commission, Public Procurement and Concession Commission, National Elections Commission, Liberian Human Rights Commission, Liberia Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, and Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Internal Audit Agency, Central Bank of Liberia, and Civil Service Commission. The Plenary also amended the act to repeal the tenure of some institutions as it did not see it fit to be maintained under the tenure status.
They include, the Liberia Revenue Authority, National Social Security and Welfare Corporation, Liberia Airport Authority, National Oil Company, National Fishery and Agricultural Authority among others. On the eve of his reign as Pro Temp, Senator Albert Chie (Grand Kru) told FrontPageAfrica that with the exception of the Liberia Maritime Authority, for which the tenure status was removed in the amended and restated act, the rest of the other positions will likely lead to payoffs or negotiations by the incoming administration looking to fill those areas with replacements.
FrontPageAfrica now dissects the various SOEs and analyzes their state of affairs and what Liberians can expect in the coming months.
LIBERIA ELECTRICITY CORPORATION
CURRENT HEAD OF BOARD: Monie Captan
THE LOWDOWN: The public utility created by the Government of the Republic of Liberia in 1973 has a mandate to produce and supply economic and reliable electric power to the country and maintain the corporation’s financial viability. The corporation also has a mandate to improve and expand the system to meet future growth.
Today, electricity service was largely limited to the capital of Monrovia and its surrounding area. LEC also handled the electricity supply of rural areas outside Monrovia through 10 small, isolated power systems with a total installed capacity of 13 MW.
Much of corporation’s problems were summed up in an April 26, 2022, communication to the outgoing President Weah from key international stakeholders including the European Union, the United States of America, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and China, raising a litany of issues hurting the delivery of affordable electricity throughout Liberia.
In the communication, the stakeholders lamented that in the last decade alone, donors have collectively invested over US$1billion of their taxpayer’s money in Liberia’s power sector. “Those investments were made for the benefit of the Liberian people because lack of electricity is a binding constraint on nearly every aspect of Liberia’s economic development. The investments include the complete rebuilt of the hydropower plant at Mt. Coffee, but also significant investment in other generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure as well as management and regulation of the sector.”
Much of what the donors complained about remains relevant today and the incoming administration will be keen to explore how it can work with the corporation’s board in alleviating some of these issues.
More importantly, the donors believe that the current financial state of the LEC threatens not just the return of those investments, but the viability of the sector as a whole. “We are also worried to perceive expectations, that, when faced with a crisis, donors will continue to step in to address the power sector’s needs.” The incoming administration will be interested in knowing that the donors have made it clear that while limited assistance may continue in specific areas, there are no investments planned on the scale of the Mt. Coffee rebuild. Public accountability for sector performance remains with the LEC and the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Corporation.
A major issue for the LEC remains the power theft saga. Donors have complained that theft is the most urgent threat to the corporation’s survival, contributing to losses of more than 50 percent of what the LEC generates. Corruption remains a key reason for the thefts. Donors have said that the only plan they have seen to address the issue is the proposed concessioning of power distribution in certain areas. However, they believe that this will only play a limited role in achieving the needed solution. “A lasting, meaningful solution will require the government, as it has already publicly undertaken to do so, to provide public support for the LEC disconnecting of illegal connections, no matter how influential or important the beneficiaries of those illegal connections are and arrest and prosecute those guilty of facilitating theft.
For donors, “The insufficient enforcement of Liberia’s power theft laws continues to signal to Liberians, to donors and to the international community that Liberia lacks the will to address the cancer that is eroding its power from within. It also sends a signal to current and potential investors that the government isn’t sufficiently committed to providing them with reliable electricity.”
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Under Captan’s leadership, the LEC was able to see a reduction in commercial losses from 41% to 31%, increase in energy supply by 164%, increase in revenue by 210%, improvement in revenue collection by 184%. Customers connected increased from 199,000 to 285,000.
The LEC also have seen an increase in energy supply due to conclusion of a power purchase agreement with CI Energies of Ivory Coast, overseen the repair of HFO Generators at Bushrod Island, at a cost of over US$2m, and the maintenance of Mt. Coffee turbines.
Donor engagements also resulted in funding by World Bank to repair Unit 1 turbine at mt Coffee ($6.5m), installation of protection system at Mt. Coffee by USAID ($1m), World Bank $96m financing for development of a 20MW solar plant and expansion of Mt. Coffee by an additional 2 turbines thus increasing capacity by 50%, WB commitment of $300m to partially finance a new hydropower plant on the St. Paul River known as SP2.
The LEC has also undertaken expansion of grid network to Margibi, Bomi and Cape Mount Counties. Expansion of distribution network to cover gap communities in and around Monrovia, including New Israel, New Jerusalem, Iron Gate, Banjor, Iron Factory, Zeon Town, Red Hill Community, Blessing Hill Community, Lott Carey, among other communities. Gap communities’ connection was fully funded by LEC.
Under Captan’s watch, the Mt. Coffee hydro is fully operated and maintained by an all-Liberian staff, thus reducing operating costs and building sustainability. The LEC also successfully brought in 106k meters, with plans to bring in an additional 300k over the next 3 years under a framework agreement.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Budget support to pay for CLSG was disbursed at the rate of only 18% leaving unpaid arrears of over US13M. Although funding was available from the World Bank and the IMF budget support, the funds must have been diverted. FPA has learnt that the Weah government did not pay for their energy consumption and is leaving the country with an unpaid bill of over US$10M. More importantly, as the sole shareholder of LEC, the government has never capitalized the company, leaving the LEC to the goodwill of donors. This has to change, and public investment is a must.
FPA VERDICT: The LEC is a donor-driven entity and Donors pushed for Captan to help revive the LEC, it is possible that the Boakai administration will hold him on or negotiate a way out for someone of their choosing. Based on an understanding with the development partners and his previous work as head of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Liberia, Captan signed a contract with the government through the Ministry of Mines & Energy for two years, which ends in July but is subject to renewal upon the agreement of the partners and the World Bank. The World Bank pays his contract under the same agreement. This is a bread-and-butter issue and an area; the incoming government will want to tread carefully.
FORESTRY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
CURRENT HEAD: Mike C. Doryen, Managing Director
THE LOWDOWN: Widespread corruption in the timber industry has cost Liberia as much as half the entire country’s budget. The country’s dense forest cover amounts to around 35.9% of the total land area, totaling to an area of about 3.4 million hectares. Another 23.6% of the country’s land area is composed of agriculture degraded forest, and mixed agricultural and forest areas. Liberian forests are characterized by high deciduous forests in the more mountainous areas, rainforest in the inland hills and plains, and evergreen coastal regions with areas of mangrove.
According to the National Forest Inventory of Liberia, the country has 6.5 million hectares of forests. The commercial forest sector makes up 10% of its GDP. Forests provide food and livelihoods for rural families and preserve biodiversity. The FDA is responsible for managing these resources sustainably through a balance of conservation, commercial, community, and carbon management. The book proposes a new mindset and six guiding principles for a more sustainable approach to managing forests in Liberia.
For time in memorial, the logging business has been tightly controlled by the central government. Contracts were handed out to companies, but incomes have failed to impact those at the bottom of the economic ladder. This was supposed to change in 2009 when a law was passed to revolutionize the sector and give communities the right to apply for “Community Forestry Management Agreements”. The agreements allow them to sign contracts with logging companies on their own, entitling them to as much as 55 percent of the revenue stream.
The law was hailed as a triumphant era for the sector with hopes that it would bring much-needed reform to the country’s long history of abuse and corruption. Despite the passage, many industry experts fear that the system is being manipulated by loggers, and that once again Liberian communities are at risk of getting fleeced.
This was evident in 2022 when a timber company won a controversial lawsuit against Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority. The courts ordered the agency to allow a shipment of illegal logs to be exported overseas, signaling and emblematic of a breakdown of the laws regulating the country’s logging sector under the outgoing government, thereby exposing serious threats to the rainforests.
The timber at the center of the case is at least 14,000 cubic meters (494,000 cubic feet) of highly valued ekki (Lophira alata), a durable tropical hardwood, worth more than $3 million. In 2018, communities in a remote part of central Liberia’s Grand Bassa county.
This is not the first time that a law has brought hope to Liberia’s forest sector. In 2006, Liberia’s National Forest Reform Law (NFRL) of 2006 was seen as a ground-breaking piece of legislation. Communities in Liberia living in and depending upon forests for generations, hailed the legislation as a gamechanger.
The NFRL and the 2009 Community Rights Law with Respect to Forest Lands (CRL), formalized a number of principles and practices of benefit to communities. These included procedural rights to information, participation, and benefit sharing.
The laws also took the first steps towards substantive rights, enabling communities to take direct control of and manage forest resources. The policy landscape has continued to evolve, and those planning the conference felt it was important to recognize the progress that has been made in recent years – in terms of policy, legislation, implementation, and initiatives – and to take stock.
