APM Terminals invests US$108m in Liberia

The Managing Director of APM Terminals says the company has infused US$108 million into the economy of Liberia since it signed a concession agreement with the government in 2011.

Mr. George Adjei says the company has invested the amount in infrastructure projects that are related to the port industry, followed by education and health.

He spoke to reporters on Thursday, November 9, 2017 when he paid a visit to a team of American doctors that is currently in the country to treat sick Liberians in one of the communities near the Freeport of Monrovia, the company’s operation areas.

“Since 2011, APM Terminals has invested US$108 million into the Liberian economy in infrastructure projects that are related to the port industry, including education and health, and we will continue to do so for the next 18 years, the remaining years for the concession agreement signed with the government of Liberia,” Mr. Adjei assured.

“We will continue to partner with the people of Liberia and we will make sure that we serve the community very well,” he adds.

Commenting on the cordial relationship between the company and Representative Saah Joseph, the APM Terminals Managing Director recalled that in 2014 during the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease that took away the lives of nearly 5,000 Liberians, the company supported approximately 800 school children from different communities in Montserrado County District 13 with school fees.

“Since there were people with such needs, we decided to help people in communities within his district to benefit from the program,” the APM Terminals boss explains.

Speaking earlier in Kakata, Margibi County when the team began providing treatment to sick people, the Montserrado County lawmaker discloses that the team is in Liberia to provide free medical services to sick and underprivileged people.

He continues that the team is in the country for 10 days to provide free medical assistance to women, men, children and the elderly, who find it difficulty in accessing healthcare due to high financial cost.

“This is an opportunity for the team to focus on Liberia because this is their first time in Liberia and it has been doing similar thing in other parts of the world,” Representative Joseph explains.

He further notes that his goal is to sit with the team to craft an agreement so that it can visit Liberia twice a year, further disclosing, “My next goal is how we can take sick people from here to the United States of America for surgery and treatment.”
Commenting on the team`s visit here, mission coordinator Cindy Justus, says the exercise is part of humanitarian mission that is carried out once a year by the Unity Point Health-Pekin, stationed in central Illinois, United States of America.

Doctor Justus says the mission to Liberia, which costs the team a little over US$50,000.00, is intended to reach out to 2,000 people over a span of ten days.
“The reception of the people is very welcoming and we are in the country to provide better healthcare to the people of Liberia,” the mission coordinator explains.

She cites skin diseases, including scabies as the most common identified cases even though a number of pneumonia, asthma and sexually transmitted diseases are among other sicknesses that have been so far identified in Kakata and surrounding communities in Margibi County.

Doctor Justus also revealed that the mission took four years to plan for the visit to Liberia and it would further consider other surgical operations to be recommended to its hospital in the United States of America when the need arises.