22/07/2025
Watchdog Urges Senate to Revisit Vetoed Port Autonomy Bills
MONROVIA— The Independent Societal Watch Advocacy has called on the Liberian Senate to reconsider two port autonomy bills recently vetoed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, citing the legislation’s potential to decentralize operations and stimulate economic growth.
Boakai, in a July 15 letter to Senate President Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, rejected Senate Enrolled Bill No. 4, known as the Liberia Ports Authority Act, and Senate Enrolled Bill No. 5, the Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Decentralization and Modernization Act. The president cited role duplication and contradictions in the bills as grounds for the veto.
The proposed legislation aimed to curtail the National Port Authority’s central control and empower autonomous management of Buchanan, Greenville and Harper ports. It also called for the creation of a new regulatory body, the Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Regulatory Authority.
ISWA said the bills were crafted to correct years of centralized oversight under the NPA, which it claims has left regional ports underfunded and underutilized, while the Freeport of Monrovia continues to draw most of the government’s investment.
“These bills hold real economic potential for county-level development,” the group said Monday in a statement. “Decentralizing port management would enable reinvestment of local revenues, strengthen governance, and attract trade and investment.”
ISWA also recommended establishing a Port Development Fund and integrating technology solutions such as real-time cargo tracking and customs automation.
The watchdog group urged lawmakers to revise the bills to address the president’s objections and suggested holding public hearings to resolve any lingering concerns. The group also praised Boakai for exercising oversight by vetoing the original versions
