CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia – Liberian senators on Tuesday began a critical review of one of the largest infrastructure deals in the nation’s recent history, grilling the Boakai administration on the details of a proposed $363.9 million road concession with a Sierra Leone-based contractor.
Facing the Senate Joint Committee on Public Works, Concessions, Investment, Ways, Means, Finance and Budget, Public Works Minister Roland Lafayette Giddings presented the massive public-private partnership (PPP) with Pavifort AL Associates as a cornerstone of President Joseph Boakai’s ARREST Agenda. The project aims to construct and operate 255 kilometers of vital road corridors connecting Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount, and Lofa counties.
“This PPP represents a shift toward sustainable road asset management and a blending of private-sector efficiency with public-sector accountability,” Minister Giddings told lawmakers, who now hold the power to approve or reject the 2026–2030 concession.
The hearing revealed the project’s ambitious scope: three key corridors designed to link the Freeport of Monrovia to the borders of Sierra Leone and Guinea. The proposed roads are the St. Paul Bridge–Klay–Bo Waterside route for trade with Sierra Leone; the Madina–Robertsport corridor to boost tourism and fisheries; and the Voinjama–Kolahun–Mendikorma road to enhance agricultural trade with Guinea.
A significant point of discussion was the complex financing model. Under the Design-Finance-Build-Operate-Maintain agreement, the Sierra Leonean firm, Pavifort, will shoulder 60% of the financing, amounting to $218.3 million. The Liberian government’s 40% share, or $145.6 million, would be drawn from the National Road Fund and backed by a $100 million payment bond.
The committee pressed officials on the plan for the government to recoup its investment. Minister Giddings outlined a 24-year tolling operation from 2027 to 2050, projecting $323.3 million in revenue that would cover debt servicing, maintenance, and future resurfacing costs. “The corridor becomes self-financing,” he asserted.
Facing a chamber tasked with protecting the national purse, other officials sought to reassure senators of the deal’s integrity. Deputy Justice Minister Charles Karmoh confirmed the contract underwent full legal vetting, while PPCC Executive Director Bodger Scott Johnson affirmed its compliance with public procurement laws.
Acting Finance Minister Anthony G. Myers addressed potential fiscal concerns, stating the agreement aligns with the nation’s debt sustainability framework and “will eventually pay for itself.”
