Monrovia – Critical considerations have surfaced over alleged irregularities within the analysis strategy of bids for the provision of 285 yellow machines—tools supposed to help Liberia’s infrastructure and agricultural initiatives. A government-appointed committee overseeing the bid is beneath scrutiny for what sources describe as procedural lapses, oversight errors, and disrespect for authorized provisions favoring Liberian companies.
The most recent improvement within the “Yellow Machines” saga underscores a recurring sample of inconsistencies which have plagued the method from the beginning.
The controversy traces again to Might 2024, when Minister of State With out Portfolio Mamaka Bility launched a US$79 million proposal for the acquisition of apparatus. The plan drew sharp criticism from lawmakers, civil society teams, and anti-corruption advocates, who flagged the dearth of legislative approval, transparency considerations, and allegedly inflated prices.
In response to the backlash, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai tasked Vice President Jeremiah Koung with renegotiating the deal. Koung later introduced a lowered worth of US$22 million, payable over three years, and pledged a extra clear procurement course of.
Vice President Jeremiah Koung, heading a high-powered delegation, visited the Folks’s Republic of China in the hunt for respected firms to provide and procure the yellow machines.
Nonetheless, it quickly turned obvious that the federal government wouldn’t immediately finance the acquisition. Consistent with public procurement coverage, authorities later introduced a aggressive bidding course of for the procurement and importation of the tools.
The analysis committee comprised representatives from the Ministry of Public Works, the Public Procurement and Concessions Fee (PPCC), and the Workplace of the Vice President. It was tasked with making certain transparency and equity within the bid evaluate course of.
Alleged Irregularities in Analysis
Regardless of expectations for a good analysis, considerations have been raised about critical
oversights. Notably, the committee reportedly didn’t account for an important low cost and a
legally mandated margin of desire.
ABK alleged that its low cost was missed. The corporate reportedly provided a 0.5% low cost, which was not factored into the ultimate analysis—an omission that will have altered the rating of bids.
The Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA) mandates that Liberian-owned firms obtain a 15% margin of desire to boost home participation. Observers say this benefit was not utilized in ABK’s case, probably giving a overseas agency an undue edge.
Three firms submitted bids for the provision of the 285 machines together with ABK Included (Liberia): US$25,275,120.00, American Procurement Service: US$30,382,479.00 and Evergreen Import & Export Federation (International): US$21,646,035.00
American Procurement Service was reportedly disqualified for exceeding the US$30 million threshold, leaving ABK and Evergreen as the 2 foremost contenders.
When making use of the 15% native desire and the 0.5% low cost, ABK’s adjusted bid ought to have been US$21,376,432.42, making it decrease than Evergreen’s US$21,646,035.00. Nonetheless, ABK was allegedly informed its bid was “unresponsive,” a call that has raised crimson flags in regards to the committee’s transparency and analysis methodology.
ABK Flags ‘Irregularities’
ABK Inc. has raised crimson flags over what it phrases “inconsistencies and irregularities” within the authorities’s analysis of bids for the provision of 285 yellow machines.
In a letter dated August 27, 2025, and signed by Public Works Minister Roland Layfette Giddings, the Ministry knowledgeable ABK that its bid submission “met all the qualification necessities and specs” as outlined within the bidding paperwork.
Nonetheless, the identical letter went on to state that the corporate’s monetary proposal was “not passable” and “not responsive” to the Authorities of Liberia’s pre-financing plan — a justification ABK says lacks advantage.
“That is to inform you that your bid submitted June 30, 2025, for the provision and supply of Two Hundred Eighty-5 (285) Earthmoving Tools and Twenty (20) Utility Pickup Vans beneath IFB No. MPW/NRF/G/PROJ/RB/00/25 with a bid worth of Twenty-5 Million Two Hundred Thirty-Seven Thousand One Hundred Twenty United States {Dollars} (US$25,237,120.00) met all the qualification necessities and specs required by the Ministry of Public Works as outlined within the bidding doc. Nonetheless, your Monetary Proposal (Phrases of Cost) just isn’t passable to the Authorities of Liberia,” the letter said.
