Monrovia — The National Port Authority (NPA) on Tuesday, June 25, 2024, presented the Government of Liberia with a symbolic US$2 million cheque to contribute to national revenue.
The NPA presented the cheque during the Ministry of Information's special press briefing.
NPA Managing Director Mr. Sekou Dukuly said the US$ 2 million is the NPA's contribution to the Government of Liberia's General Revenue Account.
He explained that during the last six years under the government of former President George Manneh Weah, the NPA contributed only US$4m to government revenue.
During President Weah's rule, Mr. Bill Tweahway, now Senator of River Cess County, headed the NPA.
Mr. Dukuly also alleged that Mr. Tweahway and his team collected social security fees and personal income taxes from employees at the ports but allegedly didn't remit them to the national government's account.
"Today, June 25, 2024, in just about five months, the National Port Authority will contribute two million United States dollars to the Government of Liberia General Revenue Account," said Dukuly.
"To put that in context, in six years of former President George Manneh Weah, they made a total contribution of four million."
He boasted that in five months, the NPA has been able to raise half of that amount.
However, Mr. Dukuly failed to tell Liberians the total amount the NPA generated under his leadership before presenting a contribution of US$2 million to the government's General Revenue Account.
The money bearing EcoBank Liberia's seal was presented to the government.
Speaking on progress made at the NPA since taking over, Mr. Dukuly narrated that his leadership has established a very remarkable corporation with the port's largest concessionary, the APM Terminals, and has also regularized its meeting with ArcelorMittal Liberia, the largest port user at the Port of Buchanan, in Grand Bassa.
Mr. Dukuly added that the NPA is also working on digitization of the ports to give the public access to live data and happenings.
He indicated that the digitization is for the four ports: Monrovia, Greenville, Buchanan, and Harper.
Toughing other administrative issues, Mr. Dukuly disclosed that they have been regularly paying employees retirement benefits and electrifying the port 24 hours a day.
"We have installed twenty-four hours night time navigation of vessels coming in and leaving the port," he said.
"We will return to the Legislature and the Executive for some readdress. We are currently negotiating a severance benefits payment for our former Board Members. We are negotiating Marine service with APM Terminals, which expired last year and was never extended."
The NPA Managing Director reported that they have updated their access system, which is intended to generate additional revenues for the port.
"For the first time in our country's history, we were fortunate to receive an exhibition crude vessel coming in with over one hundred and twenty tourists on board," Mr. Dukuly added.
Commenting on the challenges confronting ports across the country, the NPA boss stated that Liberia has never made significant gains in capital investment, starting with the ports, since pre-war.
However, he called for improvements and investments in the infrastructure of the ports across the country.
According to him, the Port of Monrovia receives 95% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He added that if the country is expected to receive 95% of everything that comes into it through the Port, the government must invest in that infrastructure.
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Additionally, Mr. Dukuly responded to an incident at the Port of Buchanan where a man and his colleagues entered a fight, and one of them was stabbed badly.
The NPA Managing Director described the incident as "politically motivated" while urging everyone that elections are over and that everyone should work together for the country.
He noted that the incident is being fully investigated, and they will act based on the recommendations that emerge from the probe.
"As President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has said, there is no UP or CDC Liberia. However, I also want all to know that there is no NPA UP and CDC."
"We are all Liberians, and if you work for the NPA, we don't believe that you should be witch-hunted."
