Shandong, China, June 17, 2025: Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung has instructed potential suppliers of the much-talked-about 285 items of earth-moving tools in China that Liberia is seeking worth for cash and never simply machines.
The Liberian Authorities has set a ceiling of US$22 million to buy earth-moving tools and has acquired unsolicited bids from three firms based mostly in China-Sany Group in Changsha, Shantui in Shandong, and Sino in Guangzhou.
Vice President Koung is at present main a delegation in China visiting the three firms in these provinces for a bodily verification of the earth-moving tools and suppliers.
VP Koung and delegation at Sany Group
The goal of Vice President Koung’s delegation which includes Public Works Minister Roland Gittens, Public Procurement and Concession Fee boss Scott, Assistant Finance Minister for Funds Sarah Mulbah and Common Providers Company Fleet Supervisor Roberts Wilson amongst others is to examine and evaluate tools high quality, plant capability, and manufacturing requirements of the three firms.
“We goal to get worth for cash. We goal to get a good market worth for the cash to keep away from ambiguity in worth,” VP Koung instructed Sany Group Vice President Li Qin throughout his delegation’s first cease at Sany Group in Changsha, Monday, June 16.
“We don’t need low cost objects however high quality with inexpensive costs,” he stated, “The nation is contemplating the processes and middlemen/ brokers in getting the product to Liberia, which could improve the value. We perceive businesspeople goal to make revenue; nonetheless, we don’t need to purchase and don’t have an actual market worth,” he added.
As per the federal government’s procurement request, the suppliers should be capable of embody within the package deal provides of spare components, coaching of Liberians, and upkeep for sure interval.
Responding Sany Vice President Li stated “We agreed together with your quest for worth for cash. We offer full protection from finish level to finish level to make sure that our purchasers get worth for cash.”
Throughout the tour of Sany Group, Vice President Koung and the delegation had been drilled by way of the assorted specs of earth-moving tools and excavators manufactured on the firm, with some historic backgrounds relative to nations through which they’re being provided.
Sany Group has over 16 abroad manufacturing crops. It produces one pump truck each 45 minutes, 84 p.c of truck parts are manufactured by this huge manufacturing facility, which has branches in South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria.
Earth-Shifting tools on show at Shantui
After the tour of Sany Group, VP Koung and delegation took a two-hour flight to Shandong Province to tour the Shantui Manufacturing unit, Shandong Heavy Trade Group.
The Vice President and delegation got a VIP escort from the airport straight to the manufacturing facility advanced for a tour and dinner earlier than retiring on the Shandong Lodge, a three-hour drive from the manufacturing facility.
The Vice President and delegation are anticipated to spend three working days in Shandong earlier than touring to Guangzhou to go to the Sino Group on June 19.
Nonetheless, in contrast to the Sany Group, Shantui has a illustration in Liberia and does 100% of its manufacturing on website.
Inside Shantui manufacturing line
Data out there to this paper signifies that Shantui and Sino, each with a presence in Liberia, are prepared to incorporate within the provide package deal spare components, coaching, and servicing.
However it’s too early to inform which of the three firms would offer the kind of machines that the Liberian authorities so dearly must sort out its street infrastructure. Because it stands, the US$22 million is simply the ceiling; the price might get decrease than that.
Inside Sany Group manufacturing line
The tour settled speculations that the Authorities had already reached an settlement with the supplier for the price of US22 million. No fee has been made to date. -Writes Othello B. Garblah.
