MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has rejected two key port reform bills passed by the Liberian Senate, citing significant legal and structural conflicts with existing maritime legislation. In a formal communication dated July 15, 2025, and addressed to Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, President Boakai invoked his constitutional authority to veto Senate’s Enrolled Bill No. 4, titled “Liberia Ports Authority,” and Senate’s Enrolled Bill No. 5, titled “Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Decentralization and Modernization Act.”
The two bills, which were passed by the Legislature during its Second Session of the 55th Legislature, aimed to dissolve the National Port Authority and decentralize port management by creating autonomous authorities for Monrovia, Buchanan, Greenville, Harper, and future ports. The legislation also proposed establishing a new regulatory body, the Liberia Sea and Inland Ports Regulatory Agency, to oversee operations and enforce compliance.
While acknowledging that the intent of the legislation aligns with his administration’s decentralization goals, President Boakai stated that the bills, as drafted, posed substantial risks to Liberia’s maritime governance. He cited legal advice from the Attorney General, which identified overlapping mandates between the proposed new regulatory agency and the existing Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA).
Boakai warned that the new agency would be granted sweeping powers, including authority over port safety, security, infrastructure development, tariff approval, and implementation of international maritime conventions, roles that already fall within LiMA’s jurisdiction. He cautioned that signing such legislation into law would effectively render LiMA redundant and create administrative confusion.
“These responsibilities, when vested in a single agency that also oversees infrastructure development and port operations, compromise the principle of regulatory independence and introduce a serious conflict of interest,” Boakai stated.
The President also flagged inconsistencies in the structure and language of the bills, including a mismatch between the bill titles and their content, vague definitions of terms, and unclear references to existing legislation. One specific concern involved Section 409 of the proposed regulatory law, which amends the Liberia Maritime Authority Act of 2010, transferring core powers from LiMA to the new agency without a clear transitional roadmap.
Additionally, Boakai objected to financial provisions that would allow the new agency to collect regulatory fees, including a ten percent share of all port revenues from the national budget. He described these provisions as problematic and lacking the necessary transparency and oversight mechanisms.
Citing Article 35 of the Liberian Constitution, which grants the President authority to approve or disapprove legislation, Boakai formally vetoed both bills and returned them to the Senate for revision. He urged lawmakers to reexamine and correct what he called “structural and substantive issues” before any future reconsideration.
“The intent is commendable, but the execution must be carefully aligned with existing laws and good governance practices,” Boakai wrote, emphasizing his administration’s support for reform that is constitutionally sound and practically effective.
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