Sinoe County Senator Duncan has strongly criticized the Ministry of Transport, accusing it of breaching the Liberianization Policy in the face of foreigners.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, Liberia, October 29, 2024 –Sinoe County Senator and Co-Chair on Ways, Means, and Finance Crayton Duncan accuses the Ministry of Transport of paralyzing and undermining Liberian-owned businesses.
According to Senator Duncan, the Ministry of Transport constantly awards opportunities and contracts to foreign nationals instead of Liberians, which he believes has undermined the Liberinalization Policy.
The Sinoe County lawmaker’s communication read to the Senate plenary over the weekend, was titled “Recent action of the Ministry of Transport regarding and superficially in relations to opportunities and contracts that are increasingly awarded to foreign nationals.”
According to him, this trend by the Ministry of Transport contradicts the government’s Liberinization Policy, which seeks to prioritize Liberians’ economic growth through business opportunities.
Senator Duncan indicates that it has come to his attention that a Liberian-owned Company which has been collaborating with the Ministry of Transport in the issuance of Car License Plates is now facing the threat of having their contract terminated to be awarded to a foreign company.
He laments that this alleged action by the Ministry of Transport undermines the hard work of Liberian-owned businesses and investments and deprives citizens of vital job opportunities.
“It’s important that we as a government uphold all the national laws and policies. Under these circumstances, and given the unfair and illegal treatment against Liberian businesses carried by the Ministry of Transport, I recommend that this August body invite the Minister of Transport to provide legal justification for his actions”, he urges.
Senator Duncan alleges that it will beat the imagination of Liberians to note that accountant jobs that Liberians who are graduating from various universities can do are being offloaded to foreigners by the Minister of Labor.
“As it’s done with the Ministry of Transport, the Minister of Labor is giving work permits to foreigners to come and conduct common accountancy jobs that Liberians are trained to do. What is the hope for children coming from universities across the country daily? They should have gotten this job to help build their society and country,” he underscores. Editing by Jonathan Browne