Since then, in 2007 USAID has been supporting community forestry in Liberia, first through the Land rights and community forestry program (LRCFP) and currently through People, rules, & organizations supporting protection of ecosystem resources program (PROSPER).
In 2012 Liberia and the European Union (EU) signed a Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) that committed Liberia to put in place systems to eliminate illegal timber from domestic or international markets, and equally committed the EU to take measures to prevent timber of illegal origin to enter its market.
In 2013 the Government of Liberia (GoL) committed to fundamental reforms to land tenure through the Land Rights Policy.
In 2014 the governments of Liberia and Norway signed a joint Letter of Intent (LoI) that seeks “to achieve economic growth without deforestation and forest degradation”.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENT: Perhaps the most significant impact of the FDA over the past few years was the 2014 signing between the governments of Liberia and Norway for a US$150 Million deal at the UN Climate Summit in New York to halt the destruction of Liberia’s rainforest. After signing the agreement, a dispatcher said it was part of Norway’s plan to help cut carbon emissions globally through preventing deforestation in an effort to reduce the impacts of climate change. In 2022, the Government of Liberia, through the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), has revised and signed an extension of the Co-Management Agreement (CMA) with the communities represented by the Co-Management Committee (CMC), for the management of the East Nimba Nature Reserve (ENNR). The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) through the Liberia Forest Sector Project (LFSP) has embarked on a communication campaign to increase public awareness about the REDD+ and to communicate some of the key milestones of the project since its inception five years ago. Late last year, the FDA banned a Turkish logging company and barred its shareholders for illegal logging activities. The FDA said Askon Liberia General Trading Limited abused its sawmill license and extracted and exported timber. The agency said it would recommend prosecution for its owners: Hassan, Yetar, and Faith Uzan. Askon’s illegal operations were exposed by The DayLight, an online environmental news website in March. The report said Askon ran an illegal operation in Nimba County in which it harvested and smuggled timber in containers. It named Assistant Minister of Trade Peter Somah as an accomplice. The FDA said it took the report “seriously.”
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Doryen’s tenure at the FDA has been riddled with allegations of corruption and mismanagement. At the end of 2021, the Ministry of Justice concluded an investigation into a Chinese-owned company accused of illegal logging. The investigation confirmed that the West African Forest Development Incorporated (WAFDI) harvested logs in the Gheegbarn #1 Community Forest in excess of legal requirements. However, the investigation found WAFDI was not alone. It turned out, that the FDA had recommended the official inquest, had illegally awarded WAFDI about 14,460 hectares of extra woodland in Grand Bassa’s Compound Number Two. The agency had approved Gheegbarn’s entire 26,363 hectares to be harvested over two times faster than normal forestry regime demands.
What happened in Gheegbarn was the peak of illegal logging activities in at least seven community forests in four counties. It could be the biggest logging scandal after the FDA illegally awarded about 2.5 million hectares of forestlands to companies over a decade ago.
FPA VERDICT: Sources tell FrontPageAfrica that the incoming president is poised to name his CWA pal, Rudolph Merab as Managing Director replacing Doryen.
Merab graduated from the College of West Africa in 1972 and holds a degree from the University of Liberia as a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Physics. He has previously worked as a Director at the National Port of Authority (Liberia) and has been president of the Liberia Wood Management Corporation for more than 30 years. Similarly, he has been head of the Liberia Timber Association since 1991. Rudolph and his brother, Edward account for more than 30 percent of Liberia’s logs export – with 20 and 10 percent respectively.
Merab’s company shipped small amounts of Liberian wood directly to the US, mostly for use as railroad ties and furniture during the Charles Taylor era.
Merab could face some backlash if appointed. Besides valid conflict of interest concerns, he has been openly critical of the Liberian government deal with Norway. While acknowledging global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emission from deforestation, Merab once wondered why industrialized nations won’t stop producing and using fossil fuel, which he says is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases.
In the aftermath of the Norwegian deal, Merab demanded a public debate on the letter of intent. Merab, declared that loggers will not accept a repeat of the 2006 scenario where all concession agreements were illegally cancelled by an Executive Order. He claimed at the time, that “rich and industrialized” nations which are the greatest producers of greenhouse gas emission are throwing out inadequate moneys to small and poor countries like Liberia, while pressuring them to preserve their forests.
CENTRAL BANK OF LIBERIA
CURRENT HEAD: J. Aloysious Tarlue, Governor
THE LOWDOWN: The CBL, which preserves the purchasing power of the currency, promotes internal and external equilibrium in the economy, and facilitates the emergence of financial and capital markets, will be critical for the new administration coming in. An investigation into the suspected disappearance of $100 million in newly printed notes en route to the Liberian central bank has found that the cash never went missing, the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia said on Thursday.
Liberia has been gripped by the scandal since last September, when a minister said a shipping container of cash worth the equivalent of around 5 percent of the west African nation’s gross domestic product had disappeared.
Following a request from the government, the United States commissioned investigators to find out what had happened. Washington has worked with the Liberian government on fiscal transparency and governance issues in the past.
The results of the investigation, published on Thursday, “found no information to support allegations that a container of banknotes went missing”, the embassy said in a statement.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: The CBL under Tarlue inspired an economy which recorded an estimated 4.6 percent average growth rate during 2022 and 2023 and largely single-digit inflation during the same, especially during most part of the first half of 2023. More importantly, the economic performance was underpinned by the policies of the government and prudent monetary policy pursued by the CBL. The single-digit inflation is consistent with the Banks core mandate of maintaining price stability, hence the primary goal of the CBL.
The CBL Governor reports that Liberia’s gross international reserves grew from less than 2.5 months of imports cover in the periods of 2018 and 2019 to over 3.0 months above the ECOWAS Convergence threshold, the Executive Governor averred. As at end November 2023, the stock of the country’s gross international reserves would have financed the importation of goods and services in the economy in the event of external shocks, especially essential imports, for over three months, reflecting the resilience of the country to withstand external shocks.
During the course of the year, the current Management and Board of the CBL instituted appropriate measures and policies to deal with low confidence in the financial sector arising from acute Liberian dollar shortage and high non-performing loans (NPLs), which had threatened the health of the financial system.
According to the Executive Governor, the printing, minting and infusion of new banknotes and coins in the economy, beginning 2021 eased the acute Liberian dollar scarcity at commercial banks and strengthened confidence in the banking system, while the problem of NPLs remains a major challenge for the sector, despite effort by the CBL in collaboration with the Liberian Bankers Association (LBA) to bring it down from 21 percent in 2020 to around 16 percent in 2023.
The CBL’s performance also contributed to Liberia’s achievements under the IMF Extended Credit Facility (ECF), which led to several disbursements from the Special Drawing Rights (SDR) for the country.
The digitalization of the Liberian financial system with extensive coverage of mobile money by motor bike riders, market women, farmers and street traders to facilitate their daily economic activities, brought more than 50 percent financial inclusion in 2022 from about 36 percent in 2019, increased visibility of the CBL with effort to establish CBL’s cash hubs across rural Liberia and relative macroeconomic and financial sector stability.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: The CBL will be hoping a repeat of the noise over missing money that greeted the departing government will not show its face when the Boakai administration takes seat.
FPA VERDICT: According to the CBL Act, both the Executive Governor and the Deputy Governor shall be appointed by the President for a term of five (5) years each. Governor J. Aloysious Tarlue was appointed on July 1, 2021, to a five-year tenure, which means he is tenured until July 15, 2026. However, this does not mean he is secured. In July 2018, Governor Milton A. Weeks, resigned his post midway of the first year of the Weah administration as the new government sought to look elsewhere. President Weah went on to appoint Nathaniel R. Patray, III, as governor. Patray however, lasted less than a year on the job. October 25, 2019, he was retired, paving the way for Tarlue. If the incoming government chooses to go into a new direction, a package could be offered to Tarlue with Boima Kamara, also in the running for the Ministry of Finance job, lurking in the shadows.
NATIONAL PORT AUTHORITY
CURRENT HEAD: Diana Nebo, Acting Managing Director
THE LOWDOWN: The NPA is responsible for the safe, effective, and efficient economic functioning of the national port system, which it manages in a landlord capacity. Established by an Act of National Legislature in 1967 and amended in 1970 as a state-owned corporation to manage, plan, and build all public ports in Liberia. The NPA system comprises of four ports: Freeport of Monrovia, Port of Buchanan, Port of Greenville, and Port of Harper. The Freeport of Monrovia is the largest within the Authority’s network. The harbor at the Freeport of Monrovia is protected by two rock breakwaters approximately 2,300 meters and 2,200 meters long, enclosing a basin of 300 hectares of protected water.
