LEC, NASSCORP, LACRA, and NPA Tops Asset Declaration Non-Complaint List

Monrovia, Liberia: The Bureau of State Enterprise (BSE) has named the Liberia Electricity (LEC), National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), Liberia Agriculture Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), and the National Port Authority (NPA) as entities topping the list of noncompliant asset declaration entities.

Arthur Massaquoi, BSE Director General, disclosed that out of the 27 SOEs, LEC, NASSCORP, LACRA, and NPA have the highest number of noncompliant officials.

LEC stands in first place with twenty-four, followed by NASSACORP in second place with fourteen, LACRA with thirteen in the third place, and NPA sits in fourth place with ten. This number totaled sixty-one noncompliant government officials from four state-owned enterprises who have not declared their assets

The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Authority comes in at fifth place with 6; the Liberia Land Authority (LAA) is fifth; the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) is fourth; and the Liberia Aviation Authority (LAA) has 5 noncompliance officials.

Others include National Transit Authority (NTA) 3 noncompliance; Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) has 4 non-compliance; National Road Fund (NRF) 7 compliance; Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 6 noncompliance; and NaFAA 3 noncompliance.

Liberia Telecommunications Cooperation (LTA) with 9 noncompliances, Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) with 1 noncompliance, National Lottery Authority (NLA) with 0 noncompliance, and the National Housing Authority (NHA) with 1 noncompliance.

The Forestry Development Authority (FDA) has 1 noncompliance, the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) has 4 noncompliance, the Liberia Medicine and Health Product Regulatory Authority (LMHPRA), the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) has 2 noncompliances, and the Rural Renewable Energy Authority (RREA) has 9 noncompliances.

From the statistics provided by the Bureau of State-owned Enterprises, the Maritime Authority (LiMA), LMHPRA, and the NLA appear to be the only state-owned functionaries with a 100 percent compliance ratio. 

Owing to the statistics, the Bureau of State Enterprises (BSE) has instructed heads of government’s Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions (MACs) and other state-owned enterprises to withhold the salaries of all government officials who are not in compliance with the asset declaration mandate in keeping with the Code of Conduct.

Addressing the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism's (MICAT) regular press conference, Director General Arthur Massaquoi said the seizure of non-complaint government officials salaries will serve as a deterrence mechanism for would-be violators.

Massaquoi disclosed that out of 316 officials constituting the total of 27 state-owned enterprises, 127 officials have failed to declare their assets, while 189 are considered to be in compliance, according to reports submitted by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).

BSE Director General emphasized that the salaries that will be withheld from non-compliance SOE officials will be remitted in the Government of Liberia's (GoL) consolidated account awaiting President Boakai's instruction.

The BSE Director General, however, calls on all officials and heads of SOEs who are suspended to stay away from their workplaces and work directly with the LACC to declare their assets.

It can be recalled that on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, President Joseph Boakai suspended over 450 officials of government for their deliberate failure to fulfill the President's compulsory asset declaration requirement. 

The president’s decision marks a noteworthy step in his determination to tackle the corruption menace and foster transparency and accountability in public service.

The suspensions of the officials come on the heels of a Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) report, which discovered that these officials did not submit to the asset declaration process.

Notable among those suspended is the head of the acting management team of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Thomas Gonkerwon.

The list of suspended officials’ spans various sectors, including education, health, and tourism.

Other notable names include Dr. Jarso Jallah Saygbe, Minister of Education; Eugene Fahngon, Director General of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS); Dr. Louise Kpoto, Minister of Health; Mohamed Maladho Bah, Presidential Special Envoy on Investment; and Christopher Hages Onanuga, Ambassador-at-Large for Tourism.

Onanuga and Bah were spotted at the LACC’s head office on the day President Boakai announced the suspension action, making attempts to fulfill the asset declaration requirement.