KEEPING THE LIBERIA BUREAU OF MARITIME AFFAIRS HONEST
DEAR Senators
LEAD Liberia admonishes the Liberian Senate to put loyalty to the country above loyalty to government persons, party and/or the Bureau of Maritime Affairs thereby voting against the Maritime Authority Act that was passed by the House of Representatives because it is not in the national interest of our beloved country (Liberia). With prudent research and deliberations on these countries (Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Sierra Leone, etc.) listed in the Bureau of Maritime Affairs argument for an Authority status in Liberia, LEAD Liberia concludes that the Maritime Autonomy Act is not in the national interest of our beloved country (Liberia) for the following reasons shown below.
We admonish the House of Representatives and the Senate to research a bill thereby getting public opinions, especially when the bill is based on comparison with other Countries—instead of just saying “Yes” and/or “No “without considering the impact on our future and the national interest of our beloved country (Liberia)—they should be engaging and educating the Liberian people on proposals that affect their future and the national interest of the country thereby empowering the people through citizens’ participation in government. DO THE RIGHT THING!
The Propose Liberia Maritime Autonomy Act vs. Other Countries Maritime Authority Act
Liberia Maritime Authority Act vs. (Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Sierra Leone etc. Acts)
1. The Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs Is Seeking To Be Autonomy Authority.
2. The Countries Above Maritime Authorities Are Not Autonomy.
3. The Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs Is Seeking Tenures of Seven Years.
4. The Countries above Maritime Authorities have Tenures of Three to Four Years at the “pleasure of the President Of their Respective Countries”.
5. The Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs wants all commissioners to be immune from prosecution in the discharge of their respective duties in a country where corruption, waste and fraud are the directors and governors of the day. No One Is Above The Law.
6. The Countries above Maritime Authorities Directors and/or members are not immune from prosecution in the discharge of their respective duties.
7. The Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs Is Seeking to be its own tax collector. (This is the official duty of the Ministry of Finance)
8. The Countries above Maritime Authorities are tax exempt but not tax collectors
9. The Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs Is Seeking to have the authority to borrow on behalf of the state for the affairs of the Bureau (This is the official duty of the state—not an agency, ministry, department, commission, bureau, etc.)
10. The Countries above Maritime Authorities have the authority to borrow on behalf of the state for the affairs of the Authority with the consent of the Minister of Finance.
11. The Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs wants to be audited with no specific reference to the General Auditing Commission, the country’s supreme auditing body.
12. The Countries above Maritime Authorities have Internal Auditor—however; they are subject to the country’s supreme auditing body every year. (Their fiscal year is the same as the country).
13. The Countries above Maritime Authorities are under the supervision of the Minister of Transport.
14. The Countries above Maritime Authorities Directors and/or Members are appointed by the President of their respective countries with the consent of the National Legislature.
15. The Liberia Bureau of Maritime Affairs Is Seeking 70% percent of the revenue generated by the Liberia ship registration program, while the Liberia Ship and Corporate Registry) manages the administration of ships flying the Liberian flag).
16. The Countries above Maritime Authorities have 50% percent of the revenue generated by the ship registration program, while managing the entire affairs of their respective Maritime Authorities because they do not have existing contracts with other bodies to manage the industry. But Liberia does (The Liberia Ship and Corporate Registry).
Today in Liberia, the Liberian Senate is discussing an act passed by the House of Representatives that will move the Bureau of Maritime Affairs to an Authority status. At a recent appearance before the House of Representatives Committee on Maritime, Committee on Public Procurement and Concession and the Committee on Judiciary, According to Mr. Rodney D. Sieh, FrontPageAfrica.com—Mr. Benoni Urey, the former Commissioner of the Bureau of Maritime Affairs expressed concerns over what he described as unfair revelations that the BMA, post-Urey is looking to accrue for its operational purposes 70 percent of the revenue generated by the Liberian ship registration program.
Mr. Urey contended that countries with Authority status do not really have existing contracts with other bodies to manage the industry. However, Liberia had the “Liberia Ship and Corporate Registry”, which is responsible for the administration of ships flying the Liberian flag. In addition, some observers say the “Maritime Authority Act” has the potential avenue for future conflict, especially when the Board of Directors is not in line with the Commissioner because the Maritime Authority Act does not spell out the powers of the Board. While LEAD Liberia supports Mr. Urey proposal for the Bureau to be elevated to a Ministerial level; we believe the establishment of an Autonomy Maritime Authority and/or Ministry is not in the national interest of our beloved country (Liberia) therefore we are calling upon the Liberian Senate to vote against the Maritime Autonomy Act because loyalty to the country shall be above loyalty to government persons, party and/or the Bureau of Maritime Affairs.
Sincerely,
LEAD Organizing For Liberia
Abraham Hoff, Chief Community Organizer
077384990 leadliberia@yahoo.com
