Monrovia—A contentious issue has arisen surrounding the Liberia Traffic Management Inc. (LTMI) and its concession agreement with the government of Liberia, originally signed under the administration of former President George Weah for $50 million.

By Selma Lomax, selma.lomax@frontpageafricaonline.com

While President Joseph Boakai recognized the agreement upon taking office, tensions have escalated within the government, particularly between the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Justice.

The Ministry of Transport, led by Minister Sirleaf Tyler, has expressed dissatisfaction with the LTMI, arguing that the private firm is assuming responsibilities that should belong to the ministry itself. In a surprising move, the ministry has opened bids for traffic management services, which have already been contracted to LTMI, signaling potential disregard for the existing agreement.

In bid notice published on its website and some local dailies in Liberia, the Ministry of Transport announced it intends to award a contract, based on a partnership and revenue sharing arrangement with reputable individuals or a private firms/companies/garage to provide services and the infrastructure (adequate space for vehicle inspection) for Vehicle Road Worthiness Inspection for the Ministry of Transport.

It also announced that it is awarding a contract for the production and supply of license plates and stickers.

It is also awarding contracts for the purpose of the automation of its current operational and administrative processes of Motor Vehicle Registration and Drivers Licensing. The ministry noted that the duration of the project is five years in which the supplier will pre-finance the entire project and form a profit-sharing arrangement with the Ministry along with other key stakeholders.

Observers say if this goes through, it will undermine the LTMI agreement signed with the government. Despite the government backing the agreement, the Ministry under the Tyler administration has exhibited a hostile posture towards LMTI. At a Senate hearing in 2024, Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh and Transport Minister Tyler spar over the agreement. During the Senate Transport Committee hearing, Minister Tyler vocally opposed recognizing the LTMI agreement, asserting it would undermine the ministry’s core functions by outsourcing essential duties. He criticized a directive from the Ministry of Justice that mandates the transfer of significant responsibilities to LTMI, calling the arrangement “unfair.”

In response, Minister Tweh characterized Tyler’s statements as misleading and unproductive, urging the government to honor established agreements. “As a government, we must respect the rule of law,” Tweh stated, emphasizing the potential benefits the LTMI contract offers to the state and its citizens.

Following his election, President Boakai toured LTMI’s facility, which integrates multiple vehicle and driver services, including licensing and inspections. Boakai expressed hope that the center could become a vital revenue source for the government once legal issues are settled.

Despite indications that the Boakai administration supports the LTMI agreement, Minister Tyler remains skeptical, warning that transferring fundamental responsibilities to a foreign firm could compromise the ministry’s regulatory authority.

The LTMI facility, established in January 2019 with a $50 million investment, has remained idle due to ongoing legal disputes. Set to launch last January with fanfare, the event drew confusion and disappointment when key officials withdrew at the last minute.

After a heated exchange in the Senate, the Transport Committee has postponed further discussions, instructing both ministries to provide documentation to support their positions. 

In the meantime, the Ministry of Transport continues to pursue bids for traffic management services, challenging the legitimacy of the existing concession agreement.

The MOT, through its minister, has made it clear that LTM, if allowed to operate, will take its responsibilities as enshrined in the act establishing the MOT.

However, it is giving these tasks up through a bidding process, leaving the public to wonder why it can’t allow the LTM to perform these tasks since it has a legally binding agreement with the government of Liberia.

Monrovia – Despite the Liberian Government’s 25-year concession agreement with Liberia Traffic Management (LTM), the project remains stalled, even though the Boakai-Koung administration initially showed interest in moving the concession forward.

By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, gerald.koinyeneh@frontpageafricaonline.com

Signed with a vision to improve road safety and regulate traffic through a $50 million investment, the concession agreement aims to benefit all road users—including vehicle, tricycle, and motorcycle operators, as well as pedestrians and passengers. This ambitious project was expected to address Liberia’s longstanding road management issues, reduce accidents, and improve road conditions.

However, despite the government’s commitment, the agreement has encountered significant setbacks. Although the current administration expressed early intentions to enforce the contract, delays and administrative challenges have hindered its implementation. Negative reports in the media have recently cast the agreement in an unfavorable light, with criticisms directed toward the contract’s owners. Sources close to the administration, however, maintain that efforts are underway to resolve these issues and bring the project to fruition.

A US$50 million concession traffic management agreement to bring relief and safety to Liberian vehicle, tricycle, and motorcycle operators as well as pedestrians and passengers continues to be ignored. While there were early signs the Boakai-Koung administration would enforce it, the concession agreement continues to stall.

In response, some sources familiar with LTM claim that the criticisms are unfounded. They assert that the company is backed by respected Lebanese investors, including Dr. Imad Hajj, a well-known figure who was reportedly a popular choice for president in Lebanon according to recent referendums reported in major Lebanese media outlets.

