Africa-Press – Liberia. Members of the House of Representatives were left stunned Thursday after the Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC) disclosed that it has no record of how a US$19.41 million contract for the Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ) project in Grand Bassa County was awarded to a Ghanaian company.
Appearing before Plenary during the 12th day sitting of the 1st Quarter of the 3rd Session of the 55th Legislature, PPCC Executive Director and CEO, Mr. Bodger Scott Johnson, told lawmakers that the Commission was unaware of the procurement process surrounding the multi-million-dollar contract.
“We have no record about how this over US$19 million contract was given out. Absolutely, we don’t know,” Johnson told the House.
The PPCC boss was summoned alongside the Minister of Public Works, the Chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC), and the Director General of the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC) to explain why such a major contract was allegedly awarded without due consideration for local labor participation.
Lawmaker Raises Alarm
The appearance followed a communication from Grand Bassa County District 5 Representative, Thomas Goshua, who requested that the officials show cause as to why laws intended to promote local participation were not adhered to.
Rep. Goshua contended that the contract for construction of the SAPZ project site — valued at US$19.41 million — was awarded to HM & A, a Ghanaian firm, without adequate involvement of Liberians, particularly residents of Grand Bassa County.
“Honorable Speaker, Honorable Deputy Speaker, it is frustrating how our government managed to award a contract worth nineteen million United States dollars to a Ghanaian company without any Liberian being considered to benefit — specifically our Bassa people who gave out their land free for development purposes,” Goshua told plenary.
He noted that several aspects of the project — including transport and manual labor — could have provided opportunities for local workers.
PPCC: “We Were Not Informed”
In response, Johnson explained that the PPCC’s statutory mandate under the Public Procurement and Concession Act (PPCA) is limited to regulation, monitoring, enforcement of compliance, and review of procurement plans.
However, he said the Commission was not informed of the contract award by either the National Investment Commission or the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP).
“The Ministry of Finance should have an idea, because there is a project office at the MFDP that handles international project activities. Maybe the procurement process was done there,” Johnson suggested.
About the SAPZ Project
The Special Agro-Processing Zone (SAPZ) in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, is a 210-hectare industrial development project funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) with an investment of US$19.41 million.
The project aims to transform Liberia’s agricultural sector through infrastructure development, including construction of 4.7 kilometers of roads and installation of utilities to attract private investors.
Authorities say the initiative is expected to create more than 156,000 jobs, attract approximately US$150 million in new investments, and modernize agricultural production, positioning Buchanan as a major agro-processing hub. The site was officially handed over to HM & A for an 18-month development period beginning in early 2026.
The project is further supported by a US$43 million European Union grant intended to expand electricity access in Buchanan by 2026.
NBC: Gaps in Local Content Law
Director General of the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC), Mr. Hassan Kiazolu, told lawmakers that existing concession agreements often grant companies broad authority to outsource labor.
According to Kiazolu, current local content provisions primarily address goods and services but do not explicitly mandate labor-related requirements.
“There is absolutely no condition to force them as to whom or which local company they should award labor contracts to. Outsourcing labor does not force the company to comply with local content because there is no clear term there for labor,” Kiazolu explained.
He called for a comprehensive overhaul of concession and local content laws to align them with present-day realities.
“We need to redefine local content so that it does not only reflect goods,” he urged lawmakers.
House Launches Investigation
Rep. Goshua further claimed that the African Development Bank had received a “letter of no objection” prior to the contract award — a claim that deepened concerns among lawmakers given the PPCC’s disavowal of knowledge.
Several legislators described the situation as a “huge leakage” warranting immediate investigation.
“This is a huge leakage; it is troubling. We need to ask the hardest questions to get to the bottom of this. This is a very serious matter that requires our oversight,” said Grand Gedeh County District 3 Representative Jacob C. Debee.
Rep. Marie Johnson of Grand Gedeh District #2 (Konobo Statutory District) also raised alarm.
“We need to investigate this, as there could be more of these kinds of issues that have not come to our knowledge,” she warned.
Following extensive questioning of the witnesses, Grand Bassa County District 4 Representative Alfred H. Flomo moved that the matter be referred to the House Committee on Concessions and Good Governance for full investigation.
The motion was unanimously adopted by voice vote, mandating the committee to report its findings to plenary within two weeks.
The decision opens the door to a comprehensive probe into the procurement process surrounding the US$19.41 million SAPZ contract and potential gaps in Liberia’s concession and procurement oversight framework.
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