MONROVIA – The Liberian Senate on Thursday, July 24, 2025, took decisive action to halt the implementation of a controversial 25-year concession agreement between the Government of Liberia and Liberia Traffic Management Incorporated (LTMI), a foreign-owned company. The move comes amid escalating public outcry and internal protests at the Ministry of Transport over what many believe to be a rushed and ill-conceived deal.
During its 41st sitting, the Senate’s Plenary instructed its leadership to formally communicate with the Executive Branch, calling for an immediate suspension of the agreement pending a comprehensive investigation and review. The resolution was triggered by a motion filed by Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, who expressed concern that the concession could severely undermine national interest and public welfare.
Signed earlier this year, the agreement reportedly grants LTMI exclusive authority over several key functions previously overseen by the Ministry of Transport, including vehicle registration, driver’s licensing, toll collection, traffic law enforcement, and vehicle inspections. Protesters and civil society groups argue that such a broad delegation of state functions to a private, foreign-owned entity occurred without meaningful public consultation or legislative oversight.
Grand Cape Mount County Senator Dabah Varpilah, who raised the issue during the plenary session, questioned the motives and legality behind the agreement. “We must ensure that any agreement signed in the name of the Liberian people upholds transparency, protects jobs, and aligns with our long-term national interest,” she said. “This LTMI deal does not appear to do that.”
In light of the growing backlash, Senate President Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence announced that the leadership of the Senate will seek an audience with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to get clarity on the scope and implications of the deal. “The Senate, through its oversight responsibility, will meet with the President to seek clarity on what exactly was signed and what the implications are,” Karnga-Lawrence said. She stressed that any concession affecting public revenue, citizen data, and job security must be reviewed with input from the Liberian people.
Opposition to the deal has gained momentum over the past two weeks as employees of the Ministry of Transport staged sit-ins and demonstrations in Monrovia and other parts of the country. The workers argue that the agreement threatens their livelihoods and that LTMI lacks the capacity to manage such a critical portfolio. They also raised alarms about national security and road safety risks that may emerge from outsourcing sensitive government services.
Demonstrators, supported by labor unions and civil society organizations, are calling for the complete cancellation of the agreement. They insist that reforms in the transport sector should prioritize transparency, accountability, and public interest over foreign control and private profit.
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