Over the past year, the port’s reputation came under fire with Liberia becoming a haven for drug shipment. The NPA was summoned to testify in the USD$100M cocaine smuggling case.
It didn’t help that the outgoing President Mr. Sam Doe, Deputy Managing Director for Operations. Doe is a fugitive from the United States of America who was reportedly wanted for fraud and drugs. FrontPageAfrica gathered from multiple sources in the United States and Liberia that Mr. Doe was part of a ring of criminals, mostly Liberians, busted by federal agents for fraud. He served his term and then moved to Georgia where he reportedly continued his fraudulent activities.
The NPA also came under fire in the past year, subject to a lower House Investigation regarding the Overstay Goods at Freeport of Liberia. The probe suggested that the NPA and APM Terminals have been grossly violating the administrative “procedures that govern the issue of abandoned and condemned goods.” The House action came as a result of complaints from customers with abandoned goods in the port.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Despite its challenges, the NPA during the course of 2023, enhanced its partnership with APM Terminals with an increase of capacity at the Freeport of Monrovia which led to an additional volume growth, a further investment of US$15 million made in the procurement of two state-of-the-art Liebherr 600 model mobile harbor cranes for use in unloading and loading cargo from ships calling at the Freeport. This investment will greatly enhance the productivity of the Port and reduce vessel waiting time which translates to reduction of prices in the market for goods imported into Liberia, a direct boost for the economy. This investment, aligned with the recently completed dredging of the Freeport of Monrovia paves the way for larger gearless vessels. By enabling larger vessels with more containers to call, this project is in line with the Government of Liberia’s vision to attract more investments and stimulate economic growth. This historic project has been driven by the notable partnership between APM Terminals Liberia, the National Port Authority, and the Government of Liberia. Together with our regulatory stakeholders who have been strong partners, APM Terminals Liberia remains dedicated to transforming the Freeport of Monrovia into an economically viable gateway to the Mano River Region.
Additionally, the NPA and APM Terminals Liberia also executed a Dredging Project Financing & Execution Agreement under the mandate of the NPA Board of Directors, following extensive discussions and alignment on the need for dredging and widening the port channels of the Freeport of Monrovia. The agreement, which was signed on August 30, 2022, results in Freeport being able to restore the draft and beam of the harbor channel and approach to the original design levels of 2011. The restoration of the draft covers the removal of sand sedimentation up to 1,000,000 (One Million) cubic meters.
This will restore the original beam or width of vessels to return to 32 meters and a draft of 12 meters as against the recently reduced allowable beam and a draft of 28m and 9.5 meters respectively. This draft and beam increase is important as it will allow for larger vessels to enter the Freeport, a condition that will lead to larger import parcel sizes. This will directly provide benefits to importers as it will provide a significant offset to the ever-rising cost of vessel leasing per parcel size and ultimately provide inflation reduction to the Liberian consumers.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Incoming President Boakai will want to be careful how he appoints here. With the port’s credibility already hit internationally as a drug haven, the UP government will want to put a credible team here that will restore faith in the port. It wouldn’t hurt if the incoming government do something about the ridiculous fees being charged for clearing goods, especially for struggling Liberian businesses and private individuals.
FPA VERDICT: The names being floated here all have very close relationship to the incoming President: JNB’s nephews Jake Kabakollie, Steve Yekerson and former Unity Party Secretary General Mo Ali are all said to be interested in the job. However, insiders closed to the VP said, it is unlikely that any of the trio would get it – but they wouldn’t bet against it.
LIBERIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY
CURRENT HEAD: Edwina Crump Zackpah, Chair
THE LOWDOWN: This sector is tasked with independently regulating and monitoring the quality of telecommunication services while promoting fair competition. The LTA also issues licenses to telecommunication and ISP companies which are valid for 12 months, renewable annually. Over the course of the past six years, the LTA experienced a recurring theme with mobile operators facing major constraints including the high cost of electric power (utilities), poor national infrastructure (roads), high taxation including import duties and tariffs, an insufficient customer base, inadequate skilled manpower and problems in ensuring network security. The sector has been struggling to utilize investment opportunities for software development, systems design and IT infrastructure development, and provision of ICT solutions that could be beneficial to companies, local businesses, schools, hospitals, and residences. Despite its limitation, the LTA has made significant interventions to address and counter unfair market practices that could have the potential to adversely impact growth of the telecommunications sector.
In spite of the challenges, the sector has an active telecommunications sector in which new telecommunications services are regularly offered to consumers with the main players, GSM mobile network operators, Lonestar Cell MTN and Orange Liberia (formerly Cellcom), and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (MPT).
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Over the course of the past years, the LTA, The LTA under Zackpah’s leadership inherited a telecommunications sector in transition, with key service markets struggling to maintain their competitiveness and trajectory of continued growth and development.
Zackpah took as sector that was dying and a declining sectorial revenue, decreasing year in year from 2014. However, from the regulatory intervention the sectorial revenues have been increasing since.
Major sector reforms guided by the National ICT Policy have been implemented by the LTA to foster the enabling environment needed to expand the reach of telecommunications infrastructure and enable affordable access to telecoms services. In furtherance of the national policy objectives of expanding and leveraging telecommunications networks and services for social inclusion and national development, the LTA has pursued actions directed at achieving policy targets.
Over the last five (5) years, the LTA has advanced regulatory and policy measures aimed at restoring stability in key telecoms markets by fostering effective competition and expanding access to cutting-edge communications technologies. The LTA also worked to improve the efficient use of spectrum in the FM broadcast market and provide for the security and reliability of telecommunications network services for end-users. These efforts by the LTA have delivered key national policy objectives, allowing society to harness the benefits of telecommunications technology for socio-economic development.
The LTA has also managed to ensure that the price of 1GB of entry-level mobile data has fallen below the policy target of 2% of monthly gross national income and the average retail price of 1GB is now 69 US cents. Mobile voice is in steady decline as more Liberians use the internet for communications services. Traditional voice traffic is declining by 9% year-on-year while internet traffic is trending upwards by 21%, year-on-year.
The LTA has also expanded the fiber infrastructure for delivery of affordable high-speed internet services and updated the CSquared License to allow for deployment of fiber infrastructure nationwide. The CSquared’s 570km fiber-optic cable covers a major portion of the proposed national communications backbone and potentially supports access to affordable high-speed internet for about 1 million persons.
The authority is currently in consultation with the Central Bank of Liberia on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for effective regulation of access to telecoms networks and resources for digital financial services.
The LTA has also licensed the Liberia Research and Educational Network (LREN) for the rollout of a platform to provide students and educational institutions with low-cost internet access to e-learning resources. Additionally, it secured support from USAID for technical studies and regulatory advice on TV Whitespace, Fiber-optic deployment, FM regulation, Universal Access, Type Approval, and the Liberia Internet Exchange Point.
The LTA has also secured World Bank commitment to undertake Telecoms Market and Cost Studies and is in an on-going engagement with the World Bank for accession to its regional digital infrastructure project (WARDIP-2) for support of the landing of the Amilcar Cabral sub-sea fiber cable to provide redundancy for the ACE cable.
A major part of the LTA’s achievements over the past years has been the implementation of regulatory controls in mobile telecom markets has grown sector revenue to over US$150 million, surpassing peak revenue performance in 2014 and yielding a year-on-year growth of 11% since 2017. This has provided the impetus for increased investment in the expansion of telecoms networks and services.
The authority has also commenced construction of its Headquarters to provide a state-of-the-art and fit for purpose facility for its staff and operations. The headquarters is to be situated on 7 acres of land in Shefflin Township, opposite the Beyan Kessely barracks.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: According to the Alliance for Affordable Internet, internet penetration in Liberia currently stands at 19 percent. The only tracking alliance research shows that country still does not meet the UN Broadband Commission’s affordability threshold. While the highest 20% of income earners on average pay 8% of their monthly income for 1GB of data, it costs the lowest 20% of earners a staggering 47.56% to access the same — far above the two percent target. The research report that in Bomi County, 86 km from the capital Monrovia, for example, the proprietor of a training college explained that he and his students can only afford to access the internet on select days of the week. This could be something that the incoming government would be interested in emphasizing when a decision is made on the future of the chair and the commissioners.
FPA VERDICT: Multiple sources around the incoming presidency believe there will be changes at the LTA. The million-dollar question is whether the current chair, Zackpah, will stay on and which commissioners are safe to stay. Zackpah still has two years and eight months left on her tenure as a commissioner. Last August, President Weah designated Zackpah as chair for one year. Under the terms of the LTA Act, the president shall appoint a commission consisting of 5 commissioners. The President shall designate one of the five appointed Commissioners to be Chairman of the Commission. The term of office for the commissioners shall be 4 years which may be renewed by the President for another term of four years. Zackpah, who has been with the LTA since September 2018 was designated chair from June 2019. However, last August President Weah renewed her tenure for one year. Since the Abdullai Kamara, a former commissioner, is reportedly already pushing Zackpah out there, telling anyone who will listen that his uncle, JNB has assured him of the LTA post. Kamara is presently the CEO of Tamma TV and the Vice President for Governmental Affairs of SATCON Communication Services.