Genesis of the LTM concession

The initiative began under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration and was later signed by President George Weah in 2018, with the agreement officially becoming law in January 2019. Contrary to recent reports, the government did not pressure the current Justice Minister to grant vehicle registration rights to Lebanese investors. Instead, a separate contract for vehicle registration was signed by the former Minister of Transport with another company.

Key Responsibilities Under the LTM Agreement

The agreement outlines LTM’s responsibilities, including the development of a comprehensive traffic ticket management system. This system, based on a web-based platform, is intended to facilitate the issuance, payment, and tracking of traffic violations, as well as manage demerit points for driver’s licenses. All traffic tickets issued by the Liberia National Police (LNP) under this system must comply with Section 12.52 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law.

LTM is also responsible for managing a vehicle towing and impound system, including setting up secure impound lots across Liberia’s 15 counties as per the development plan. By the fifth anniversary of the agreement, LTM must ensure there is at least one impound lot in each county capital, starting with two in greater Monrovia.

The agreement additionally tasks LTM with implementing a city parking system, including parking meters, and establishing a vehicle inspection system to maintain standards in emissions and other safety checks across Liberia. LTM is also to manage a driver testing and certification system, ensuring driver competence before licenses are issued, and to operate a secure biometric system for driver licenses and vehicle registrations, with single-window offices in all counties for efficient service delivery.

Delays and Legal Disputes

A state-of-the-art facility, developed in collaboration with the Liberia National Police and LTM, was established in 2019 with a $50 million investment. Equipped with inspection and registration technology, SUVs, and motorbikes for road safety enforcement, this facility remains inactive due to ongoing legal disputes. Meanwhile, the Weah administration awarded similar responsibilities to the Modern Development Management Corporation (MDMC), conflicting with LTM’s original concession.

Investigations by FrontPageAfrica and New Narratives revealed that the Ministry of Transport under the Weah administration assigned vehicle registration and license plate issuance—a responsibility initially intended for LTM—to MDMC approximately 18 months after the LTM agreement was ratified.

FrontPageAfrica has learned that the Boakai-Koung administration and the current Justice Minister are upholding the LTM concession, which legally supersedes subsequent contracts. However, internal opposition within the Ministry of Transport is reportedly hindering the agreement’s execution, though these claims remain unverified.

MONROVIA – A cutting-edge facility, established in January 2019 through a collaboration between the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Traffic Management with an investment of US$50 million, remains inactive. The state-of-the-art facility, intended for the inspection and registration of vehicles and drivers, is also equipped with a fleet of SUVs and motorbikes dedicated to enhancing road safety inspections. However, its operational status has been stalled by an extensive legal dispute over the contractual agreement, preventing its intended use.

By Lennart Dodoo, ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com

The facility is owned by influential Lebanese investor, Dr. Imad Hajj.

The facility was set to launch on January 31, 2023 in an event attended by a cast of high-ranking diplomats, business leaders, and police including senior law enforcement personnel. But the day ended in shock and confusion.

The boycott of the launch and the refusal of the Inspector General of Police, Col. Patrick Sudue, to sign the Memorandum of Understanding was an order that came from the Executive Mansion, FrontPageAfrica and New Narratives gathered.

Later findings by FrontPageAfrica and New Narratives revealed that the Transport Ministry awarded a contract for registering cars and issuing license plates—services initially assigned to LTM—to the Modern Development Management Corporation (MDMC). This corporation is owned by John Youboty, who also serves as the Treasurer of President Weah’s political coalition, the Coalition for Democratic Change.

The vehicle registration and production of license plates contract is reportedly worth US$5 million a year.

Legal professionals assert that the agreement constituted a blatant breach of the concession granted to LTM in 2019, following its approval by both legislative houses and subsequent endorsement by President Weah. The President personally inspected the facility subsequent to ratifying the legislation. Experts emphasize that it is against the law for the government to impede or modify a concession at such a juncture, including the allocation of agreed-upon services to a different company.

However, it appears that President-elect Boakai, who will be assuming the Office of the Presidency in a week’s time, is poised to capitalize on the Liberia Traffic Management concession to foster the road infrastructure aspect of his ARREST agenda.

On Monday, Boakai toured the facility of the Liberia Traffic Management along an entourage including former Inspector General of Police, Gregory Coleman, who is rumored to reassume his role at the Liberia National Police.

President-elect Boakai, according to a release, was impressed with the facility having realized that it is a one-stop shop for processing of all instruments from drivers’ licenses, Licenses Plates, Road worthiness inspection to insurance policies.

He expressed optimism that the legal the legal hurdles surrounding the investment will be overcome so that the public will benefit from the just revenues of the investment.