Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson has praised ArcelorMittal’s exceptional private sector leadership role over the last fifteen years in Liberia.
Senator Johnson, speaking to a cross-section of citizens recently, acknowledged that since ArcelorMittal entered Liberia in 2005 the company has lived up to its part of the mineral development agreement signed with the government.
He told the citizens that Mittal has regularly paid agreed-upon county social development funds for the host communities and has as well lived up to its commitment on taxes and royalties to government.
While acknowledging AML as a champion of Liberia’s post conflict development through private sector leadership, dedication and responsible business activities, the Nimba senator however underscored that it is important for the government to ensure timely disbursement of AML social funding for host communities to benefit.
Senator Johnson said, “The only company that came to this country right after our war is Mittal Steel. Mittal Steel gives to the government her own royalty tax.
“Mittal Steel gives to Nimba US$1.5 million and gives Bong County US$500,000 for passing through, and US$1 million to Grand Bassa for the use of the port.”
He added, “As I speak to you, the Government of Liberia (GOL) is owing us more than US$7.5 million. Mittal Steel pays but we can’t have access.”
Senator Johnson emphasized that the host communities in Nimba, Bassa and Bong counties have been complaining of the lack of political will in the CDC government to disburse money paid by ArcelorMittal to the affected counties.
ArcelorMittal Liberia has paid more than US$40 million in social development funding and regularly goes further to solve health, education and infrastructural challenges in mainly the affected communities.
This is in addition to its 20% project initiative under which residents in the directly affected communities benefit from the construction of schools, handpumps, toilets, hospitals, etc.
In 2022, the company launched two key initiatives: a grassroots community development scholarship for high school students as well as the ArcelorMittal Young Professionals Program.
Scores of Liberians from the host communities in Bassa, Nimba and Bong, as well as other counties, have benefited from international scholarships in the areas of business, logistics, mining and engineering.
Mid last year AML launched its massive Phase 2 expansion project for additional investment in rail, processing and logistics with a target of reaching 30 metric tons per annual.
This project will witness new investment to build the capacity of Liberian infrastructures like rail and port in Buchanan.
With the construction of a new iron ore-processing plant in Nimba and huge logistics deployment, the phase 2 expansion is creating about 3,000 jobs in the construction phase alone.