The Ministry additional famous that ABK’s bid was deemed “Not Responsive” to the federal government’s pre-financing plan, “in line with the Advert-hoc Bids Analysis Panel and accepted by the Street Upkeep Committee and the Public Procurement and Concessions Fee (PPCC) respectively.”
In response, ABK lodged a proper criticism, invoking Part 125 of the PPCC Act, which permits aggrieved bidders to hunt an administrative evaluate of procurement choices.
“We hereby lodge a criticism beneath PPCC Act Part 125 relating to the rejection letter we acquired on September 15, 2025, dated August 27, 2025, which states that our bid ‘met all qualification necessities and specs’ however was deemed ‘not responsive’ as a result of the Monetary Proposal (Phrases of Cost) was ‘not passable’ and ‘not conscious of the Authorities’s pre-financing plan,’” the corporate’s administration wrote.
ABK added: “We acknowledge receipt of the outcomes of the above procurement package deal, referenced as follows. Now we have our attributed info and circumstances surrounding the unfair analysis course of and the failings throughout the bidding strategy of the above package deal.”
The corporate additional contended that its bid contained no materials deviation from the said necessities, arguing that the rejection misapplied Part 62(9) of the PPCC Act.
ABK maintained that it possesses the monetary capability to pre-finance 100% of the contract inside 4 months, pledging adherence to all phrases and circumstances outlined within the Native Buy Order and Particular Contract Circumstances.
The corporate listed US$20,575,000 in whole property and outlined its sources of funding:
- US$10 million as revenue,
- US$10 million as a financial institution letter of credit score, and
- US$575,000 in actual property and transportation property.
The United Financial institution for Africa (UBA) additionally confirmed ABK’s monetary standing, forwarding a credit score letter to the Ministry of Public Works verifying that ABK maintains lively company accounts with the financial institution.
“We want to suggest Messrs. ABK Included for any legally appropriate partnership enterprise that you could be intend to undertake as a result of the corporate has confirmed to be financially viable, dependable, and trustworthy since inception of operations with the United Financial institution for Africa (Liberia) Restricted,” UBA wrote.
“We verify our willingness to help credit score/financing construction requests from the corporate in extra of US$20,000,000, topic to satisfying the financial institution’s credit score coverage necessities, for the provision and supply of 285 Earthmoving Tools and 20 Utility Pickup Vans beneath IFB No. MPW/NRF/G/PROJ/RB/001/2025.”
Potential Breach of Procurement Legal guidelines
Analysts and civil society teams argue that failure to use the native desire and low cost constitutes a breach of Liberia’s Public Procurement and Concessions Act and undermines President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s pledge to prioritize native content material in nationwide improvement applications.
“This oversight, whether or not intentional or not, gives the look that the federal government’s personal procurement legal guidelines are being selectively utilized,” one procurement professional famous.
Presidential Choice for Caterpillar Tools
In the meantime, FPA has gathered that President Boakai had beforehand expressed a desire for Caterpillar-branded equipment, citing their sturdiness and suitability for Liberia’s tropical terrain. That place was reportedly communicated to Vice President Jeremiah Koung in a March 27 letter from the President, additional complicating perceptions of neutrality within the analysis course of.
Requires Investigation
In mild of the controversy, stakeholders and civil society organizations are demanding an unbiased investigation into the committee’s conduct. They argue that ABK ought to have been declared the rightful winner based mostly on each its bid worth and its compliance with Liberian possession legal guidelines.
“Clearly, ABK ought to have been awarded the contract based mostly on advantage and the relevant margin of desire. We’re calling for a full evaluate of the method,” one civil society consultant informed FrontPage Africa.
The Public Procurement and Concessions Fee and the Ministry of Public Works have but to reply publicly to the allegations.
Observers say the controversy surrounding the analysis of the 285 yellow machines underscores persistent challenges in Liberia’s procurement system—mainly, the enforcement of transparency, equity, and native participation. As requires accountability develop louder, the federal government faces strain to behave decisively to revive public belief and make sure that Liberian companies obtain truthful therapy in nationwide initiatives.
