The plenary of the Liberian Senate has mandated Public Works Acting Minister, Ruth Coker Collins, to ask the management team of the road fund to submit its performance report to the Liberian Senate covering the period of three years since the collection of the road fund.
The road fund is a special fund set aside from the sale of gasoline in Liberia to be exclusively used for construction and pavement of roads across Liberia. The agreement to have the special fund set aside for road was entered into during the administration of former Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Acting Minister Collins was given the mandate Tuesday, May 4, 2021 during the Senate’s 28 day regular session when she appeared before the plenary to update senators on road projects across Liberia. According to the Acting Works Minister, since she took over the ministry the needed fund that should be generated from the collection of the road fund to support the Lofa road has not been done.
She maintained that the ministry is working out modalities to have Public Works’ equipment in the counties. She emphasized that the ministry is challenged in terms of budget, and called on the senators to work with the ministry in order to have it well funded through budgetary allocation.
During the hearing, which was presided over by Acting Public Works Committee Chairman, Bomi County Senator, Edwin Melvin Snowe, some senators, including Abraham Darius Dillon, Daniel Naatehn, Steve Zango, Wellington Geevon Smith, Jeremiah Koung of Montserrado, Gbarpolu, Lofa, Rivercess and Nimba counties, argued the deplorable road condition of the country.
After the debate, Grand Cape Mount Senator, Varney G. Sherman, made a motion to have the minister mandated to provide the performance report from the road fund management team. He said since the management team has not submitted any performance report, it should now submit its full report covering projects covered for the past three years.