Western Mining Company Eyes Mount Nimba

The world's second largest steel production company has expressed interest in investing more than US$500 million in Liberia's mining industry.

Speaking to newsmen at a local hotel in Monrovia over the weekend, Dr. Peter Carr and Mr. Dosi, executives of the London and Rotterdam-based LNM Group, a steel producing and mining company, said their entity has submitted a preliminary proposal to the Liberian Government for the construction, development and long term operation of the iron ore deposit in Yekepa, Nimba County.

The Nimba Mines was first exploited by LAMCO, which left, causing LIMINCO to take over the industry in prewar Liberia.

However, Carr and Dosi disclosed that the proposal to the Liberian Government envisages an investment in excess of five hundred million USD.

"Production will restart within a year and about 1,000 job opportunities would be available during the reconstruction phase, while 3,000 jobs would be available for Liberians with other opportunities for Liberian contractors.

Heading an eight-man delegation to Liberia, Carr and Dosi said most of the trained former employees of LAMCO would be employed upon resumption of the operation of their company, saying that other benefits for this country would include the refurbishing of damaged rail track linking Yekepa to the Port of Buchanan, the rehabilitation of the Ganta-Yekepa road and the revamping of the Engineering College at the University of Liberia for the training of some of its local staff.

The LNM Group also plans to include portion of the Nimba mines into its steel plants to provide "captive market to prevent the mines from being affected by price fluctuation on the international market which had a devastating effect on Liberia's former iron mining operations." Besides, they said their company, with an estimated overturns of more than 20 billions United States dollars in excess in 2004, is currently operating in 14 countries across the world including eastern Europe, America and parts of Africa.

Carr and Dosi named South Africa and Algeria. "Our company is also operating 17 associated coal and iron ore lines, several rail networks, five ports and a global shipping line with more than 150,000 global employees," Dr. Carr said.

The company disclosed how several multi-billion US dollars investments are eagerly awaiting the stabilization of the Liberian conflict to invest in the country, saying that the granting of their proposal by the Liberian Government through a transparent process would demonstrate confidence to the international community to invest in Liberia.

Meanwhile, the LNM Group's delegation to Liberia commended Transitional Chairman Gyude Bryant and officials of the government for the "high level reception accorded while in the country."

EPA Conducts Training Workshop Under the project 'Enabling Activity To facilitate Early Action on the Implementation of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP), a training program for Pops inventories and Assessment will commence in Monrovia today at a local Hotel in Sinkor The two-day event will end on Tuesday October 20th with a tour of entities whose activities are related to pops.

The workshop will concentrate mainly on pops, inventories compilation and surveying of contaminated sites.

According to the National Project Coordinator, Mr. Henry Williams, the 30 beneficiaries of the program include members of the Technical Task Teams. In order to enhance the pops enabling Activity five Task Team have constituted including the Research Team.

The overall objective of the Enabling Activity is to strengthen national capacity and capability to prepare a national Implementation plain (NIP) for the management of persistent organic pollutants.

This plain will provide a basis and essential level of information to enable policy and strategic decisions to be made and identifies priority activities that Liberia should undertake in order to meet the requirements of the Stockholm convention.

Hence the involvement of all stakeholders such as Women, NGOs, Youth Groups, Retailers and users is the key to the success of this project.

Experts from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) will conduct the training program the two-day program.

The expected speaker for the program is the Minister of Agriculture George Karmee. The minister of Education Everlyn Kandakai, Lavili Supuwood, minister of Labor and Mr. Thirugnanasai Banthar FAO Country Representative are expected to make special remarks at the program.