The National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) has publicly criticized the General Auditing Commission (GAC) for what it describes as a flawed audit report on the operations of Global Maritime Tracking Systems (GTMS) in Liberia.
NACSUL claims the GAC failed to perform due diligence in its March 2025 report that examined GTMS’s Cargo Tracking Note (CTN) contract with the National Port Authority (NPA).
According to the civil society group, the GAC report, which covers the period from July 1, 2018 to October 31, 2024, alleges multiple financial irregularities in the GTMS-NPA agreement, including the absence of a proper procurement process, missing documentation for a US$3 million initial investment, and failure to remit US$2.15 million in throughput fees over five years.
However, NACSUL insists that the GAC’s findings are inaccurate and incomplete. The group claims it possesses documentary evidence confirming GTMS’s US$3 million investment, along with records of all throughput fee payments made to the NPA. “It is unfortunate that the GAC auditors didn’t capture this initial investment portfolio,” the NACSUL release stated, adding that evidence such as bank statements and invoices demonstrate full compliance by GTMS.
The civil society body further questioned how the GAC could recommend that NPA account for US$2.15 million in fees if the amounts had not been remitted. “The silence of the NPA Management on the GAC audit findings clearly supports the fact that the NPA received the US$2.15 million remittance from GTMS,” NACSUL stated, suggesting that the audit’s conclusions were misleading.
NACSUL also pointed out that NPA and GTMS conduct monthly reconciliations of throughput fees, with a functioning Monitoring, Evaluation, and Compliance Committee in place to ensure adherence to contractual terms.
The group decried what it called “omissions of important documents” in the audit report, including records of the initial investment and consistent throughput payments over the contract period.
Additionally, NACSUL accused certain government officials and lawmakers of targeting GTMS while turning a blind eye to alleged irregularities involving another service provider, MEDTECH.
“It is ridiculous for the Liberian Senate to disregard the illegal and dubious operations of MEDTECH, and open investigation on GTMS operations,” the release argued, noting that GTMS’s contract was recently renegotiated and extended by the current government.
The organization also highlighted GTMS’s achievements in improving maritime security and trade logistics in Liberia.
Among these, it noted that the United States Coast Guard removed Liberia from a security advisory list, crediting GTMS’s robust cargo tracking system. It added that the system has reduced the incidence of missing containers, enhanced port security, and improved delivery of sea and land cargo.
NACSUL emphasized that GTMS’s continued operations are crucial to Liberia’s revenue generation and economic development. “We urge all stakeholders to allow GTMS to operate, because the company’s continuous operations in Liberia is cardinal to maintaining the country’s increased revenue base, economic growth, and safe shipping,” the group stated.
In closing, NACSUL urged the public not to trust the GAC’s audit findings, labeling them as baseless and lacking credibility.
It praised the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for extending GTMS’s contract, citing the company’s role in advancing the president’s ARREST Agenda through enhanced domestic resource mobilization.