LIBERIA PETROLEUM REFINING COMPANY (LPRC)
CURRENT HEAD: Marie Urey Coleman Browne, Managing Director
THE LOWDOWN: The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) is a state-run, public enterprise that is responsible for the downstream petroleum sector of Liberia. Established in 1973, it plays an important role in the country’s economy by providing various services related to refining operations and marketing. LPRC stands out among its peers as a major contributor to the government’s revenue stream and a provider of employment opportunities. It promotes transparency and accountability within all facets of its operations, thus helping ensure that businesses based in Liberia are taking steps towards becoming good corporate citizens.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS
Under Browne’s leadership, since her appointment by President George Weah in 2019, the LPRC successfully implemented measures like increased storage capacity, a semi-automated operational system, and the installation of weighbridges. These improvements effectively enhanced efficiency, reduced loading times, and provided real-time data, thus contributing to revenue growth and operational resilience. Additionally, the reinforcement of Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) standards, including the construction of a new firewater pump house and product pump house, demonstrates LPRC’s commitment to employee well-being and environmental responsibility.
The management has prioritized the construction of the modern corporate headquarters at the PST and the complete renovation of the Ganta guests housing unit in Ganta, Nimba County. Notably, LPRC has focused on enhancing its capabilities by expanding storage depots in Monrovia. The completion of the state-of-the-art Product Storage Terminal on Bushrod Island has increased capacity, allowing LPRC to store more products and meet market demand, gaining a competitive edge.
This terminal has increased its storage capacity from 61, 000 Metric tons to 73,000 Metric Tons. This is the equivalent of 9,149.000 gallons of gasoline, 12,754.000 gallons of fuel, and 1,689.600 gallons of jet fuel. Due to the introduction of a semi-automated operational system (Truck Loading Gantry at the PST), LPRC is currently achieving reduction in losses of product, accurate accountability of product in the storage tanks, additional revenue, and an effective productive work environment.
The addition of a weighbridge plays a crucial role in the LPRC’s operations, accurately determining the weight of tanker trucks before and after loading. Post-loading, truck information and capacity are recorded in the booth’s monitor station and transmitted to the control room. This process ensures precise tracking of product weight, enhancing transport accuracy to scheduled destinations.
On safety, the LPRC has prioritized emphasis on the well-being of its workforce. In the event of a fire, the tank farm is equipped with a state-of-the-art firefighting hydrant control system and water tanks, capable of swiftly addressing any outbreak. This system also detects fires within the tank farm. A new product pumps house boasts nine centrifugal pump stations, enhancing operational efficiency.
In a bid to address potential spillage, the entity also has an oil-water separator in the tank farm. This system effectively separates products from pure water in case of spills from tanks or pipelines. The LPRC New Product Pump House serves as the primary source for pumps connected to various product tanks, facilitating the flow of products from the Jetty to tanks at a minimum of 5 bars.
Additionally, the Truck Loading Order (TLO) process has undergone a significant transformation in response to the challenging global petroleum market. In the face of intense competition.
Previously, the entity’s manual TLO system demanded extensive time and effort, taking 8 to 9 hours for daily paperwork. The introduction of TLO automation has streamlined the process, reducing completion time to within four (4) hours. This transition brings forth notable benefits, including a substantial decrease in product losses, precise accountability of stored products, additional revenue, and an enhanced, error-free work environment.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: LPRC’s inability to import their own petroleum product poses a significant long-term challenge. Another critical issue is the unfavorable contract granting Bea Mountain Mining Corporation exclusive rights to import and operate a petroleum storage facility, diverting revenue from the government, LPRC, petroleum importers, and the trucking union. This contract, enacted by the Liberian government, could lead to substantial financial implications.
FPA VERDICT: MD Coleman is one of those expected to be replaced as the incoming government looks to fill voids in non-tenured positions like the LPRC. Among the key names being thrown around are Amos Tweh, Secretary General of the Unity Party and MacDella Cooper.
Tweh, a midcareer professional with over 15-year experience working in the public and private sectors, has worked with the government of Liberia as Assistant and Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs. Also served as Policy Analyst at the Governance Commission. Worked as Manager for Planning, Policy, and Compliance at the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company. Prior, he served as Program Manager, Youth Education Foundation Initiative (YEFI). Tweh has also served as National Consultant with the UNDP to assess the institutional capacity of the Liberian Legislature. Also provided consultancy with the World Bank on the functionality of County Service Centers across the country. Served as Consultant for Global Integrity Indicators to assess the Independence of the Liberian Judiciary and integrity institutions. Tweh holds a BA from the AMEU and an MSc, Birmingham City University, UK. Prince II. He also has a postgraduate certificate in Financial Management, Duke University
Cooper was previously mentioned as a potential for the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection as well as head of the incoming President’s protocol. In recent days, however, some insiders say, Cooper is expressing interest in the post as head of LPRC.
National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority
CURRENT HEAD: Emma Metieh Glassco, Director General
THE LOWDOWN: The authority functions as a fully-fledged autonomous body pursuant to the Public Authorities Law of the Republic of Liberia and has its roots in the erstwhile Bureau of National Fisheries, which operated as a unit within the department of technical services of the Ministry of Agriculture from 1956 to 2017. Created by an Act of National Legislation on October 9, 2017, NaFAA contributes approximately 10 % of Liberia’s gross domestic product (GDP). The country has a total land area of about 111 370 km2, of which 15 050 km2 (14 percent) is wetlands. There are large swamp areas and numerous coastal lagoons, including Lake Piso, one of West Africa’s largest lagoons. With an Atlantic coastline of about 570 km, a continental shelf averaging 34 km in width, the country has about 20 000 km2 of continental shelf fishing grounds.
The sector provides about 65 percent of the animal protein needs of the country at the moment, since the livestock programme is still being revitalized. Fisheries contribute about 3.2 percent to the GDP of Liberia, and create job and income earning opportunities, thus generating revenue for government.
The potential for the sector has not gone unnoticed with the World Bank and other international bodies continuing to pump in millions into the sector. In September 2021, the WB approved a new financing to improve fisheries sector management and enhance the livelihoods of targeted beneficiaries and increase Government revenues. The Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project (LSMFP), funded by the International Development Association (IDA) in the amount of $40 million ($20 million grant and $20 million credit), will improve conditions for fishermen and women, increase value addition for export, and help address economic vulnerability of the Liberian economy to climate change and vulnerability of food security.
The project’s aim is to support the establishment of an industrial and an artisanal fish landing site at the Mesurado Pier in Monrovia, and other artisanal landing sites in Margibi, Maryland, Grand Bassa, Sinoe and Grand Kru counties. This project will also support Aquaculture development and strengthen management and governance of the fisheries sector in Liberia, developing human and institutional capacity, and improving policies, strategies, institutional and legal frameworks.
The last two years have seen a major push by the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority or NAFAA and international donors to improve practices across Liberia’s nine coastal counties. The government agency in charge of fisheries, began distributing nets, known as “thread nets,” last year. But they have met a lot of resistance among local fishermen.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Capacity building has been a central theme for NaFAA under Glasco. Early in 2023, the government through the authority, in collaboration with the University of Liberia Administration officially launched the fisheries science degree program at the capitol hill campus of the University with support from the World Bank under the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries project (LSMFP). In an effort to put the Liberian fisheries science degree program on par with other African countries and the world at large, the government through its fisheries authority with support from the World Bank along with the university of Liberia leadership recently initiated discussions with authorities of Rhodes University in South Africa at the start of a study tour.
NaFAA also made significant strides in the country’s fisheries sector which is now at the verge of reaching an industrial level as the authority commissioned the first comprehensive and independent fish stock assessment in August 2023 at the Bong Mines Fishing Pier on Bushrod Island outside Monrovia. The project aims to develop a management plan that would inform the fisheries authority on the fish resources and the number of vessels to be licensed to fish.
The government of Liberia through the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) also sourced an additional $5Million United States dollars for the establishment of a Regional Center of Excellence for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences to be hosted in Liberia.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Liberia has the lowest average fish per capita consumption rate in the Manor River region according to a USAID and ECOWAS reports. Each Liberian consumes an average of just fives kilograms a year although the average should be at 23.5kg per person the reports say. Experts say boosting Liberia’s fish stocks is critical. There’s a lot that’s out of Liberian control – but there is a lot that they can do. Preventing ocean pollution and protecting precious sea life must be a priority.
