Arcelor Mittal Steel operating in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County has embarked on series of development initiatives in the city aimed at improving some of the damaged infrastructures left behind by LAMCO.

The company Senior Supervisor Vlado Jurcic over the weekend took Journalists on a guided tour of the company operations in Buchanan, Siahn Town other areas.

He said the tour was to silence their critics that the company was only sitting in Buchanan and doing nothing to improve the lives and conditions of the citizens and the wrecks left behind by LAMCO and other companies that operated in the areas prior to their coming.

Journalists visited some damaged railways few kilometers outside Buchanan, where rehabilitation and modernization works of the railways are taking place for immediate use by the company.

Mr. Jurcic said the rehabilitation of the rails will facilitate connection with the Yekepa station. Besides the rehabilitation of the railways, Mittal Steel said it has also brought in two high rail vehicles with dual capacity that will be used by the company on the railways for traveling from Buchanan to the Yekepa station.

He told journalists that 12 additional high rail pickups are expected in April for transport.  In the Loop, rehabilitation of several damaged infrastructure and rails buried by the Oriental Timber Company were taking place.

At the Liberia Agriculture Company, Mittal Steel is reconditioning a 220 km road from LAC to Ganta at a cost US$2.2 million.

“From Buchanan to Ganta is 260 km. We will rehabilitate the road from LAC to Ganta, which is 220 km. LAC will also rehabilitate the 40 km road linking LAC to Buchanan", he disclosed.

In Buchanan, Mittal Steel Reresentative, Robert Ferguson, said for the ongoing road rehabilitation from LAC to Ganta, the company hired former Liberian firms - Westwood, SSF Corporation, Gray Construction Co. and Genesis Corporation as a way of empowering local expertise.

He noted that Mittal Steel will pave the 72 km road Yekepa - Ganta. He said major rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure will continue until all of them are replaced with new equipment.

“We've started full skill operation in Buchanan and have recruited some qualified Liberians not only from Bassa but from other place based on merits,” Mr. Ferguson added.

He disclosed that a ship is expected at the end of March at the Buchanan port to bringing in equipment that will facilitate the company full skill operation.