Claims: National Investment Commissioner, Molewuleh Gray made several claims when he appeared as a guest on Okay FM, January 13; He said there is investment progress under the regime of President George Weah.
He partly agreed that some of the agreements are of the past administration, “We have the rights to negotiate and not to negotiate.”
Of the claims, TSM research established some claims are Unproven, Untenable and Incorrect, while some are True.
Golden SIFCA “is a 34 Million contract and will provide 700 jobs to Liberians.”
- The Executive Mansion release said the contract is 30 Million.
- And Golden SIFCA was ratified in 2019 by the Liberian Senate but currently, there is no record that they will provide 700 jobs.
Verdict: The contract amount is debatable, and the jobs provided by the company are untenable.
Claim: Hummingbird: “3,500 jobs will be given to Liberians and it is a 250M contract.”
- The contract is re-signed in 2019, it is 250 Million, Hummingbird has been operating in Liberia since 2008 and only in 2019, the counties of operation are named.
- The NIC in a release said the company will provide over 1,000 direct jobs and around 2,500 indirect jobs. “All unskilled jobs will be given to Liberians while preference will be given to qualified Liberians for skilled labour positions.”
Verdict: Incorrect, Hummingbird is not a new company and 3,500 jobs stated by the NIC commissioner is Incorrect though 3,500 jobs are seen in its statement.
Claim: Traffic Management: “20 Million contract and 500 jobs will be provided to Liberians.”
- Except for the donation by the company to President George Weah, the NIC has no record of the company available on its website.
- The company’s website also has no information on its function and contract.
Verdict: It is Untenable/ Unproven- on the contract amount and jobs being provided by the company as there is no record of what the company does.
Claim: Fouta Corporation: “It is a contract of 25M contract and will benefit 700 Liberians”
- President Weah disclosed a bill in 2019, to be forwarded to the Legislature for ratification include Fouta Corporation etc.
- Fouta has been in Liberia since 1995 and its cement contract was signed in 2018.
Verdict: Fouta Corporation is an old company and it’s not new, also, the amount of job created is debatable, and the contract amount has not been seen.
The claims on Postal Lock Box, Capital Lent, National Single Window Project and Euro Liberia {SP) etc. are all Unproven.
Claim: Nimba Rubber “Viable Liberian own company.
- owned by Harrison Karnwea was ratify by the House of Representatives but the contract is yet to be seen.
- According to the Liberia Business Registry, the company was established in 2013.
Verdict: Incorrect, the company is not new, True, the company is owned by Liberian.
Claim: Sethi Brothers-has steel factory of 41.4M and will provide 500 jobs
Verdict: Unproven/Untenable
Claim: “You can attract an investor, but you need to retain it, the Government is heavily into investment retention”
Verdict: True, the government is retaining majority concessions.
Star Cement: “41.4M contract that will provide 500 jobs for Liberians”
- There is no record for Star Cement on the NIC website and therefore we did not establish the amount of the contract neither the jobs to be provided.
Verdict: The claim is Unproven/ Untenable
Claim: The number of jobs mentioned is strictly created for Liberians, though ex-pat can come we do not focus on them.
Verdict: False, the contracts we have seen so far has not distinguished jobs for Liberians or an ex-pat.
