Development expert Ambulah Mamey has raised serious concerns about contradictions surrounding the revised Port Authority Act, warning that the proposed law could create legal uncertainty.
In a commentary, Miamey questioned claims by some senators that all “overlapping maritime functions” were removed from the revised Act following President Joseph N. Boakai’s veto.
According to him, those claims conflict with both previous arguments made by the same lawmakers and the actual wording of the revised legislation.
“Before the veto, senators and their supporters insisted there were no overlapping functions between the proposed port regulator and the Maritime Authority,” Miamey noted. “Now they say they removed overlapping functions, while also arguing that the new agency will only regulate port-related issues. These positions contradict each other and the facts.”
Miamey explained that under a 2010 legal reform, Liberia repealed Section 37 of the Executive Law and transferred authority over waters and ports —both inland and ocean — to the Liberia Maritime Authority. He said this is the legal basis upon which LiMA currently operates at the Freeport of Monrovia and other ports, including maintaining offices there.
However, he pointed to Section 720 of the Senate’s revised Port Authority Act, which he said explicitly repeals the provisions that granted LiMA authority to regulate and supervise ports, transferring those powers to the newly proposed port agency.
“Some senators argue that the repeal applies only to ‘port-related functions,’ but that limitation is not reflected in the text of the law,” Miamey said. “If the authority given to Maritime in 2010 is repealed, what legal basis will Maritime have to carry out its maritime functions at the port?”
He further questioned the rationale behind repealing the very legal provisions that empower the Maritime Authority, if lawmakers insist that the new agency is not intended to take over Maritime’s powers.
Miamey called on President Boakai to take a more direct leadership role in what he described as a “legacy reform” of the port sector. He urged the President to involve his Cabinet, key stakeholders, and development partners, citing past reforms in sectors such as oil, energy, telecommunications, agriculture, and fisheries as successful models.
“This is too important to be left to political maneuvering,” he said, warning against what he described as a rushed and chaotic legislative process. “The President should not allow anyone to undermine this reform with unclear laws that could create long-term problems for the country’s ports.”
The revised Port Authority Act remains under consideration, amid ongoing debate over regulatory authority, institutional roles, and the future governance of Liberia’s ports.
