By Laurina B Lormia
The National Port Authority (NPA) disclosed that it made a significant contribution to the country’s revenue in less than six months, presenting a symbolic cheque totaling US$ million to the government’s account.
On Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at the Ministry of Information Culture and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing, the NPA’s Managing Director, Sekou Dukuly, said the US$ 2 million is the NPA’s contribution to the Government of Liberia General Revenue Account.
According to him, during the last six years of former President George Weah administration, the NPA under the leadership of the former Managing Director Bill Tweahway made a total contribution of US$4 million to the government revenue.
He added that Tweahway and his team collected social security fees and personal income taxes from employees at the Ports but did not remit them to the government’s accounts narrating that the money was presented to the government bearing EcoBank Liberia sealed.
However, speaking of progress made at the NPA since they took over, he said that, they have established a very remarkable corporation with their largest concessionary at the Port, the NPA Terminals and has also regularized their meeting with AML, the largest port user at the Port of Buchanan, in Grand Bassa.
He added that, they are also working on digitalizing four ports which includes Monrovia, GreenVille, Buchanan and Happer, to ensure that the public have access to live data and happenings at the ports stressing, “The Port has been regularly paying retirement benefits to employees and has also been electrified 24/7. The NPA has installed 24-hour night time navigation of vessels coming in and leaving the port, vessels will come in and berth before 24 hours and it has to wait once it is after 7:00 pm before sailing.”
“NPA has also done a comprehensive audit of its payroll and they started major payment last month and the results will be shared with the public,” he stated.
He said that, they have updated their access system, which aimed to generate additional revenue for the port, thereby moving it from a manual system where anybody can enters at any time and anyhow.
“For the first time in our country history, we were fortunate to receive an exhibition crude vessel coming in with over one hundred and twenty tourists on board.”
Meanwhile, there are numerous challenges confronting ports across the country, since pre-war, Liberia have never made significance in capital investment, starting with the ports and he pointed out the need for improvement and investment in the infrastructure of the ports across the country.
He explained, “95% of the Country Gross Domestic Products (GDP) goes through the Port of Monrovia and if the country is expected to receive 95% of everything that comes in the country through the Port, it means that the government must make investment in that infrastructure.”
He concluded, “We will be going back to the legislature and the executive for some readdress, we are currently negotiating a seven benefits payment for our former Board members, by negotiating with Marine service with APM Terminal that expired last year that was never extended, providing insight on the incident at the Port of Buchanan.”
