As civil servants in Liberia cry for delayed salaries payment owed them by the Liberian Government, information gathered here has indicated that the Minister of States for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel F. McGill is currently in the United States as guest of the Liberian International Shipping & Corporate Registry (LISCR) to negotiate for an advanced loan (revenue payment) to the government of Liberia aimed at settling its huge obligation with the civil servants.
According to report, Minister McGill who arrived in the United States few days ago is to purposely solicit for money from LISCR should have come along with the Minister of Finance, Development and Planning (MFDP), Samuel Tweah to beg LISCR for money but was reportedly turned by the Liberian leader, President George Weah.
Liberia’s maritime registry is an important source of hard currency for a country whose exports have dwindled after years of civil war. Ship registry fees and taxes generate some $18 million a year, as much as 25 percent of the nation’s revenue, by some estimates. LISCR handles the paperwork and turns over the taxes and fees it collects to the Liberian Treasury.
However, the impromptus visit of Minister McGill to the headquarters of LISCR pondered many Liberians as to why the Liberian government has to go to LISCR and beg for advanced payment of revenue from that world shipping registry, when the over the years has raised huge revenue to pay its civil servant.
According to the report, McGill is calling on LISCR to loan the Liberian government in advance for several years in order to be paid back, a situation that pondered many who are questioning the Liberian government as to what went wrong with previous revenue collected over the years, and now seeking for an advance loan from LISCR.
LISCR manages Liberia’s maritime program to collect the revenue in the tune of millions of United States dollars from vessels that fly the flags of Liberia, and this amount when collected is divided into two between LISCR and the Liberia Maritime Authority for the Liberian government.
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