FPA VERDICT: DG Glasco is tenured until 2026. However, her revolutionization of a once dormant sector is drawing attention with many members of the incoming government eyeing her post. It’s possible the UP government could suggest a package for her exit in exchange for one of their own.
LIBERIA MARITIME AUTHORITY
THE LOWDOWN: The LiMA Act of 2010 mandate the program to administer, secure, promote, regulate, enforce, design, and execute policies, strategies, laws and regulations, plans and programs relating, directly and indirectly to the functioning, growth, and development of the maritime sector.
LiMA also collaborates, coordinates, and consults with the Ministry of National Defense (specifically the Coast Guard), the Ministry of Justice (police, immigration and other relevant law enforcement agencies), the Ministry of Finance, (now Liberia Revenue Authority) (Customs), National Port Authority, the Ministry of Agriculture (Bureau of Fisheries), the National Oil Company of Liberia, the Ministry of Transport and other government institutions engaged in activities related to the maritime sector to collaborate in promoting the country’s social and economic development associated with or growing out of the national maritime, marine and related programs and activities.
Established in 1948 with strong support from the United States of America, Liberia became a founding member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1949 and has over the years played a critical role in promulgating maritime safety, security, and environmental protection. The Bureau of Maritime Affairs (BMA) administered the program under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance and later the Ministry of Transport. With the passage of Liberia Maritime Authority Act of 2010, the BMA then transitioned into the Liberian Maritime Authority (LiMA); a public corporation with greater responsibility of managing all commercial activities within the maritime domain of Liberia. The rational for this transition was to diversify the Authority’s activities from its long-standing focus of being a nation with a leading maritime shipping and corporate registry program, to a nation that strategically focuses on building and, or supporting enterprises across the domestic maritime domain for greater economic and social benefits to the Nation and its People.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: During the course of the year, the program, administered by the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry (LISCR), returned to top of the sector, growing 5.6% in 2023 to 246.5 million gt, with 5,052 ships while Panama tops 244.3 million gt but retains a lead in the number of vessels with 8,254. Liberia’s average age of the fleet is younger at 12.6 years when Panama is 19.3 years.
The Marshall Island, with 186.9 million gt and 4,231 ships having grown 1.0% in 2023, finished third. Marshall Island average age of the fleet is 10.6 years.
Both Liberia and Panama appear with 16% of the world fleet and the Marshall Islands with 12%, according to a report by Clarksons Research’s World Fleet Monitor.
The jump of Liberia at the top of the scale was expected and came as no surprise but was received with headlines in Panamanian media, noting that Liberia’s CEO Alfonso Castillero, is Panamanian who worked most of his career at Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) where he led the Ship Registry until 2014 where he joined LISCR as COO.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Now back on top of the shipping world, the coming months and years could prove pivotal for ships flying the flag of Liberia.
FPA VERDICT: There is currently a three-horse race to replace Commissioner Lenn Eugene Nagbe who is expected to bow out with a package. Former Labor Minister Neto lighe, Carlos Smith and Charles Gono, the current deputy commissioner are all aggressively in the hunt for one of the most coveted jobs on the table.
Gono is a member of Senator Prince Johnson’s MDR party. In addition to being the deputy commissioner, he is an independent researcher in aviation, maritime and space Law. He has an MPA in Public Administration from the University of Liberia and a law degree from the Louis Arthur Grime School of Law. He also holds a Master of science Degree, and a doctorate in Marine Safety and Environmental Protection and International Law and Treaty Law.
“Non-tenured presidential appointees shall be presumed to have resigned as of the date of inauguration. Accordingly, the most senior civil servants at all ministries, agencies, commissions, and the state-owned enterprises shall act as Officer-in-charge pending the appointment of their successors.”
Outgoing President George Manneh Weah, in a signed Executive Order dated Nov. 22, 2023
Smith is currently the Government Affairs Manager at firestone where he provides direct managerial oversight of government Relations, corporate relations, community relations, public relations, corporate social responsibility, and concession agreement compliance. Smith is also responsible for developing and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with neighboring communities, government officials and stakeholders in the Liberian Rubber Sector and serves as the principal liaison between the Liberian Government, public corporations, autonomous agencies and professional. Smith holds a Master of Arts (MA) focused on Business Administration and Management, General from The College of St. Scholastica.
Lighe, an Investment, Corporate & Employment Lawyer with the Justice Advocates & Partners, Inc, is a former Deputy Minister of Labor for Manpower Planning & Human Resource Development. In that role, Lighe acknowledged that the government was faced with mounting challenges in failing to adequately resolve labor disputes due to the previous labor law, which was repealed and subsequently replaced with the Decent Work Act. The old labor prevents the Labor Ministry and institutions from being forceful on employers, thus in effect, given more rights and privileges to employers than employees. Lighe was dismissed for his alleged continued, “gross disrespect and participation in wicked attack and false accusations levied against presidency.” He had been in the position since 2014. Lighe, a staunch member the ruling Unity Party is also a senior member of Vice President Joseph Boakai’s campaign team.
Despite the interest of the trio, a source close to the incoming President says, it is unlikely that JNB will rush to appoint here – the post may be vacant for a year or two.
NATIONAL OIL COMPANY OF LIBERIA
CURRENT HEAD: Atty. Saifuah-Mai Gray, CEO
THE LOWDOWN: The entity responsible for engaging in petroleum exploration, development, and production activities on behalf of the State enjoyed a quiet but somewhat effective spell over the past six years. The fact of the matter is that the quest for oil in Liberia has occurred over a seventy (70) year period. To date, 17 wells have been drilled mainly from the mid- 1970s to late 1980s and again from 2011 to 2016. Exploration in the Liberia happened in two distinct eras. The first was the legacy era that consisted of two stages: the speculative stage and the Shelf-focused exploration stage. The second era considered the “Modern Era” focused largely on deep-water exploration, reform, and consolidation of the industry in Liberia. All of the exploration activities have occurred exclusively in the Liberia Basin offshore sector. Between the periods in which exploratory activities occurred, there was also a period of non-exploration activity known as the Great Hiatus. However, the Harper Basin and the Onshore Roberts/Bassa Basin have never been explored.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Attorney Gray has been in the post since 2018. One of President Weah’s strongest defenders, she is unlikely to be retained by the incoming administration – at least in this position. Under Gray’s watch, NOCAL transitioned the regulatory function to the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) and funded its setup. Prior to her ascendancy to the CEO, NOCAL operated as both the commercial and regulatory arm of the government as it relates to oil and gas.
Gray also spearheaded the amendment of the New Petroleum Law to include the following the dimension of new block size to meet international standards; Inclusion of “Direct Negotiations” and “Executive Allocation to NOCAL” as a means for companies to enter our basins. This was previously only limited to License Round.
Gray was also instrumental in working with TGS to develop new Data-access Models which provide a friendly business climate for our data clients and partners. This includes the upfront/u [lift model, leasing model and licensing model. The introduction of the upfront/uplift model has attracted companies like Exxon, Amni Oil and Gas and others.
The CEO also signed a Data Management Agreement with Core Laboratories to reprocess and manage all Well Data in offshore Liberia. This has been developed into a full Regional Study that has boost Liberia’s Data Library and attracted many interested companies.
Additionally, NOCAL acquired two parcels of property (160.8 Acres and 45.7 Acres) near the Port of Buchanan for the setting up of a Shorebase and Tank Farm. This is important because during Liberia’s previous drilling campaigns (from 2010 – 2016), all of the logistical and operational issues were handled at shorebases in San Pedro, Ivory Coast and Takoradi, Ghana.
The company completely renovated and refurbished the Trauma and ICU wards at the John F. Kennedy Hospital in Sinkor. This section of the biggest referral hospital in the Liberia now provides services to citizens that could only be gotten abroad. The ICU setup is the first in the country.
NOCAL also worked with the National Commission on Maritime Boundaries to submit to UNCLOS, Liberia’s claims to extend our continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles and show claims of both sides of our boundaries. This submission was done within the time frame allotted. The legal and technical presentations were done by NOCAL at the United Nations.
The Company also established a relationship through the Agreement of cooperation for hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation between the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and the Government of Republic of Liberia. This will give rise to a partnership for better exploration operations offshore.
Additionally, the company Initiated the construction of a multi-purpose office building to serve as the future home/offices of the National Oil Company of Liberia. The building is a five-level structure that will also house NOCAL’s future Data Room and other technical infrastructures to enhance the workings of the company. The process started as at 2021.
The company also signed an MoU among the Office National Des Hydrocarbures Et Des Mines (ONHYM) – Morocco, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) – Nigeria and the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL). This MOU (NOCAL/ONHYM/NNPC) is for the purpose of facilitating the necessary actions for the implementation of the Pipeline Project and identifying and leveraging on existing infrastructures or future ones to be built by Liberia for the success of this connection from Nigeria to Morocco through West Africa with further extension to Europe.
