President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has announced the arrival of a new Earth-Moving Machines days after the Minister of Information, Jerolinmek Piah told Liberians that the government has terminated previous deal with vendor, citing no plans to negotiate.
The President revealed during his annual address to the nation that SCARF 285 yellow machines procured by the government last year are now actively in service and will be stationed at county hubs to support continuous road maintenance and emergency response.
The President said the equipment will play a critical role in ensuring year-round access to major and feeder roads, particularly during the rainy season when communities are often cut off from markets, hospitals, and schools.
“These assets will support our road maintenance efforts and form a crucial part of our disaster response preparedness across the country, stressing that road connectivity is not a slogan but a commitment of his administration,” Boakai lamated.
According to him, the deployment comes as the government reports significant gains in road infrastructure, including the maintenance of over 780 kilometers of major roads and an increase in Liberia’s paved road network from under 12 percent to 20 percent in just a few years.
The President disclosed that several key corridors have already benefited, improving connectivity between communities such as Sanniquellie to Ganta, Tappita to Zwedru, and the Buchanan Greenway, easing transportation costs and reducing hardship for ordinary citizens.
By decentralizing the machines to county hubs, Boakai said that the government aims to reduce delays caused by equipment shortages and eliminate the long-standing dependence on private contractors for basic road upkeep.
Also, he added that the initiative also strengthens Liberia’s disaster response capacity, ensuring faster intervention during floods, landslides, and other emergencies that frequently damage road infrastructure.
Photo credit: Executive Mansion
