Africa-Press – Liberia. Shandong, China, June 17, 2025: Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung has told potential suppliers of the much-talked-about 285 pieces of earth-moving equipment in China that Liberia is in search of value for money and not just machines.
The Liberian Government has set a ceiling of US$22 million to purchase earth-moving equipment and has received unsolicited bids from three companies based in China-Sany Group in Changsha, Shantui in Shandong, and Sino in Guangzhou.
Vice President Koung is currently leading a delegation in China visiting the three companies in these provinces for a physical verification of the earth-moving equipment and suppliers.
VP Koung and delegation at Sany Group
The aim of Vice President Koung’s delegation which comprises Public Works Minister Roland Gittens, Public Procurement and Concession Commission boss Scott, Assistant Finance Minister for Budget Sarah Mulbah and General Services Agency Fleet Manager Roberts Wilson among others is to inspect and compare equipment quality, plant capacity, and production standards of the three companies.
“We aim to get value for money. We aim to get a fair market value for the money to avoid ambiguity in price,” VP Koung told Sany Group Vice President Li Qin during his delegation’s first stop at Sany Group in Changsha, Monday, June 16.
“We don’t want cheap items but quality with affordable prices,” he said, “The country is considering the processes and middlemen/ agents in getting the product to Liberia, which might increase the price. We understand businesspeople aim to make profit; however, we don’t want to buy and don’t have a real market value,” he added.
As per the government’s procurement request, the suppliers must be able to include in the package supplies of spare parts, training of Liberians, and maintenance for certain period.
Responding Sany Vice President Li said “We agreed with your quest for value for money. We provide full coverage from end point to end point to ensure that our clients get value for money.”
During the tour of Sany Group, Vice President Koung and the delegation were drilled through the various specifications of earth-moving equipment and excavators manufactured at the company, with some historical backgrounds relative to countries in which they are being supplied.
Sany Group has over 16 overseas manufacturing plants. It produces one pump truck every 45 minutes, 84 percent of truck components are manufactured by this massive factory, which has branches in South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria.
Earth-Moving equipment on display at Shantui
After the tour of Sany Group, VP Koung and delegation took a two-hour flight to Shandong Province to tour the Shantui Factory, Shandong Heavy Industry Group.
The Vice President and delegation were given a VIP escort from the airport straight to the factory complex for a tour and dinner before retiring at the Shandong Hotel, a three-hour drive from the factory.
The Vice President and delegation are expected to spend three working days in Shandong before traveling to Guangzhou to visit the Sino Group on June 19.
However, unlike the Sany Group, Shantui has a representation in Liberia and does 100 percent of its manufacturing on site.
Inside Shantui production line
Information available to this paper indicates that Shantui and Sino, both with a presence in Liberia, are willing to include in the supply package spare parts, training, and servicing.
But it is too early to tell which of the three companies would provide the type of machines that the Liberian government so dearly needs to tackle its road infrastructure. As it stands, the US$22 million is just the ceiling; the cost could get lower than that.
Inside Sany Group production line
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