The United States government has provided US$80 million to support Liberia’s development agenda. The agreement bringing the assistance into effect was signed Tuesday by President Johnson Sirleaf and U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a ceremony held at the Foreign Ministry.

(R) Pres. Sirleaf and Amb. Thomas Greenfield signing agreement

Under the bilateral agreement, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) amended its four assistance agreements with the Government of Liberia to provide Fiscal Year 2008 funding totaling $80,314,657 to support development priorities in Liberia.

The agreement, the United States government, says demonstrates continued commitment to Liberia’s peace and recovery.

During the occasion, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said the United States Government remains Liberia’s first and foremost partner. She thanked the government and people of the United States for the support to Liberia’s security sector.

The country’s major support in securing debt relief, an Executive Mansion release quotes the President as saying, came from the United States.

United States Ambassador to Liberia, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, emphasized that the contribution from the United States is further evidence of the close relationship between the two countries. The United States, she noted, is committed to a brighter future for all Liberians.

As part of the agreement, USAID will also provide $23,212,343 for projects in Liberia using other instruments outside of the agreements.  The arrangement brings the Fiscal Year 2008 total to $103,527,000. Additional funding will be provided to Liberia from other United States Government Agencies.

The four amended assistance agreements that support USAID’s objectives are consistent with the government of Liberia’s priorities as outlined in the Poverty Reduction Strategy.

They are governing justly and democratically, investing in people with support for the educational sector, investing in people with support for the health sector as well as economic growth.

Tata Steel Responds To Gov’t - Says it’s not aware of ‘misdeeds’
 
The management of Tata Steel, one of the bidders for the Western Cluster Iron Ore Deposit, has responded to reports attributed to the Liberian government that it has been disqualified from re-tendering alleged “external influence and improprieties” in the bidding process.

The company said it has learnt through the media of the Government of Liberia’s decision to cancel the on-going bid process for the Western Cluster Iron Ore Deposits in Liberia, and that it has been disqualified from the re-tendering process.

According to the company eventhough it has not had the benefit of any former notification from the Ministry of Lands Mines and Energy of Liberia, it is reported that the proposed start of production in 2007, stated in Tata Steel’s proposal, is one of the government’s concerns.

“With regard to the issue of production year, Tata Steel is convinced, based on its vast experience in developing mining projects, that, the start of production in a green field project involving exploitation and development of infrastructure, like the Western Cluster is likely to take about eight years,” it said in a statement issued yesterday.

The management of Tata Steel said in the press statement that it had also informed the government that if desired they could advance the start of production date by two years.  

“More over, Tata Steel’s bid was rated very favorably in terms of technical, financial and social commitment parameter by international consultants, Deloitte & Touché in their report to the Government of Liberia (which is now available no a media website),” it said.

The management of Tata Steel has indicated that it is completely un-aware of and not connected to whatever alleged “eternal influence and improprieties” the government has referred to.

It said its representation in Liberia was handled through a Liberian-based consultancy firm, as it has no office or representative in Liberia. According to it, it appointed the firm to represent the company in the bidding process and also advice it on local issues and sentiments related to community and other initiatives.

“This is a normal business practice and the relevant Government agencies were kept informed. Hence, Tata Steel has been upfront and transparent in its dealings with relation to the building process. Tata Steel is unaware in what way this has led to use of external influence and improprieties to influence the bidding process,” the management said.

More than that, it further pointed out that the government’s own due diligence report done by Deloitte & Touché (quoted above) has rated it very highly in the entire world with respect to Corporate Social Responsibility and ethical business practices – high standards that the company has maintained in all its business dealings for the past 100 years.

“Tata Steel is therefore, seriously concerned that its reputation is being tarnished without verification and by mere allegations in media reports. Tata Steel is taking up these issues with government of Liberia to seek clarification in this regard,” the statement quoted management as saying.