Monrovia, Feb. 18 -- A newly proposed law to establish a regulatory agency for Liberia's seaports is drawing intense criticism from policy experts who warn it will inflate the cost of doing business, create governance confusion, and tarnish the country's maritime reputation.

The proposed Liberia Sea and Land Port Regulatory Act, which recently passed the Senate and is now before the House of Representatives for concurrence, has been derided as a "dangerous law" by critics. Ambulah Mamey, a noted policy expert, argues that the Act gives the new agency a dual role-both regulator and port operator-creating a glaring conflict of interest. "It is like appointing a referee who is also a player in the same game," Mamey said in an open policy me...