Africa-Press – Liberia. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means and Finance, Prince Moye, has condemned the Executive Branch for renegotiating the controversial Global Tracking & Maritime Solutions (GTMS) and Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) contract without the Legislature’s knowledge, involvement, or ratification.
The Unity Party lawmaker said the deal was revised in secrecy, in disregard of constitutional protocols and previous recommendations issued by the Senate following its own probe into the original agreement.
Speaking during the Senate’s regular session on Thursday, Senator Moye raised concerns over what he described as the Executive’s failure to engage lawmakers or provide any form of briefing on the status of the GTMS/CTN renegotiation process.
He argued that despite the Senate’s earlier resolution recommending either a cancellation or renegotiation of the contract to address identified flaws, the Executive acted unilaterally without returning to the Legislature for ratification.
“We did not get any redress — whether the Executive went ahead to renegotiate that particular contract. All we are seeing on social media and some of the platforms is that a very unique contract has now been entered into by the Government of Liberia (GoL), represented by the National Port Authority (NPA), the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Justice Ministry (MoJ) and the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA),” Senator Moye told his colleagues.
He maintained that the action by the Executive is not only unconstitutional but also shows disregard for the legislative role of oversight.
The GTMS/CTN agreement was initially signed under the administration of former President George Weah as a 15-year, US$25 million contract aimed at monitoring cargo shipments into the country. However, it quickly became controversial amid public criticism and allegations that large sums of money generated through the scheme were being deposited in foreign accounts rather than benefiting the Liberian economy.
The deal was opposed by then-opposition Unity Party, whose standard bearer, now-President Joseph Boakai, publicly pledged to cancel it if elected. Despite that promise, the Executive in March 2025 announced that it had completed a comprehensive revision of the contract with GTMS Liberia Inc., describing the new deal as one that would enhance revenue-sharing arrangements and improve regulatory oversight.
Senator Moye said the Legislature has been left in the dark about the specifics of the renegotiated agreement, including what financial incentives were granted to GTMS/CTN under the new terms. “There were other incentives provided to that company (GTMS/CTN) that we as a Senate or Legislature has that sole authority to give incentive to concessionaires or companies operating in the country — whether we were informed on those kinds of discussions,” he said.
He further questioned the lack of clarity on the revenue the government expects to generate under the new deal. According to Senator Moye, the national budget only captured US$1 million from GTMS/CTN under the previous contract, with no updated figures reflecting potential gains from the revised agreement.
“The public’s right to know whether or not the renegotiated contract is generating additional revenue for the country has also been denied,” Senator Moye asserted. “The renegotiation of the contract by the Executive has failed to clearly make public Liberia’s share of the revenues being collected by the company.”
He called on the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the Liberia Revenue Authority, and other relevant agencies to explain why the Legislature was sidelined in a deal with such financial implications for the country.
Supporting Moye’s position, Senator Amara Konneh, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, disclosed that the General Auditing Commission (GAC) has completed an audit of the previous GTMS/CTN contract.
The audit, which was initiated following legislative concerns over the financial transparency of the deal, is currently being reviewed by the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee. “The audit is currently being reviewed by the committee,” Senator Konneh confirmed.
He stressed that the key issue now is whether the renegotiated contract includes the establishment of a transitory account to ensure that government receives its fair share of revenue. “The renegotiation of the contract must establish whether or not a transitory account has been established to guarantee that the country benefits its fair share of revenue being generated,” he emphasized.
Senator Konneh also reminded the Senate that following its earlier probe into the matter, a formal recommendation had been made that any renegotiated contract with GTMS/CTN be sent to the Legislature for ratification.
However, he said the Executive has failed to comply with that recommendation. “GTMS/CTN’s previous contract was not ratified by the National Legislature due to incentives provided to it by the past administration,” Senator Konneh noted.
In reaction to the discontent among lawmakers, the Plenary of the Liberian Senate has voted to establish a special investigative committee to probe the renegotiated GTMS/CTN agreement. The motion to set up the committee was filed by River Gee County Senator Francis Dopoh.
The committee will be responsible for examining the new terms of the contract, assessing the incentives granted to the company, determining expected revenue benefits, and establishing why the contract was never forwarded to the Legislature for ratification.
The backlash against the Executive Mansion follows closely on the heels of reports that the government awarded 100% ownership of four lucrative oil blocks to the state-run National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), again without legislative approval. This decision has raised alarms among lawmakers who fear it could lead to mismanagement and lack of oversight in the country’s petroleum sector.
Observers say the current developments echo a similar pattern under the UP-led government, notably the controversial “Yellow Machine” deal—an equipment financing arrangement that was quietly negotiated by the Executive and nearly passed without legislative scrutiny. The deal was ultimately halted following a strong media campaign and resistance from the Legislature, led by then-Speaker J. Fonati Koffa.
“The Yellow Machine saga should have been a lesson,” said one political analyst. “But instead, it appears the Executive is reverting to the same opaque practices that put public resources at risk and weaken democratic oversight.”
As pressure mounts, civil society organizations and watchdog groups are also calling on President Boakai to demonstrate a commitment to transparency and good governance by ensuring that all major agreements receive proper legislative scrutiny.
For More News And Analysis About Liberia Follow Africa-Press
