Liberia’s biggest Intellectual group, the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinion (CEIO), has intensified its campaign for the passage of ArcellorMittal’s third amended Mineral Development Agreement (MDA).
CEIO, at an elaborate petitioning ceremony up Capitol Hill Tuesday, admonished the Liberian Senate to move swiftly to pass the ArcelorMittal Liberia US$800 million deal, which is before the Senate.
Reading the Petition, the Chairman of the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinions, Adolphus Weah, explained that his organization has investigated the Arcelormittal Agreement and found that the company’s “numerous contributions” to the growth and development of Liberia “cannot and must not be seconded” to the wishes of a few “selfish individuals”.
According to Chairman Weah, his group’s investigation established that AML has been 100 percent tax-compliant, making it LRA’s highest taxpayer in 2021. Additionally, the company has also been compliant to its county social development funds, and has committed itself to the renovation of schools, hospitals, feeder roads and its annual contribution to the Science Department of the Nimba County University.
According to him, while also realizing that rumor appertaining the rail and port facilities are false and misleading, evidence by the statement of Nathaniel McGill, Minister of States for Presidential Affairs, which reads as follow, “The government hasn’t given the railway to ArcelorMittal. The information is false and misleading. The railway belongs to government. Government has absolute control.”
Weah disclosed that the intellectual group’s decision to join the ArcelorMittal Liberia MDA’s debate is rooted in the benefits that the new agreement provides for the future healing and wellbeing of the Liberian economy and, by extension, uplifting its many citizens who are consumed by poverty and deprivation.
If passed, he said he believes the deal, in view of the state of the economy, will help the government to extend help in the directions of the national struggle with unemployment, health care delivery, standard education delivery and modern infrastructure development.
“We view the commitments in the proposed deal for employment and its support to the national budget and the opportunity for the attraction of foreign direct investments, amongst other things, as a major lifeline for national survival,” the statement continued.
The Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinions (CEIO) underscored that, as an advocate for the public good, and cognizant of the support of ArcelorMittal in taxes to government revenue and corporate social responsibility, especially as it relates to the direct and indirect provision of jobs, expansion in infrastructure activities, support to education, amongst others, it is imperative for the Senate to act swiftly and pass the MDA into law.
“More besides that the government is poised to raise the budget of the country since independence and that the achievement of this budget shall be significantly buttressed by operations in the mining sector with ArcelorMittal expected to give more than US$75 million in taxes and approximately US$4 million in corporate social responsibilities, we appeal to you to act in the supreme interest of the people of Liberia.
The petitioners said CEIO is urging members of the 54th National Legislature to categorically pass into law the request by the concessionaire (ArcelorMittal Liberia) to extend its mining operation in the country by US$800 million, giving due attention to every concern of the public for substantial due-diligence, while using the below statement of President George Manneh Weah as a major guiding tool going forward:
“We are delighted to have reached this important agreement with ArcelorMittal Liberia, our long-term partner in the development of the mining sector in Liberia. This agreement demonstrates to the world that Liberia welcomes, and is a key emerging destination, for capital. It further supports the government’s pro-poor agenda, which is underpinned by the importance of creating jobs to lift Liberian citizens from poverty. The further investment by ArcelorMittal in Liberia bears testament to the company’s confidences in the future of this country. We are confident that our constructive working relationship will go from strength to strength.”
The Secretary of the Liberian Senate, J. Nanborlor Singbeh, who received the petition, thanked CEIO for peacefully gathering to communicate with their elected representatives.
He told the petitioners that he will present their petition to the leadership of the Liberian Senate for appropriate action.