The Board of Directors of the National Port Authority (NPA) has condemned the proposal by the Liberian Senate to grant outstations Ports in Liberia autonomy.
On Thursday August 1, 2024, the NPA Board called on the Legislature to rescind its proposal calling for the granting of autonomy to outstation Ports in Liberia, adding, decentralization does not mean autonomy.
According to the release, over 95% of existing employees at these outstation ports are qualified residents of the counties who are currently employed by the NPA which challenged the Senate’s proposal for increased autonomy to create local job opportunities.
“NPA was established by an Act of the National Legislature in 1967 and amended in 1970 as a state-owned corporation to manage, plan, and build all public ports in Liberia. The move by the Liberian Senate has the propensity to undermine the act of creating the National Port Authority of Liberia,” the NPA said in a release issued.
The release added that, the Act creating the NPA gives it the authority to serve as a regulatory body overseeing the operations of the Freeport of Monrovia, the Ports of Buchanan, Greenville, and Harper contending, “Contrary to claims by the Legislature to make ports autonomy is geared toward providing jobs to locals in the outstation Port areas are false and misleading.”
The release assured that the Management of the NPA headed by Sekou Dukuly has displayed unwavering dedication and commitment to the advancement of all ports under the National Port Authority.
“The Senate’s move to grant autonomy to outstation ports categorically undermines and disregards the distinct roles and responsibilities of the National Port Authority to regulate and supervise all the ports,” the release maintained.
“Over the past six years, ports’ operations in the southeastern parts of Liberia were completely abundant with infrastructures lying in ruins, and operational capabilities at its lowest in decades,” the NPA recalled.
The Board then stated that, it strongly objects to the Senate’s assertion that the inefficiency of certain ports in Liberia is due to the centralization of their operations.
“The Senate’s Joint Committee has recommended that President Joseph Boakia issues an executive order granting the National Port Authority (NPA) operational control over outstation ports. However, this recommendation contravenes the Act that established the NPA,” the release stated.
Meanwhile, the NPA board is therefore calling on the Legislature to provide budgetary allocations that will help buttress the efforts of the NPA Management aimed at addressing some of the infrastructure and operational problems faced by outstation ports.