A new Master (2D and 3D) Agreement was signed for Geological and Geophysical Projects with better terms and conditions for the management of Liberia’s seismic data. The company approved the reprocessing of seismic data in the Liberia and Harper basins for better viewing of the data by interested companies.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: The sector has lots of potential, but several major companies have tried with no luck at discovering commercial quantity for oil.
FPA VERDICT: International energy analyst, Dr. Christopher Z. Neyor is being mentioned as a potential to replace Attorney Gray. He is a former President/CEO of the company and is the current president and chief executive officer of Morweh Energy Group, an energy consultancy firm. He spent a decade with the Liberia Electricity Corporation and served as the last Managing Director before the 1989 breakout of the Liberian Civil Wars. Neyor is also noted for his reformist agenda and the contributions he has made to the energy and educational sectors in Liberia. Neyor is a former visiting scholar at the Center for Energy and the Environment of the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his undergraduate study in Systems Engineering at Wright State in Dayton Ohio and pursued graduate work in energy economics at the University of Denver and Management at University at Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Another name being thrown around is Vulate Hage. Hage is the first and only Liberian woman to obtain a master’s degree Master of Laws (LLM) in Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Law, University of Houston Law Center in Houston, Texas. Hage is a graduate of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, in 2009(Magna Cum Laude); She also has a Bachelor of Business Administration University of Liberia, 1985. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Management (minor in accounting). University of Liberia. She has attended several Offshore Technology Conference and international conferences. Hage was selected along with the late Cllr. Allison and Kwame Jantuah, a Ghanaian expert in the oil industry, were contracted by the House of Representatives to draft new petroleum bill (Exploration and Production) Act of 2013, a law to create a separate account for all revenues coming out of the oil and gas industry.
LIBERIA REVENUE AUTHORITY
THE LOWDOWN: Established in 2013, the Liberia Revenue Authority is in charge of administering and enforcing the revenue laws for the purpose of assessing, collecting, auditing, and accounting for all national revenues and to facilitate legitimate international trade and customs border management-enforcement.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Over the past six years, the LRA successfully launched the Liberia Integrated Tax Administration System (LITAS) at its headquarters in Paynesville, outside Monrovia. The new digital tax system is inclusive of online registration and filing and makes tax payment easier while improving taxpayers’ experiences. The system will reduce compliance costs, minimize human interference and related errors, and boost revenue growth and will be rolled out to all tax business offices across the 15 counties of Liberia.
The LITAS system was made possible with support from partners including the African Development Bank Group, The World Bank, SIDA and the European Union, the LRA 2021 launched the pilot phase of the LITAS to replace the Standard Integrated Government Tax System (SIGTAS). The digitization of tax payment platforms supports the goals of the LRA in ensuring the transformation of revenue administration by utilizing effective information and communication technology as stated in Goal Four of the Authority’s strategic direction. LRA goal four points to the transformation of revenue administration by utilizing effective information and communication (ICT).
In a bid to boost tax collection, the authority embarked on training and deployment of tax agents across the country as part of its Property Tax Decentralization Project which will result in revenue-sharing between the government and the county. The project seeks to ensure the registration, documentation, and evaluation of all real properties.
The LRA, with assistance from its partners developed and endorsed a Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) Strategy. The overarching objective of the DRM Strategy is to identify and guide national initiatives to garner sustainable domestic resources for financing the Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). The strategy is expected to be implemented over a period of 5 (Five) years (FY 2018 – FY 2022) at an estimated Implementation cost of USD 79.9 million. Revenue projections above existing revenue base of USD 450 million as a result of full DRM Implementation.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Dorbor would bring instant credibility to the authority although many are still reminiscing on the days of Elfreda Tamba under whose watch the LRA excelled beyond expectations. If selected here, Dorbor will be tasked with ensuring that the LRA can enhance the government’s ability to collect taxes from its citizens is critical to the country’s long-term development goals. Tackling challenges like tax evasion, poor tax policy, and ineffective enforcement all constrain the government’s ability to mobilize the domestic revenues will be key toward fulfilling the government’s ability to provide basic services to citizens and promote economic growth and social development.
FPA VERDICT: Multiple sources have confirmed to FPA that Dorbor Jallah, the former Director of the Public Procurement Concessions Commission is top of the line to replace the fallen LRA boss, Thomas Doe Nah. Jallah is currently the Country Representative at Carter Center in Liberia where he oversees all aspects of programs ensuring that day to day operations provide an environment for staff to work successfully and perform their duties and responsibilities.
During Jallah’s tenure at the PPCC from 2014 to 2018, he strengthened the integrity entity to function as a strong transparency and public procurement regulatory body, in line with the Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA) and best practice.
Additionally, he managed the day-to-day administration and operation of the Commission; established the PPCC Vendors Register to increase efficiency in public procurement, increased participation of vendors, contractors, and consultants in public tenders and facilitated the implementation of the Small Business Act (SBA).
Jallah was also credited with promoting the formalization of the informal sector of the economy, and increased tax compliance and revenue generation. He also led the establishment of an eProcurement platform for the government; developed a detailed and comprehensive legal sanctions regime framework for non-performance of vendors, contractors, and consultants. He served as lecturer at the University of Liberia from 2008-2017.
LIBERIA WATER AND SEWER CORPORATION
CURRENT HEAD: ALPHONSO GAYE, MANAGING DIRECTOR
THE LOWDOWN: The entity is the principal public institution responsible for providing water and sewer services to rural and urban areas. For quite some time now, LWSC services have been essentially limited to the capital city of Monrovia). A number of city corporations have some responsibilities for WSS services outside of Monrovia. In Monrovia, the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) is responsible for on-site waste management of toilets and latrines. In rural areas, some of the responsibilities for the WSS sector are being transitioned from the Rural Development Authority (RDA) to the Ministry of Public Works (MPW). key challenges and sector constraints include the following: poor water service characterized by interruptions and breakdowns; an absence of sector specific policies and strategies; depleted human resources capacity; and the weak financial position of LWSC, including an inadequate billing structure and high-water losses.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: In August, the government of Liberia, through the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation (LWSC), took giant step aimed at addressing the excruciating problem faced by residents of several communities in Paynesville city and parts adjacent, by the construction of a one-million-gallon water reservoir in the GSA, Rock Hill Community.
In recent months, the entity begun the process leading to the supply of safe and affordable pipe borne water to their communities after nearly a decade. The supply of pipe borne water to Central Monrovia and parts adjacent is possible following the construction of an express line from the Fish Market Booster Station on the Tubman Boulevard to the LWSC Newport Street Booster Station in Central Monrovia by the World Bank.
The project is currently impacting women and children in communities including Johansson Street, UN Drive, PHP Community, Capitol Bye Pass, Slipway Community, Crown Hill, Bassa Community, Mamba Point, Ashmun Street, Carey Street, New Port Street, Mechlin Street, Camp Johnson Road, and Clay Street. The process is also expected to extend to other Central Monrovia communities including Benson Street, Ducor Community, Buzzy Quarter, Warren Street, Johnson Street, Center Street, Gurley Street, Perry Street, Front Street and Buchanan Street, West Point, Macdonald Street, Lynch Street, Broad Street and Jallah’s Town Community.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Monrovia is still lagging behind as there are no licenses for water and sanitation supply and no coordinated service standards for monitoring and regulating service delivery, leading to poor services and unpaid bills. Water borne diseases due to the lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene are also a common problem in Liberia.
FPA VERDICT: Kimmie Weeks, a former chair of the board, is being mentioned as a possible new Managing Director, although his name has popped up in recent days as likely heading to the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Weeks is an activist and humanitarian, who has received many national and international awards for his work. He has served in many other capacities with the United Nations, with the Liberian government as Chairman of the Board for the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, and as Communications Strategist for Orange Liberia. He currently serves as Executive Director of Youth Action International and as Senior Director of Africa Operations for Integrum Scientific. He is actively involved in various agriculture projects and is promoting sustainable agriculture as a solution for many of Africa’s problems.
NATIONAL INVESTMENT COMMISSION
CURRENT HEAD: Molewuleh B. Gray, Esq, Chairman
THE LOWDOWN: The NIC was established by the Legislature on September 6, 1979, and amended in 2010, with the mandate to promote Liberia’s investment opportunities; attract and support the growth of value-added foreign direct investments (FDIs), and advocate for and strengthen the domestic private sector.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: As chair of the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee, Gray initiated the renegotiation of ten (10) concession agreements, which have the potential of creating approximately 3,000 new jobs, with an aggregate investment size of over US $2.1 Billion.
