A major regulatory gap has been exposed at Liberia’s main seaport after the Managing Director of the National Port Authority, NPA told lawmakers he does not know which institution regulates shipping lines operating at the Port of Monrovia.
The admission came during a tense public hearing convened by a House of Representatives committee tasked with investigating high port fees and their effect on trade and commerce.
Appearing before the committee on the weekend, NPA Managing Director SekouH. Dukuly said the Authority has limited power over shipping lines.
“I am not aware of who regulates these shipping lines on cost management and perations,” Dukuly told the committee. Adding, “We only operate in the Port but we don’t have jurisdiction over them.”
The hearing was set up by Plenary to look into what many importers and business groups describe as a crisis of high costs at the port, which they say is driving up the price of goods across Liberia.
Dukuly’s statement immediately raised concerns among lawmakers. If the NPA, the government agency managing the port does not regulate the companies moving cargo in and out, then who does.
Responding to questions from Representative Foday Fahnbulleh about the physical presence of shipping lines, Dukuly said none of them operate from within the port complex.
“All of these shipping lines have their offices in Sinkor, Monrovia, not at the NPA,” he said. He added, “Most of these blames are shifted to the NPA. But the shipping lines and the truckers who transport goods out of the port make more money than the National Port Authority.”
His comment points to a wider frustration among Liberians that the NPA is held responsible for port-related hardship, even when the major cost drivers may lie outside its control. The NPA manages port infrastructure, berthing, and handling. Shipping lines, set their own freight, terminal handling, and ancillary charges. Truckers and clearing agents also charge separate fees to move goods from the port to final destinations.
Representatives of several shipping lines who appeared at the hearing denied the allegations of high or new fees. They told lawmakers that their charges have remained stable for years. But when the committee pressed for details on specific fee structures, one representative refused to discuss pricing in the open hearing. “It is against international protocol for two shipping lines to discuss pricing in the same room,” he said adding that Liberia is a signatory to that law.
He, however, agreed to provide the information to the committee in a closed-door session. The reference is likely to international competition laws that prevent collusion or price-fixing among carriers.
The refusal to discuss fees publicly did little to calm lawmakers or the business community who say a lack of transparency is part of the problem. The hearing also featured strong testimony from the private sector. Dominic Nimely, Chairman of the Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia, PATEL, said the high cost of doing business at the port is crippling Liberian-owned companies. “The hardship of businesses in Liberia is caused by the high prices by the shipping lines, APM Terminals, and all the players in the trade sector,”* Nimely stated.
He traced the problem across three administrations. “Nothing has been done about it since the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf administration, the George Weah administration, and now President Joseph Boakai,” he said noting that this is frustrating. He added that this is pushing Liberian businesses backwards. “We are tired of protests. We need real action from government,” he added.
PATEL and other business groups have staged protests in recent years over demurrage, container charges, and other port-related costs. For many small and medium enterprises, a delay of a few days at the port can wipe out profit margins.
APM Terminals Liberia, the concessionaire managing the container terminal at the Freeport of Monrovia, was also named by Nimely. Under its concession agreement, APM Terminals sets and collects terminal handling charges, storage, and other service fees approved by the government.
Critics argued that the combination of shipping line charges, terminal fees, and trucking costs creates a “layered” expense structure with no single regulator to oversee the total cost to the importer. The NPA, as landlord of the port, collects its own tariffs. But Dukuly’s testimony suggests it has no mandate to cap or review the charges set by shipping lines.
