Representatives of communities affected by commercial logging are calling on the Government of Liberia (GOL), through the National Legislature, to ensure that the communities’ land rental fees are appropriated in the 2023 national budget.
At the same time, they are calling for the full payment of the total amount appropriated in the 2022 national budget and allotted in the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning’s financial payment system as part of 30% share of land rental fees for communities affected by commercial logging in Liberia.
Between 2009 and December 31, 2021, the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) report to the VPA’s 9th Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) meeting says that a total of US$60.24 million was invoiced to the seven (7) logging companies with large government-awarded forestry concessions, of which a total of US$33.8 million was paid by these companies, with a total of US$26.40 million remaining unpaid. Out of this amount collected by the Government of Liberia, the 30% share for communities amounted to US$10.15 million, of which the GoL has paid just US$3.92 million through the National Benefit Sharing Trust Board as of October 2022, and that GoL is still in arrears to communities a total amount of US$6.23 million.
Representatives of the communities said it is unfortunate that the 2023 Draft National Budget does not have any amount appropriated for communities against the amount GoL owes to communities in land rental fees.
“It is for this reason we are calling on our honorable legislators, whom the draft budget is before for debate, to ensure that the communities’ remaining arrears (US$6.23 million) are appropriated in the 2023 national budget. It is also regrettable that for the US$2.7 million allotted in the 2022 national budget, the MFDP has paid US$1.1 million, with the balance of US$1.5 million within the fiscal year of 2022,” the affected communities said in a statement issued Thursday, January 5, 2023.
They further said, “The full payment of the community balance in the 2022 national budget and the appropriation of the arrears the government owes communities are now considered by the communities as top priorities that our honorable legislators should ensure that those issues are addressed during this period of election activities in Liberia.”
The National Union of Community Forestry Development Committee (NUCFDCs) comprises of 23 CFDC groups within 11 of the 15 counties of Liberia. There are over 450 affected communities and villages within the former Timber Sale Contracts and Forest Management Contracts forestry concession areas of Liberia, with a population of nearly 1 million people.
“It is therefore crucial for our legislators and the president to consider the interest of the community people, as they will need their votes in the upcoming elections,” they added.