Liberian Senate urges President Boakai to halt controversial LTM concession amid widespread public backlash

Michael T
Jul 24
2 min read

IN PHOTO: ProTemp Nyonblee Kargar Lawrence, Above & Leadership of LTM below

The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has endorsed a crucial decision calling on President H. E. Joseph N. Boakai Sr. to halt the implementation of the Liberia Traffic Management (LTM) concession 1. This move stems from deep national concerns over the concession’s implications 1 4.

The LTM concession grants a foreign private company extensive control over vital national transportation functions, including vehicle registration and driver’s licensing, toll collection and traffic citations enforcement, and the operation of a nationwide traffic management system 1 2 4 5. The deal is a 25-year concession 1 5, during which the foreign firm, LTM, would receive 70% of the revenue generated, while the Liberian government retains only 30% 5, raising serious questions about fairness.

Over 300 Liberian workers risk losing jobs due to outsourcing these services 1. The concession is seen as a loss of national sovereignty 1 4, effectively transferring core state regulatory functions to a foreign entity 1 4. Critics emphasize the Ministry of Transport’s proven capacity to manage these services without surrendering control 1.

The concession, originally signed under the previous administration, did not include provisions that are widely criticized today 1. According to Marilyn Cummings, Training Director at the Ministry of Transport, page 12 of the previously signed concession by the past government was doctored and did not include new provisions that completely usurp functions of both the Ministry of Transport and some functions of the Monrovia City Corporation 1.

Despite the Senate’s endorsement of the call to halt, there is significant public outrage and institutional pushback citing threats to national revenue, job displacement risks, and sovereignty and security concerns 1 4 5. Prominent legislators and former officials have labeled the deal a dangerous precedent undermining Liberia’s autonomy and economic interests 4 6.

President Boakai earlier endorsed the concession and ordered its implementation 1, following the Supreme Court’s lifting of legal barriers 2 and a government directive to fully activate the deal 1. He now has to reconsider his decision following the Senate's call for a halt.

The Liberian Senate’s newest decision to call on President Boakai to halt the LTM concession exposes a clash between the government's commitment to the deal and widespread opposition over its consequences 1. The core concerns remain the loss of control over critical services, disproportionate foreign revenue shares, and job threats to Liberian workers 1 5.