The NIC in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) cancelled and commenced de novo retendering processes for the National Single Window (NSW), Electric Fiscal Device System (EFDS), Verification of Conformity (VOC) and the Destination Inspection (DI). The DI/VOC are combined as one project under the present retendering process. Additionally, the NIC in partnership with the Liberia National Lottery Authority (LNA) and the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation (LWSC) has cancelled and commenced the retender of the Lottery Game Management Project and the Prepaid Water Meters Management Project respectively. The NIC conducted economic evaluation and recommended sixteen (16) companies to the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) for the issuance special incentive certificates. Seven (7) of the companies received Special Incentive Certificates for the duration of 5 years.
The IMCC also finalized and signed four contracts (Nimba Rubber Incorporated, Firestone Liberia Incorporated, Fouta Corporation, and Liberia Traffic Management Incorporation) pending approval and signature of H.E. President George Manneh Weah and thereafter submit them to the Legislature for ratification.
In 2022, the Inter-Ministerial Concessions Committee negotiated and signed several agreements. The total investment value of these agreements is about US$610.5M and job creation amounts to an estimated total of 13,350 direct and indirect jobs.
The NIC also negotiated several concessions. In the mining sector, the commission secured the Bao Chico Resources Liberia Ltd. Bao Chico Resources Liberia Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of BaoSteel Group Corporation, one of China Fortune Global 500. The Government of Liberia and the Company signed a 25-year Mineral Development Agreement for the exploitation/ mining of Iron Ore in the Bomi East Mines, Gbarpolu County. The Company will invest four hundred and fifty million United States Dollars ($450) in mine development and other infrastructure such as Port and Haulage Road. This will result in the creation of over 1,000 jobs.
The Government of Liberia and the Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which would allow HPX and AML, jointly finance a baseline study of the capacity of the existing rail line for the transshipment. The findings will appraise the GoL of the current capacity of the rail and future investment required for expansion by Guinea mining operators. The IMCC and HPX have been negotiating key issues aimed at finalizing a term sheet which will allow for future negotiations of a cross border agreement.
Thanks to the NIC, Dura Plast (Liberia) Inc. will invest US $22,500,000 over the next fifteen years in order to expand its existing capacity and create over 5,000 indirect jobs for the youth who will be evolved with the collection of waste. As well as 250 direct jobs of skill and unskilled laborers
Also, G5 Plus Breweries (Liberia) Inc. acquired the Liberia Coca-Cola Bottling Company (LCCBC) production line in 2019 following the company’s decision to exit the Liberia market due to immense competition from importers of coca cola and other beverages on the Liberia market. The Company will invest US $5 Million in order to resuscitate the existing LCCBC factory and further invest US $35,000,000 in order to develop Bottled Soft Drinks as well as invest in the production of packaging materials in order to package all beverages. The Investment will result in the employment of approximately four thousand 4000 indirect jobs.
Additionally, the Liberia American Poultry is Liberia’s 1st commercial leading poultry farm incorporated in 2019. Establish as an integrated commercial poultry farming in Bomi County for the production of eggs, breeding of broilers and the farming of maize. The farm has a land area of 500 acres of land which is split into separate units breeding facility to ensure maximum biosecurity and farmland area. The facility will house about 600,000 birds with the capacity to produce about 186,150,000 eggs annually. The Company will also engage in the production of about 30,000 metric tons of high-grade feeds per annual. The Investor plans to make a total investment of fifteen million United States Dollars ($15,000,000) as well as an employment of approximately five hundred (500) indirect jobs and two hundred fifty (250) skilled and unskilled positions.
The NIC also sealed a deal with the Global Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Laboratory Limited was founded in 2021. The goal of the Investor is to invest in manufacturing and processing of pharmaceutical products in Liberia. The Investor will make a total investment of forty-eight million United States Dollars ($48M) over the next fifteen years as well as an employment of at least five hundred direct jobs (500) of skilled and unskilled workers and one thousand (1000) indirect jobs.
The NIC processed fourteen special investment incentive applications with a total potential investment size of US$44,864,517.00 and total potential job creation of 1,614 in consonance with The Liberia Tax Amendment Act of 2021.
In 2023, the NIC renegotiated and Signed Bea Mountain Mining Corporation MDA. The company to reinvest US $520 Million into expansion of its existing operations in Grand Cape Mount County.
Ongoing Renegotiation with ArcelorMittal MDA to ensure the passage of 3rd Amendment, which will see the company invest 800 million USD in its Western Range expansion project. Finalization of this negotiation critical creating a multi-user rail and port infrastructure.
Ongoing Negotiation with HPX for track access and concession to Liberian infrastructure for the transport and shipment of Guinean-based iron ore from their Nimba Project. The NIC is also in the process of implementing a USD $28 Million Special Agro-Processing Industrial Zone Project for the Government of Liberia, supported and co-funded by the African Development Bank. The project seeks to create an agro-industrial processing zone at the Buchanan Special Economic Zone.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: It is anticipated that the incoming government may give a closer look to some of the concessions signed during the Weah era.
FPA VERDICT: Clarence Massaquoi, the former Lofa County Representative is being floated as a possible replacement for Gray. During his time in the lower house, Massaquoi chaired the Contracts, Monopolies and Public Procurement and Concession and was a member of the Committee on Information, Broadcasting, Culture and Tourism; Health and Social Welfare; Public Works.
NATIONAL SOCIAL SECURITY AND WELFARE CORPORATION (NASSCORP)
CURRENT HEAD: Dewitt Von Ballmooss, Director General
For 48 years, NASSCORP) has been making impact to the socio-economic lives of Liberian workers, their dependents, and the general population. The corporation was set up with a mandate of administering the social security program of Liberia, NASSCORP had envisioned three social security schemes to operate: the Employment Injury Scheme, the National Pension Scheme, and the Welfare Scheme. Two of the three schemes—the Employment Injury and the National Pension Schemes—are in operation while the non-contributory Welfare Scheme would become functional in the future. Under these schemes, NASSCORP provides social protection for insured workers and their dependents to maintain a good quality of life against shocks arising from loss of income caused by job-related injuries, disability, old age, and death. In addition to the administration, the corporation engages in other social protection and poverty-reduction programs, all geared towards the socio-economic emancipation of the larger Liberian populace, as well as assisting with community development efforts and responding to natural disasters under its corporate social responsibility program. Even though the corporation was established in the mid-1970s, all of its gains and achievements were destroyed by the double Liberian civil wars of the 1990s, thus forcing it to restart from ground zero. Therefore, it was not until 2006, when the corporation came of age under the Administration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Under Von Ballmoos’ leadership, NASSCORP has maintained its status as one of the high performers over the past years as the management embarked on the training of its employees in a bid to build capacity. The management also believes that the operations of any institution depend on its manpower capabilities which can effectuate the goal and objectives envisaged to enhance growth and development.
During the post-war presidencies of their Excellencies Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Dr. George Manneh Weah from 2006 to 2023, the Corporation has exposed its employees to local and international training, including a week-long workshop for coordinators, assistant coordinators, directors, and assistant directors, and a one-day skills upgrading workshop for regional directors held in Liberia.
NASSCORP has also made it possible for its employees to undergo Advanced Information Technology Training and study tours of sister Social Security institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia.
NASSCORP has successfully automated its core business functions, including its Accounting and Operating Systems, backed by a robust electronic database. Thus, management contracted the services of a reputable accounting firm and a recognized Computer Technology Consultancy which redesigned and installed a new Computer-based accounting system and an Information Technology system. The Information Technology envisaged an interactive online customer service capability. The data technology program was used to re-document records of the insured population and process Registration documents and claims payments, among others.
Cognizant of the fact that the strength of social security institutions to meet their long-term benefit commitments to their clients lies in their investment capabilities, NASSCORP ventured into profitable business initiatives such as private equities, commercial enterprises, residential and commercial properties, loans, trade, finance, and certificates of deposit. The management team had inherited in 2006 a non-performing investment asset-based portfolio of US$4.7 million, which it increased by 2014 to US$33.7 million and now stands at about US$50 million and total assets of over US$81 million.
Under its corporate social responsibility program, aimed at giving back to society, NASSCORP continues to assist with community development and responds to natural disasters. From 1985 up to now, NASSCORP’s impacts have been felt in this area nationwide, ranging from distribution of relief items to rehabilitation centers, responding to floods, rainstorm damages and fire disasters, pavement of community access roads, renovation of critical areas of hospitals, donations during health emergencies such as Ebola, Corona Virus and caterpillar invasions, support to agricultural and educational programs, among several others.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: The corporation was able to survive the shocks administered by the civil wars, Ebola, and COVID-19 and climb to its present level due to the dedication and commitment of the management team and the employees to the duty of prudently administering the Liberian Social Security program. NASSCORP has made significant strides over the years to improve its overall operations. It delivered on its obligations under the Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) under President Sirleaf and the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) under President Weah and is well poised to meet the challenge of the changing demographic makeup of the country by expanding coverage to the other segment of the population not yet covered the informal sector which is the largest segment of workers in the country.
