Senate Pro Tempore Announces Productive Achievements at the closing of its 2nd Quarter 

By: Emmanuel Toe

Monrovia, Liberia– The Senate Pro Tempore of the Liberia senate have expressed gratitude for the support and cooperation of her fellow Senators during a highly productive second quarter. 

Senate Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence highlighted the accomplishments and future goals of the Liberian Senate, emphasizing a commitment to reform, transparency, and modernization.

“Our vision to set an agenda for a reformed Senate was developed as a working agenda from the Buchanan retreat, and with the achievements through the work of our different committees and decisions made in plenary, we are happy to announce that the Senate is on a more productive and aggressive pathway,” Pro Tempore Karnga-Lawrence stated.

Pro Tempore Karnga-Lawrence further the thank all committees for their hard work. 

“We say thank you. Enjoy your Independence Day and ensure that the celebration is decentralized.”

according to her the Liberian Senate is dedicated to improving governance, transparency, and accountability in Liberia.

Here is a full Text of Senate Pro Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence 

“I am extremely grateful again to my distinguished Senators for their support and cooperation for a very productive sitting.Our vision to set an agenda for a reformed Senate was developed as a working agenda from the Buchanan retreat, and with the achievements through the work of our different committees, and decisions made in plenary, we are happy to announce that the Senate is on a more productive and aggressive pathway” Pro Tempore admits.

During this session, the Senate achieve the following, 1. Had a three-day working retreat in Buchanan to set the agenda for a robust oversight, focusing on transparency and accountability, and modernization to include creating an enabling working environment and caring for the wellbeing of their employees.

2. Significantly, the Pro Tempore leadership reviewed the Senate rules and made the following changes. A. The Senate endorsed a provision to confirm all life time positions by 23rd votes instead of a simple majority.
B. The Senate endorsed the provision to split the lands, mines, energy, and environment committee and have a new committee call the energy and environment committee in the spirit of adequate division of responsibilities, for a more robust oversight. These are in addition to other provisions that were amended and added.

As a result of the Buchanan retreat, in support of a more transparent and accountable Senate, the Senate agreed to ensure that more cooperation was given to the GAC’s financial management assessment activities, and the Senate has accepted the recommendations to work with the GAC to put in the required systems that will lead to the annual audit of the Senate.

4. The CSA was also allowed to do employees headcount, and that report had been presented to the Liberian Senate. The Senate agreed to work with the CSA to verify their findings and take the necessary actions where needed. 5. For our commitment to an opened Senate, our modernization team has been working very hard with my office, and our IT consultant, and IT department on the restoration of the Senate website.

“Today, I am pleased to announce, that our website is near completion to be launched. While we are working on the digitization of our systems. We are also in conversation with the World Bank, African Development Bank, the national democratic institute, the French Embassy, and EU for support to our reform programs. We look forward to capacity-building initiatives for the effective and efficient management of our financial management systems and other modernization programs” Senate Pro Tempore intoned.

The Senate has begun the assessment, for the renovation of the old annex. The assessment will focus on the leakage and the renovation of the old chambers. The Pro Tempore has instructed the modernization committee to work on the plan for the reintroduction of the system for digital voting on the record. That system will be installed in the old chamber as there is no provision for installation of the system in the new chamber.

For an improved working environment and the wellbeing of Senate staffs, the Pro Tempore procured two new buses for commuting back and forth to work and have paid the arrears to restore the health insurance program. According to her By next week their staffs will resume their insurance program.

The Senate under the spirit of a more robust oversight has reported on the operations of three concessions: they include, CTN, MedTech, and Western Cluster. Letters of recommendations have been sent to the executive for recommendations to renegotiate the CTN contract for more benefits to the Government and reduction in charges.

The reports and consultative meetings with the President has also led to the decision to reconsider the intense usage of the Bomi highway for the shipment of ion ore by road and to review the western cluster agreement. It has been clear from all herrings into the MedTech agreement, that there’s absolutely a non-compliance record and other grave issues that will lead to recommendations to the executive.In support of decentralization, the Senate is working on a bill to have a port authority and give autonomy to all the ports in Liberia. This action when concluded will get the involvement the the Counties with seaports, and the operations and employment will benefit the citizens in those counties And bring more development to the ports.

The Senate 2nd Session Report: Total Legislation # 8Ratifications: 3Amendments: 1Enactment: 4Confirmed Nominees # 393Bills In Committee Rooms # 13

“We want to take this time to thank all of our committees for their hard work. Also to the secretariat and chambers staff, we say thank you, the media, central administration, and staffs of the Senators and Pro Temp, we say thank you.Enjoy your Independence Day and ensure that the celebration is decentralized” She concludes.