Hon. Richard Nagbe Koon, Speaker and members of the Legislature, the Chairman and members of NTA's Board of Directors, Ambassadors and other members of the Diplomatic Community here present, Cabinet Ministers and Heads entities, executives and members of the Unity Party, other distinguished invited guests, my deputies, managers, and the entire NTA family, ladies and gentlemen.

It is truly a great honor to provide you with an overview of two significant milestones, specifically, the Groundbreaking Ceremony for our new administrative building and the unveiling of our strategic plan. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to use one stone to hit two targets. First, I would like to reflect on the words of Benjamin Franklin, who stated, "any administration that fails to plan, has planned to fail." This quotation holds significant meaning for my team and me. Following the general and presidential elections in 2023, I had the privilege of leading the transition team at the National Transit Authority. During this period, I encountered the daunting challenges faced by the NTA firsthand. At that time, there were merely three operational buses, all in poor condition. The Debt Court of Liberia deemed the NTA "not fit and proper" for engaging in business transactions due to a lack of integrity, competence, and credibility stemming from significant debts owed to suppliers. For those in the diplomatic community, this situation is comparable to the term 'persona non grata', which, in addition to its literal interpretation, is used metaphorically to describe entities or companies that lack the credibility or acceptability to engage in specific activities. Furthermore, employees of the organization were left feeling idle and demoralized due to inadequate work opportunities, delayed salaries, power outages, and insufficient office facilities.

When my deputies and I were appointed by H.E. Joseph Nyumah Boakai to lead this organization, thoughts of planning, transformation, honesty, compliance, and public trust were at the forefront of our minds. I recalled the statement from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: "a goal without a plan is merely a wish," and we were committed to turning our dreams into actionable strategic goals.

In line with this mindset, we began the process of creating a long-term plan that clearly articulates our past, present, and future aspirations for the next five (5) years. We extend our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to our Board of Directors for their unwavering support in the development of our strategic plan. Ladies and gentlemen, our strategic plan, among other objectives, offers a comprehensive roadmap and focus for the NTA, ensuring that all departments and employees are aligned in their efforts toward the same goals. With this plan, we will prioritize our resources and ensure they are allocated efficiently to the most impactful initiatives. This plan will also enhance clear communication and understanding of our vision, mission, and objectives, promoting a shared sense of purpose, thereby boosting operational efficiency, minimizing wasted time and efforts, and allowing us to anticipate potential obstacles and prepare proactive strategies instead of merely reacting to difficulties. It serves as a framework for managing our challenges and seizing all possible opportunities for the organization's long-term success.

Our Five-Year Strategic Plan is centered around four strategic objectives, accompanied by various interventions or projects aimed at accomplishing these objectives. 
Goal one (1) focuses on enhancing and broadening mobility within Liberia and beyond. To achieve this goal one (1), we aim to bolster and expand connectivity by refining our transportation system, which will shorten travel times by offering a wider range of transportation options throughout the country, ensuring equality for all individuals, including seniors, people with disabilities, low-income residents, and others in different areas, while also integrating innovation and technology, such as cashless payment systems on our buses. In order to realize this objective, we have identified several projects, including the procurement of mass transit vehicles including mini buses for both feeder and main roads, as well as spare parts, variety of tool, safety equipment and supplies for our garage, along with tires over the next five years. The total cost to achieve this goal amounts to US$27,958,112.00

Goal two (2) aims to enhance economic vitality within Liberia and the surrounding region. We contribute to this objective by developing transportation networks that enable individuals and businesses to reach various locations, resulting in improved connectivity and economic prospects. This effort supports regional economic integration by linking different areas and facilitating the movement of goods, services, and people across borders, as well as creating job opportunities. To realize this goal, we have identified specific projects, such as acquiring cargo trucks to enhance the transportation of goods in both rural and urban areas, constructing climate-smart warehouses for the storage and preservation of products from farmers and manufacturers, and building bus terminals throughout the country, among other projects. The estimated cost for achieving goal two (2) is US$6,288,504.00.

Goal three (3) focuses on enhancing the quality of life for our community. We work towards this by ensuring access to vital services such as education and job opportunities, while also fostering social connections that positively affect both the physical and mental health of our community members, ultimately reducing travel time and stress, and thus enhancing their overall quality of life. In pursuit of this goal, we have outlined several initiatives, including offering local and international training programs for our staff, procuring transportation vehicles for students and employees in both rural and urban areas of Liberia, as well as acquiring spare parts and equipment necessary to meet this objective. The estimated cost for achieving this goal is US$987,250.00.

Goal four (4) emphasizes the enhancement of our current infrastructures and the advancement of corporate governance. In pursuit of this goal, our management intends to renovate and finalize projects initiated by our predecessors and to build additional bus terminals along the Praia-Dakar-Monrovia-Senegal Highway, construct our new Administrative Building, and prioritize the development of policies essential for ensuring accountability, integrity, trust, and effective governance. The projected cost for achieving goal four (4) is estimated at US$ 500,000.

Importantly, the mention of constructing a new Administrative Head Office in goal four (4) brings us to the second milestones of this program -Ground breaking of our new administrative building.  On May 5, 2022, our previous administrative building which was built in the early 1980's was erased by fire. In our FY-2024 budget, US$400,000 was appropriated under the Public Sector Investment Project (PSIP). We intended to use said amount to begin the construction of an administrative building. However, due to the limitation of transport vehicles at the time and the increased demand for our services as the result of the restriction place on motor bike riders, and tricycles, we pleaded with members of our board of directors and the MFDP to allow management purchase three 62-seater buses; that were on sale by TATA through Alliance Motor, and fuel for operation. The strategy was to operate the buses and use revenue from their operation to partly finance the administrative building construction.

Let me take this time to commend H.E. the President for his continuous support to the NTA. It is through his support that we received maximum cooperation from the MFDP and the MOT. 
In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present to you an overview of our two milestones, namely the completion of 5-Year Strategic Plan which is estimated at US$27,958,912.00; and the commencement of our new administrative building which is value at US$596,000. As we embark on this journey to improve and expand mobility, as we seek to promote economic vitality and improve the quality of life of our people; and as we seek to strengthen our infrastructure and corporate governance; we cannot achieve this alone. I, therefore, cease this opportunity to plead with the government of Liberia and our development partners to help us reach our ultimate goal. Our goals are aligned with the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID), and the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Management also aligned its goal the Performance Management and Compliance System framework. This framework guides management's activities in delivering services to the Liberian people.

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, we attended the Presidential Signing of the 2025 Performance Contract. During this  event, top-performing public institutions were recognized for their 2024 performance.