Claim: “Representative Ellen A. Attoh-Wreh increased Liberia’s Special Economic Zone Budget from US$ 20,000 to US$ 800,000.”
Source: Senator James Emmanuel Nuquay alleged leaked audio on DN News-Liberia
Verdict: Misleading; representative Attoh-Wreh didn’t put 800,000 US$ in the Liberia Free Zone Authority Budget.
Full Text: On November 5, 2024, DN News-Liberia posted a leaked audio of James Emmanuel Nuquay, senator of Margibi County.
In the leaked audio, Nuquay was heard accusing Ellen A. Attoh-Wreh, Representative, Margibi County District #3 and the House Co-Chair on Ways Means Finance and Budget, of increasing the Liberia Free Zone Authority Budget from US$20,000 to US$800,000.
Nuquay said an initial US$20,000 was budgeted for the Liberia Free Zone Authority, but Attoh-Wreh later increased it to US$800,000. However, as a result of his suggestion, it was then reduced to US$600,000.
Last year, the U.S., under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023, imposed sanctions on Nuquay, Albert Chie, and Samuel Tweah for significant corruption.
Verification: To verify this claim, our team researched Liberia’s national budgets for 2022, 2023, and 2024.
However, we have found the below allocation per fiscal year from 2022 to 2024.
In the 2022 fiscal year, US$21,805 was allocated, and in FY 2023, US$22,623 was allocated, as the estimated outturn was US$21,143.
For FY 2024, US$697,623 is spelled out in the National Budget for the Liberia Free Zone Authority, as the projections for 2025 and 2026 are US$548,237 and US$731,696, respectively.
Meanwhile, our research unveiled a significant budgetary increase from US$ 22,623 as allocated in the previous fiscal year (2023) to US$ 697,623 (2024 budget year).
Attoh-Wreh denied allegations that she influenced an increase in the budget of the Liberia Free Zone Authority (LFZA), thus accusing Senator Nuquay of spreading falsehoods in an attempt to tarnish her reputation and divert public attention from key developmental issues in the county.
She clarified that the national budget preparation falls exclusively under the purview of the executive branch of government, not the legislature.
According to Attoh-Wreh, this structure makes it impossible for a lawmaker to unilaterally alter the allocation of funds to any government ministry or agency.
“The National Budget is drafted by the Executive Branch, not by us in the legislature. The process involves a detailed review and approval process, and no single lawmaker has the authority to increase or decrease any entity’s budget These claims are entirely baseless”. She explained during an exclusive interview with our Margibi County fellow.
Attoh-Wreh, addressing her alleged connection to the Liberia Free Zone Authority, explained that she refrained from participating in the legislative session during which LFZA Executive Director Prince Wreh appeared before the House of Representatives, citing her relationship with him as the reason for her absence.
“I intentionally abstained from that session out of respect for my relationship with Mr. Wreh, ensuring there would be no perception of bias or conflict of interest,” she added.
However, our fact-check shows that the allegations from Senator Nuquay against Attoh-Wreh of being responsible for the increase of LFZA are contradictory to budgetary records for the past fiscal years.
Instead of US$ 800,000 as alleged by Nuquay, we find US$ 697,623 being allocated in the National Budget.
Attoh-Wreh believed that the increase in the budget is due to the LFZA transformation into an autonomous agency, which operates independently to promote investment and economic growth.
“The Executive likely saw the need for the increased allocation because the Liberia Free Zone Authority is now an autonomous agency. Its new status demands a higher budget to meet operational and developmental goals,” she narrated.
Please see below additional information regarding Liberia’s Special Economic Zones (SEZ) and related budgetary details:
Special Economic Zones Act of 2017: This document outlines the framework for creating and regulating SEZs in Liberia, including tax incentives and operational guidelines. You can read more about it here.
Revised National Budget FY2024: The Government of Liberia submitted a revised draft National Budget of USD 692.2 million, which includes provisions supporting economic growth, including SEZ activities. More details can be found in the press release here.
Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone Project: This project aims to enhance agricultural development through the establishment of a special zone in Buchanan, supported by funding from the African Development Bank. Additional information is available here.
EU Support for SEZ Activities: The European Union has committed €25 million to support Liberia’s SEZ initiatives, which aim to enhance economic growth and industrialization. The article provides more details.
Conclusion: From our research, Nuquay’s claim that Attoh-Wreh put US$ 800,000 in the Liberia Free Zone Authority budget is misleading. However, The Stage Media research unveiled a significant budgetary increase from US$ 22,623 as allocated in the previous fiscal year (2023) to US$ 697,623 (2024 budget year).
Written by Patrick Moryor, Margibi Fellow
