MONROVIA – Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe, Chairman of the Senate Public Works Committee, has written to Public Works Minister Mrs. Ruth Coker-Collins, requesting that she submits documents relating to ongoing works on major roads in the country and contractor’s payment reports.
By: Henry Karmo [email protected]
In a letter dated February 20, 2023, Senator Snowe is requesting, among other things, documentation regarding the awarding of contracts for the construction of the Bali Island, a comprehensive progress report, and documentation on payments made for the Freeport to St. Paul Bridge Road project, and procurement and cost analysis on street lights purchased and installed across the country.
The Senate Public Works Committee is also requesting and demanding a progress report on the RIA Road project, all emergency works contracts that were done for the President’s Nationwide Tour, the procurement process, contract, and payment to ABK Enterprise for the Buchanan to ITI corridor, and the JLN Enterprise consultant contract and payment for the ABC to Du-port Road. They are also requesting a progress report on the St. Paul Bridge to Tubmanburg Road project.
Senator Snowe’s communication states, “I present compliments and write on behalf of the Senate’s Committee on Public Works and Rural Development to request the submission of the below-listed documentation on or before 10:00 am Wednesday, February 22, 2023, to accurately inform the committee of the statuses of the major road corridors and other projects across the country and the management of the National Road Fund, prior to its proposed public hearing.”
Senator Snowe’s request is part of ongoing public hearings being conducted by the Senate Committee on Public Works and Rural Development on the status of ongoing roads under construction. On Thursday, Senator Snowe accused the Minister of cherry-picking and selectively paying contractors who have done work for the government.
Senator Snowe’s allegation was in response to a revelation made by the Public Works Minister that she had payment certificates for contractors who had worked for the government of Liberia. He claimed that the Ministry of Public Works and the National Road Fund were cherry-picking which contractors to pay and accused the Minister of deciding which contractors to prioritize.
The Public Works Minister claimed to have recalled more than 20 payment certificates from the National Road Fund Authority because they had overstayed, and the request for payment was only made if there was money in the account of the National Road Fund. She explained that a payment certificate was generated for contractors only if the administrator of the Road Fund confirmed that there was money available. Meanwhile, it can be recalled that an audit of the National Road Fund conducted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) for two fiscal years from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020, revealed that millions of dollars of fuel levies paid by motorists for the maintenance and rehabilitation of roads in Liberia were either not being remitted to the road fund account as required by the Road Fund Act or expended for unintended purposes. The GAC report showed that the Liberia Revenue Authority deposited $53,018,871.54 in the Consolidated Fund Account instead of the National Road Fund Account. Of this amount, $28,152,231 was remitted to the National Road Fund, leaving a difference of $24,866,637.54 that was not remitted.