Several government ministries and agencies have reportedly signed a resolution approving a US$429,009 budget for rehabilitation works at the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP), a move that critics say violates the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) and Public Financial Management (PFM) laws.
The resolution, signed during the Inter-Agency Advisory Board’s second called meeting on October 22, 2025, was chaired by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI) and endorsed by representatives from the Ministries of Public Works, Justice, Labor, and Finance, among others.
According to the document, the Board authorized immediate interventions, including construction, security, and publicity services within the MIP, while also instructing the MoCI to engage a private developer under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement.
However, procurement experts argue that these approvals bypass mandatory bidding procedures and feasibility reviews required under the PPCC Act, which mandates open competition for all public contracts above specific thresholds.
According to sources, the Board’s decision undermines provisions of the PFM Law, which require prior expenditure authorization from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and vetting by the PPCC before any public funds are committed.
The alleged unilateral approval of the US$429,009 budget without these safeguards, they warn, could invite misuse of public resources and potential conflicts of interest.
Officials at the Ministry of Commerce have defended the resolution, saying it was intended to “fast-track urgent rehabilitation works” needed to protect the remaining 200 acres of the park from continued encroachment.
A senior official of the MOCI argues that urgency does not exempt ministries or agencies from compliance with PPCC regulations, which outline specific procedures for emergency procurement that still require transparency and documentation.
The resolution also calls for the hiring of a private legal practitioner to help reclaim encroached lands, a provision which could again breach procurement laws if executed without proper solicitation.
Pressures are now on the anti-graft institutions like the PPCC and the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to launch a formal probe into the Board’s actions to determine whether any statutory violations occurred.
The controversy surrounding the MIP Board’s decision underscores ongoing struggles with accountability, fiscal discipline, and transparency in public sector management.
