The Chairman of the Liberian Senate Committee on Defense, Security, Intelligence and Veterans Affairs, Momo Tarnuekollie Cyrus, has urged the immediate suspension of the government’s decision to outsource vehicle registration and driver licensing services, warning that the move poses serious governance, fiscal, and national security risks.
Speaking through a formal statement issued Monday in Monrovia, Senator Cyrus said the transfer of vehicle registration and driver licensing responsibilities from the legally mandated Ministry of Transport to Liberia Traffic Management, a foreign-controlled operator, undermines statutory authority and weakens state oversight over systems central to public safety and law enforcement coordination.
According to the senator, vehicle registration and driver licensing are core sovereign functions because they involve sensitive personal, biometric, and vehicular data. He cautioned that outsourcing such critical systems creates accountability gaps and exposes Liberia to strategic vulnerabilities, particularly at a time when the country is confronting emerging transnational threats, including cyber-enabled financial crimes and illicit telecommunications activities.
The Senate committee further disclosed that recent security assessments point to increased exploitation of digital infrastructure by international criminal networks operating across West Africa and beyond. Cyrus warned that these developments heighten the risks associated with placing national identity-linked databases and vehicle movement records outside direct government control.
Beyond security concerns, the committee raised red flags over the fiscal implications of the concession. It said the current arrangement reportedly allows the private operator to retain a disproportionate share of revenues generated from vehicle registration and licensing, with limited safeguards to ensure adequate returns to the state. Such an arrangement, the committee noted, threatens government revenue streams and weakens the state’s ability to reinvest in transport safety, institutional capacity, and national security infrastructure.
Cyrus also cited reports indicating that more than 200 Liberian professionals were displaced following the transfer of the services, describing the development as a major setback to local capacity-building in a highly sensitive sector.
While acknowledging the importance of attracting and maintaining investor confidence, the Senate security chair emphasized that national security, statutory compliance, and institutional integrity must take precedence. He argued that sustainable investment is best anchored in lawful contracts, strong public institutions, and firm sovereign control over security-related functions.
The committee has now called for a comprehensive legislative and security review of the outsourcing arrangement. The proposed review would examine the legal basis of the transfer, the fiscal terms of the concession, data protection and privacy implications, as well as its broader impact on employment, public trust, and national security.
