Africa-Press – Liberia. Members of the Liberian Senate have agreed that monies generated under the National Road Fund be distributed evenly amongst counties making up the 15 subdivisions of Liberia.
The decision was against a report earlier submitted by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee chaired by Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County that money raised under the road fund be distributed or allotted based on the size of the county and its population.
Montserrado, Bong, Nimba, Lofa and Grand Bassa counties would have carried a lion share of the fund, but senators from smaller counties argued that it was unfair because doing so would further worsen the situation of counties faced by serious road connectivity while giving “big” counties more roads at the disadvantage of those who don’t have.
Senators including Darius Dillon, Saah Joseph of Monsterrado County, Prince Moye of Bong County, Jonathan Kaipay of Grand Bassa County agreed that it was okay to give bigger counties more money but senators Gble-gbo Brown of Maryland County, Emmanuel Nuquay of Margibi County, Geevon Smith, Marshall Dennis and Daniel Naathan amongst others disagreed with their colleagues.
The ‘Yes’ vote for a motion proffered by Senator Naathan of Gbarpolu County for the road funds to be equally distributed amongst counties received 11 votes against those in support of the bigger counties who obtained 8 votes.
Based on the result of the votes, the Plenary of the Liberian Senate passed into law the Restated and Amended National Road Fund Act. The Act when concurred by the House of Representatives and approved by the President would ensure that the 15 counties directly benefit finances that are generated from the Road Fund.
The main aim of the National Road Fund shall be the financing of roads and bridges maintenance works within the perimeter of the counties. According to the document, there should also be an annual road maintenance program which must be prepared in consultation and collaboration with local government authorities.
The Act further maintained that in the governance and management of the National Road Fund Act, instead of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning along as provided for in the original act, the new Act passed by the Senate provides for additional administrative layer for the National Road Fund Committee which includes, the Ministers of Finance and Development Planning, Public Works, Transport, Commerce and Industry and the Manager of the National Road Fund.
Initially, Sen. Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County reported on behalf of the Committee on Judiciaryto the Plenary of the Liberian Senate that the National Road Fund Act has generated in excess of US $20 Million annually since its enactment in 2017 but the monies generated have not been applied as the NRFA was intended.
The Grand Cape Mount County Senator further proposed to the Plenary of the Liberian Senate that the NRFA should be earmarked and dedicated to the maintenance of roads within counties which were referred to in the draft Restated and Amended National Road Fund Act as “Intra-County Road Networks”.
The Senate’s Judiciary Chairman concluded by saying the 0.5% of the corpus of the Road fund shall be allocated and appropriated annually to fund the management and operations of the NRFSC especially financing getting County Superintendents to attend meetings of the NRFSC.
Following an intensive debate on the legislative instrument, majority of the senators voted that finances from the road fund be evenly distributed to all the 15 Counties. The Act has been forwarded to the House of Representatives for its concurrence.
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