Senate Maritime Bills Passage Under Spotlight At HOR By: Fiona Benson Kollie

The Liberian Senate proposed engrossed bills, the ” Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Decentralization and Modernization” which were passed by the Senate and send to the House have come under stoplight, when the House’s constituted standing committee on Maritime Thursday submitted to the plenary of the House of Representatives, its findings report, including findings and recommendations on the proposed Bills.

It can be recorded that on November 26, 2024, the 10th day sitting of the 3rd quarter of the 1st House of Representatives, the Liberian Senate submitted to the House of Representatives, an engrossed bills entitled ” an act amending the Maritime Law and restating” an Act To create an Independent Seaport and Inland Ports Regulatory Authority which accordingly will provide regulation and sustainable development of seaport and Inland Ports operations and service across Liberia, to facilities a safer, orderly and transparent development of ports facilities and service for any other incidental thereto ” An Act To Create Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Regulatory Agency ACT of 2024 and the Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Decentralization and Modernization”

Following a careful review of the bills, the Committee also observed that the National Port Authority was established to regulate plans, design, construct, maintained, operations of all ports within Liberia according to the Act, the title 29 a of the Liberian Code of Law of 1956 which gives the National Port Authority the right manage all ports including Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper and other addition ports if the need arise.

The Committee ongoing review further revealed that after reviewing the two acts, it took into consideration the following: public interest, both negative and positive impact, financial impact, cost benefit, current capacity of ports especially their day to day operations among others at the verious ports across the country.

The Committee also reached a conclusion as to consider best practices in port and terminal management with relation to the Liberian Senate engrossed bills and to what extent the port is allowed to regulate it’s activities and arrogate the function of other government especially the Liberia Maritime Authority, to evaluate the proficiency of verious management team of the four major ports, among others recommendations.

Moreover after all of the above, the committee also strongly considered the visiting of other countries ports facilities across the region as to study and get more insight on they regulate and manage their verious ports as apply same in order to better improve Liberia’s Ports for the betterment of the country.

Meanwhile, the Bills were again sent to back to Committee Room to be discussed at later date.