By Precious D. Freeman
The House of Representatives has fined the Acting Solicitor General Nyanati Tuan with L$4,999 as contempt charge to be paid in government revenue Friday, March 3, 2023 and with a receipt to be presented to the chief clerk office on Monday, March 6, 2023.
The decision to have the Acting Justice Minister held under contempt with the fine was reached on Thursday, March 2, 2023 during the House’s 14th Day Sitting of the 6th Session of the House of Representatives of the 54th Legislature.
The decision was based on the refusal of Minister Tuan to appear last Tuesday, February 28, 2023 before the House’s plenary when he was written by the chief clerk.
The plenary cited the Minister to explain to the body why the petroleum importers are not in compliance with the Government of Liberia when it comes to paying the National Roads Funds.
Minister Tuan reasons for not appearing on last Tuesday was unjustifiable and therefore was charged with contempt.
He told the plenary that he could not appear because he was invited to the Liberian Senate on the same day but failed to communicate with the House on said engagement.
It can be recalled that the authorities of the National Road Fund (NRF), the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and Petroleum Importers were invited to provide updates on the remittance of levies on petroleum products collected or withheld by petroleum importers in keeping with the Act that established the National Road Fund.
The House of Representatives took the decision on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 during its 5th day sitting based on a communication from Nimba County District 2 Representative, Prince O. S. Tokpah.
Representative Tokpah said the National Road Fund, established by an Act of the Legislature in 2006 was to ensure among other things that road assets are sustained and that sufficient funds for both periodic and routine maintenance are allocated for such purpose.
In his Communication, the members of the House of Representatives maintained that the National Road Fund is intended to ensure that National, Sub-national and feeder roads have sufficient share of the total fund such that these roads can operate as an integrated network and to ensure that the needs of the road users and those impacted by roads are considered in terms of safety, security and environment.
According to him, the fund generated should finance roads and bridge maintenance directly associated planning, programming, and Management activities.
The Nimba County Lawmaker added that the ordinary citizens immensely contribute to the National Road Fund whenever they buy petroleum products as enacted, the source of revenue for the National Road Fund levy collected from every petroleum product that is imported and as end users of the products, the levies are passed down to the citizens.
“But looking across the country, it becomes difficult to comprehend whether the National Road Fund is meeting up its tasks. Majority of our roads across the country are impassable, especially during the peak of the rainy season.
Meanwhile, LRA was asked to write an apology letter and be published in newspaper after admitting to have collected the fund and not the Justice Ministry.