NASSCORP has been transformed into a multi-million-dollar entity over these 48 years with guaranteed long-term solvency, prudent investment, fiscal discipline, and sound decision-making and policies. Compared to other agencies and state-owned enterprises, NASSCORP has enjoyed stability in its post-conflict management leadership which has contributed to its success and transformation into a modern social protection institution.
As the Republic gears up to usher in the new Joseph Boakai-led Administration on January 22, 2024, the National Social Security & Welfare Corporation can be counted upon as a reliable vessel to deliver the social protection services of the country.
FPA VERDICT: Von Ballmoos was appointed by outgoing President Weah and confirmed by the Senate in July 2022. He still has three more years to go on his tenure, putting him in the category of those who may be offered a package if the incoming government decides to bring in one of their own.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
CURRENT HEAD: Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, Executive Director
THE LOWDOWN: The regulatory Institution of the Government of Liberia for the sustainable management of the environment and its natural resources. The Agency was established by an act of the Legislature November 26, 2002, and published into hand bill on April 30, 2003.
The EPA operates on three basic legal Instruments: The National Environmental Policy (NEP), The Environmental Management and Protection Law of Liberia and the Act Creating the Environmental Protection Agency. Of these three instruments, the National Environmental Policy ordered the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure sound environmental management and put in place measure to avoid irreparable damage to the country’s natural resources. The NEP seeks to harmonize cross cutting functions between and amongst agencies. The NEP seeks to ensure long-term economic prosperity of Liberia through sustainable social and economic development of the generation without endangering the potential of future generation. The objective of the NEP is to improve the physical environment, the quality of life and the improvement of economic and social living condition of the citizenry present and future generations. It also seeks to ensure reconciliation and coordination between economic development and growth with the sustainable management of the natural resources. A National Environmental Policy provides a broad framework for the implementation of national objectives and plans.
The Environmental Protection and Management Law (EPML) of Liberia establishes a legal framework for the sustainable development, management, and protection of the environment by the Environment Protection Agency in partnership with regulatory Ministries and organizations and in a close and responsive relationship with the people of Liberia; and to provide high quality information and advice on the state of the environment and for matters connected therewith. The EMPL have several principles and objectives to include but not limited to the following: The principle of sustainable development; The pre-cautionary principle, The polluter – pays principle, The principle of inter-generational equity, The principle of public participation, The principle of international co-operation in the management of environmental resources shared by two or more states; and other principles of natural resources and environmental management.
The Act creating the Agency provides the legal mandates and authority to manage coordinate, monitor and supervise in consultation with relevant line Ministries, Agencies and organization, and other relevant stakeholders for the protection of the environment and sustainable use of natural resources. The act details the functions of the EPA from the Policy Council to environmental inspectors. The Act also clearly explain the entire environmental impact assessment (EIA) process in its totality.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: During the course of the past year, the EPA ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. The Kyoto Protocol required only developed countries to reduce emissions, while the Paris Agreement recognized that climate change is a shared problem and called on all countries to set emissions targets.
Despite having contributed little to climate change, Liberia, like many other developing countries, is especially vulnerable to its impacts. Sea-level rise, soaring temperatures and increased rainfall threaten economic and social gains. The agricultural sector, which ensures the livelihoods of around 70 percent of the population, is especially vulnerable, with flooding, erosion and changing rainfall patterns putting lives at risk in a country where nearly eight out of ten people do not have secure access to food.
All of the signatory countries to the Paris Agreement were expected to ratify the agreement within their national legislative bodies and begin its implementation based on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by member countries. According to United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC), to date, 178 parties have ratified the Paris Agreement of the 197 Parties to the Convention.
In the case of Liberia, progress in ratifying the Paris Agreement had been slow until July 2018, when the Liberian government through the National Legislature made that bold step to ratify the agreement with the support of UNDP and the EPA, who jointly facilitated this process.
The EPA also implemented climate change programs and activities, such as the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
EPA-Liberia submitted its NAP to the UNFCCC in 2021, with the project providing support in its development, including organizing a multi-sectoral working group to review and validate the final document. The project also achieved the following: Developed a comprehensive Climate Change Policy and Response Strategy.
Additionally, the EPA supported the national disaster risk assessment, developed the National Disaster Risk Reduction strategy, and launched a disaster database platform.
Building on the momentum of the previous year, significant gains were also made in 2019. Liberia developed its first ever Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Strategy. The EPA has supported adaptation planning in climate-sensitive sectors, such as agriculture, energy, waste management, forestry, health, and coastal areas.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Liberia continues to experience challenges relating to the deforestation of tropical rainforest, the hunting of endangered species for bushmeat, the pollution of rivers and coastal waters from industrial run-off and raw sewage, and the burning and dumping of household waste. The incoming government needs a really strong presence here to keep up with the changing times and emerging global trends.
FPA VERDICT: Insiders say, some partisans have been floating the idea of James Fromoyan, a former chair of the National Elections Commission and Ruth Jappah, a member of the Law Reform Commission as potential replacements for Prof. Wilson Tarpeh. Jappah is a graduate from the incoming President’s alma matta and has a Masters Degree in Law from Howard University.
LIBERIA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY
CURRENT HEAD: George Mulbah, Director General
THE LOWDOWN: The CAA is responsible for the regulation of aviation safety and enhancing quality in service master’s degree in laws providing innovative technical regulatory supervision geared towards the promotion of a safe civil aviation sector as well as place high value in fostering teamwork, training, and continuous improvement in the level of professionalism commensurate with ICAO’s standards. During the past year, the operations of the Roberts International Airport has come under massive scrutiny with the country’s strategic partner, the United States of America expressing significant shortcomings in airport safety.
The US has been cautioning aviation authorities over the poor conditions of the Roberts International Airport which it says, is becoming less safe as a result of lapses in the airport safety, security, and emergency standards.
In particular, the US Embassy in a travel alert after a series of near-tragic landings at the RIA, declared that the failure of the country’s only international airport to pass several compliance audits recently raises concern about the safety of the airport and incoming flights and passengers. “US citizens contemplating air travel into or out of RIA, which is Liberia’s only international airport, should be aware that several airport safety, security, and emergency response capabilities remain below international standards,” the US statement cautioned.
Multiple audits of the airport revealed significant shortcomings in airport safety, security, and operational standards,” the release added.
The government has been struggling to address Brussels Airlines’ concerns about safety compliance, which include the calibration of the airport navigation equipment, the air traffic control tower, runway, and stand, as well as security setup. The Belgium-based airline, which operates to over 100 destinations in Europe, North America, and Africa, is the only western airline flying to Liberia at least twice a week — connecting the country with Europe and the United States.
MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS: Despite its lapses, the CAA has been working with the Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) Quality Management System (QMS) in the member states of the Roberts Flight Information Region (RFIR) that include Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, to improve security and airport conditions.
Acting DG, Mulbah has been emphasizing the importance of ensuring the highest standards of aeronautical information management within the RFIR. He stated during a visit to Accra, Ghana during 2023, that the AIM QMS implementation would significantly enhance the quality, accuracy, and reliability of aeronautical information and data critical for safe and efficient air navigation within the West Africa sub region and across Africa.
The LCAA has committed to strong collaborative efforts of all member states, the implementation of the AIM QMS is poised to further strengthen the aviation infrastructure in the RFIR, ultimately contributing to the safety and efficiency of air travel across the region.
POTENTIAL GLITCH: Expect a déjà vu from 2018 to resurface. Lasana B. Sannor, Deputy Secretary General for Administration at the LCAA, was appointed by President Weah in February 2018. Based on his experience in this sector, the president again reappointed him to this position in December of 2023. He has participated in lots of training programs and has several certificates from the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), Ghana Civil Aviation authority (GCAA)etc. He also was very instrumental in the continuous flow of air during the COVID-19 period and the successful implementation of a host of projects.
However, it appears his position may be under fire. The Robert Flight Information Region is a triparty organization 1) responsible for performing the duties of an air navigation service provider to ensure the safety and regularity of general air traffic services in the three (3) countries combined airspace entrusted to it by the Member States to this Agreement. To monitor and provide information on all aircraft’s movements in the utter airspace of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. This institution has three (3) senior positions 1. Secretary General. 2 Deputy Secretary for Technical Services and Deputy Secretary for Administration. Guinea and Sierra Leone alternate the Secretary and Deputy Secretary for Technical Services positions on a four-year tenure basis. While the Deputy Secretary General position is a permanent position for Liberia with a tenure of four years as well. All Executive appointments to this institution are made by the state on a tenure basis but renewable once.
FPA VERDICT: Julius Dennis, an old hand in Liberia aviation and a former General Manager of the Airport has been floated around as a replacement for Mulbah when the incoming government settles. Dennis is also a former Chief Regional Infrastructure Unit at the United Nations