-Amid Public Concerns of Fraud, Unemployment, and Lost Revenue
By Jerromie S. Walters
The Plenary of the Liberian Senate has formally endorsed a decision advising President Joseph N. Boakai Sr. to immediately halt implementation of the Liberia Traffic Management (LTM) concession agreement. This resolution comes amid mounting public concerns about the controversial deal, which faces allegations of irregularities and threatens to leave hundreds of civil servants unemployed.
During its Thursday, July 24, 2025 session, the Senate approved a motion proffered by Montserrado County Senator Abe Darius Dillon, who raised serious concerns about the concession’s validity. “Considering that there are suggestions of two, one suggesting fraud which technically would vitiate the legality of the entire document, considering that the Senate is not vested with the authority to investigate fraud, but the Senate has oversight responsibility to ensure that these things are done,” Senator Dillon stated as he presented his motion.
The Senator specifically proposed that Senate leadership, currently on legislative break, be mandated to liaise with the Executive Branch regarding the matter. I will move that this matter be referred to the leadership who’s we are on break and that the leadership be empowered or mandated by plenary to liaise with the executive. Meanwhile, with an advice that the Executive immediately or consider suspending the enforcement of the Traffic Management quote unquote concession while we bring full understanding to this matter. The Executive takes immediate action to suspend the implementation,” Dillon emphasized. His motion was seconded by colleagues and subsequently approved through formal voting procedures.
This Senate action follows weeks of growing controversy surrounding the LTM concession, which has faced criticism from multiple sectors. Ministry of Transport employees have staged protests, arguing the agreement undermines Liberia’s sovereignty and will cost the government an estimated $185 million in lost revenue over its 25-year duration while eliminating approximately 200 civil service positions. Some Liberians say the Senate’s intervention now places the matter squarely before President Boakai’s administration, to make a decision that could heighten Liberians’ confidence in him, or create room for disappointment.
Civil Servants Resist The Concession:
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, hundreds of Ministry of Transport (MOT) employees protested, demanding that President Joseph Boakai intervene in the controversial concession agreement with Liberia Traffic Management (LTM). The workers warned the deal could cost Liberia over $185 million in lost revenue over 25 years while jeopardizing 200 jobs.
Under a 2018 agreement, LTM—a Lebanese-owned company—assumed control of key transport functions, including driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, traffic violations, towing, and inspections. However, MOT employees allege the contract was manipulated following the ascendancy of this government to strip the ministry of its core duties, diverting revenue from state coffers to a private firm.
Currently, LTM operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and Liberia National Police (LNP), with the Police Inspector General’s signature now appearing on vehicle documents. This baffles many Liberians who say they have not seen such. MOT staff argue the arrangement undermines Liberia’s 1987 Transport Act, which mandates the ministry to regulate land, sea, and air transport.
The MOT generates $9.1 million annually, but under the LTM deal, Liberia would receive just $1.5 million per year—a $7.6 million annual loss. Over 25 years, the government stands to forfeit $185 million, while LTM pays only $40 million. Protesters highlighted that a Liberian company previously earned $48 million in four years—more than LTM’s entire 25-year commitment. “Why hand over such a lucrative operation for peanuts? We’re losing money and jobs,” an employee said.
The MOT’s Department of Land Transport Regulatory Services—which oversees driver’s licenses, vehicle plates, and road safety—faces obsolescence as LTM absorbs its functions. Employees report being told to report to work despite having no duties, raising fears of eventual layoffs. “We are technicians, not politicians, but this concession is illegal and demonic,” protesters declared. They also raised national security concerns, citing the concessionaire’s foreign ownership and political ties.
The LTM concession has been contentious since 2020, when the MOT signed a deal with Modern Development Management Corporation (MDMC). LTM sued, and after a Supreme Court battle, the Boakai administration upheld LTM’s contract in October 2024, voiding MDMC’s agreement. Despite a Senate endorsement of LTM’s rights, the MOT attempted to solicit bids for overlapping services in late 2024—a move seen as defiance. President Boakai later issued a directive enforcing LTM’s exclusive control, but employees insist the deal harms Liberia’s sovereignty.
