Govt investigates ArcelorMittal

The Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs and other relevant agencies here summon the Management of ArcelorMittal, a mining company to appear for a conference on alleged failure to adhere to some portions of the concession agreement signed with the Government of Liberia.

The senior management of ArcelorMittal is expected to appear at President George Manneh Weah’s temporary office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tuesday, May 1, the second with the government since President Weah took the oath of office on 22 January.

A highly placed source within the Executive Mansion informs the New Dawn that Arcelor Mittal had an agreement to pave main road from Ganta City through Sanniqullie to Yekepa in Nimba County where its mining activities are concentrated, but since the penning down of the contract, the company had reportedly refused to honor that agreement.

Under the agreement, ArcelorMittal is to provide US$40 million while the Liberian government provides US$10 million. Accordingly, the Government of Liberia had made available her part of the deal about three years ago, but ArcelorMittal is yet to live up to her share of the deal, thereby, incurring US$400,000 for defaulting the pavement.

However, the company in return is reportedly blaming the Government for the delay and the accumulated US$400,000 being incurred.Arcelor Mittal is to also construct two concentration sites for processing of iron ores before shipment, but management is yet to commence tconstruction for these sites.

Instead, it has been shipping raw ore out of the country, which is said to be one of contributing factors leading to law grade and low price for the Liberian ore.On January 25, 2013, the Ministry of Public Works and the world’s steel giant, ArcelorMittal, signed a deal for the full pavement of the Yekepa-Ganta highway in Nimba County, but thr project is yet to kick off.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor-Editing by Jonathan Browne