Monrovia – President Joseph Boakai inherited a significant agricultural initiative from the Weah administration—a US$26 million poultry undertaking in Careysburg. Throughout a go to to the undertaking website in Might, President Boakai and his crew confirmed that the enterprise is public-private partnership (PPP) and aligned with the federal government’s ARREST agenda.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
Early in Might, President Boakai led a delegation to Careysburg District in Rural Montserrado County to examine progress on what the federal government has described as a US$26 million poultry undertaking. Officers accompanying him included Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Sylvester Grigsby, Minister of State With out Portfolio Mamaka Bility, and Agriculture Minister Dr. Alexander Nuetah.
The President and his ministers toured the 50-acre website. Talking briefly to the press, President Boakai stated that, as soon as accomplished, the undertaking would be the largest of its variety in Liberia.
Presidential Press Secretary Kula V. Fofana revealed that the undertaking is being funded by the Authorities of Liberia via the Ministries of Finance and Agriculture, with oversight from the Ministry of State. The objective, she stated, is to cut back Liberia’s reliance on imported eggs, chickens, and fertilizers.
Fofana described the Liberia Poultry Undertaking as “100% Liberian-owned” and financed via loans. She emphasised its potential to create 1000’s of jobs and stimulate a number of worth chains—together with poultry farming, feed manufacturing, packaging, and fertilizer processing. She added that the undertaking is a key pillar of the President’s ARREST Agenda, significantly within the areas of agricultural revitalization, rural empowerment, and meals self-sufficiency.
Minister Mamaka Bility, in excessive spirits in the course of the tour, additionally expressed sturdy optimism: “The undertaking will succeed,” she declared.
Nonetheless, because the President’s go to and the following announcement, key stakeholders within the poultry sector have raised issues in regards to the undertaking’s construction and implementation. Regardless of repeated appeals for readability, the federal government has remained tight-lipped, fueling widespread unease amongst poultry business gamers and the broader public.
FrontPage Africa has obtained a leaked communication from the Liberia Poultry Federation (LIPOF) to President Boakai, searching for “clarification and engagement on the federal government’s poultry sector funding.”
Within the letter, LIPOF expressed concern that the thought of a government-established poultry facility—launched with little to no session with current operators—has triggered severe apprehension amongst Liberian producers in regards to the potential influence on their companies and the sector total.
“To deal with these issues responsibly, we convened a gathering of poultry stakeholders, throughout which numerous sentiments have been expressed. The prevailing concern, nonetheless, centered on the concern that such an funding, if not transparently structured and built-in with sector stakeholders, might displace or severely drawback current native producers,” the letter acknowledged.
In line with the letter, LIPOF engaged with the management of each the Liberia Chamber of Commerce and the Liberia Enterprise Affiliation. Collectively, they agreed that “accountable engagement requires a full understanding of the details and aims behind this government-backed initiative.”
“FrontPage Africa reached out to LIPOF to confirm the authenticity of the letter, however the Federation didn’t reply as of press time. Nonetheless, a member of LIPOF, talking on situation of anonymity as a result of he was not approved to talk publicly, disclosed that the Federation had contacted the related oversight ministries however acquired no substantive details about the undertaking. ‘Everyone seems to be saying they don’t know a lot in regards to the undertaking. They are saying it’s being run by the Ministry of State. All over the place we go, we’re informed to direct our inquiries to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of State. However since we reached out to them, we’ve acquired no response,’ the supply stated.”
FPA additionally contacted the important thing ministries concerned, together with the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and Growth Planning and the Ministry of Agriculture however acquired no responses.
Presidential Press Secretary Kula Fofana informed FPA she was participating related officers to offer a full response. Mrs. Endurance S. Kumeh, Director of Communications on the Ministry of Finance, additionally promised to reply however had not executed so on the time of publication.
Amid the federal government’s silence, FPA investigation uncovered that funding for the poultry undertaking is being secured via an export credit score mortgage settlement between the Authorities of Liberia and Financial institution Leumi Le-Israel B.M., totaling EUR 21,558,226. In line with our supply, the settlement was ratified in 2023 below the 54th Legislature via an act titled: “An Act to Ratify the Financing Settlement – Export Credit score Facility between the Republic of Liberia and Financial institution Leumi Le-Israel B.M.” The act was handed by the Legislature on July 25, 2023, and authorised by then-President George Weah on August 21, 2023.
Regardless of the existence of this ratified mortgage settlement, vital questions stay unanswered, If the undertaking is funded via a mortgage, how a lot has been disbursed up to now? What’s the extent of personal sector involvement? Who’re the personal sector companions, and what share of the undertaking do they maintain? What proportion of the undertaking is owned by the federal government, and the way is the undertaking being managed?
This can be a two-part collection. Half II seems to be on the validity of the act ratifying the mortgage settlement, the reimbursement plan and the way a lot has been disbursed to the federal government of Liberia.
