MONROVIA – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia has purchased its headquarters building and the land housing its state-of-the-art environmental laboratory for US$800,000, a move the Agency says will strengthen institutional stability, improve financial management, and enhance environmental governance.
The property, located along Sekou Toure Avenue in Mamba Point, spans approximately 1.8 lots and houses the EPA’s headquarters, laboratory facilities, a generator house, warehouse, parking area, renewable-energy infrastructure, and other supporting assets.
According to the EPA, the acquisition was completed at a price significantly below the property’s market value.
The Agency disclosed that three independent assessments were conducted, with the lowest valuation placing the property at approximately US$1.3 million. By purchasing it for US$800,000, the EPA said it secured ownership at roughly US$500,000 below the lowest appraised value.
EPA explained that when its current leadership assumed office in early 2024, the Agency was operating from two aging rented buildings on Fourth Street in Sinkor at an annual rental cost of about US$72,000. The buildings had served as the Agency’s offices for more than 16 years but were no longer suitable for its expanding operations or consistent with the environmental and safety standards it is mandated to enforce.
The Agency said its Senior Management Team, headed by Executive Director Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey Yarkpawolo, determined that continuing to spend substantial amounts on rent without acquiring a permanent asset was financially unsustainable.
Following a review of available options, management selected one of the twin Bright Buildings in Mamba Point, which had initially been negotiated at an annual rental rate of US$85,000. The EPA said projections showed that over a ten-year period, it would spend approximately US$850,000 in rent while gaining no ownership of the property.
To address the situation, the Agency entered negotiations with the building’s seven owners and reached an agreement to purchase the property for US$800,000.
The EPA said the transaction underwent extensive review and approval processes. The EPA Board approved the acquisition, while the General Services Agency verified the property’s documentation, confirmed it was free of encumbrances, and endorsed the purchase. The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Ministry of Justice also conducted financial and legal reviews before granting final approval.
According to the Agency, the purchase was financed entirely through savings generated between 2024 and 2026. The EPA said management reduced administrative expenditures and tightened operational costs, including lowering some out-of-town daily subsistence allowances below the national rate, enabling the Agency to accumulate the funds needed to acquire the property without external borrowing.
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