Credible information received by this paper says there are serious differences between the Executive Mansion and some State officials involved in the awards of Forest Management Contracts (FMCS) over a suggestion that the Government of Liberia should loan US$2.7m each to the International Consultative Capital (ICC) and Euro-Logging to help pay their annual contract and bid fees as well as land rental for forest Management Contracts (FMC) for areas "F" & "K".

An investigation by this paper revealed that as a fundamental Requirement for operating forest contracts in Liberia all logging Companies that were awarded contracts are expected to pay into government revenue a string of fees including taxes, bid and land Rentals.

FDA management has confirmed that up to and including November 19, 2009 only few logging companies have complied with the FDA regulation while ICC is making endless promises here and there with no concrete results. The information says Euro-logging is following the footsteps of the ICC and is giving countless excuses day after day, claiming that it is finding it difficult to transfer huge sum of money through an unnamed bank.

Insiders at the Finance Ministry have hinted this paper that there were attempts by both Euro-logging and ICC to settle their contract obligations to the government of Liberia through installments but that the suggestion was brushed aside on grounds that it would be unfair to those logging companies which have already paid and the exercise will contravene FDA's regulation.

UNITIMBER, one of the competitive bidders which was denied forest management contracts through a controversial awards process allegedly characterized by 'kickbacks' and the dumping of the bid evaluation guidelines has described the attempt to loan ICC or Euro-logging US$2,7m of taxpayers' money as double-standard.

An official of the company who begged not to be named said his company got reliable information that the suggestion was advanced by the Minister of Finance, Augustine N'Gafuan at a meeting of stakeholders held at the Finance Ministry recently.

He quoted the Minister as informing the gathering that the idea to help ICC and Euro-logging came from the Executive Mansion which has realized that the two companies do not have the resources to pay their taxes.

He further explained that the Minister said the idea to help ICC and Euro-Logging which recently displayed a horde of borrowed earth moving equipment is for political expediency and is intended to accommodate the varied interests of political heavyweight fronting for the two companies.

However, the official described such suggestion as shameful and called on the Executive Mansion to abandon the suggestion, noting, "such exercise is counterproductive to the operations of the forest industry in Liberia." He said if ICC and Euro-Logging cannot pay their taxes then it clearly shows that they not have the financial resources to manage and operate their respective forest contracts acquired through a controversial award process.

The official described ICC and Euro-Logging operations as questionable and added that the government should beware of 419s masquerading the length and breadth of Liberia as investors but cannot afford to pay taxes for areas in which they want to do business.

However, neither an official from the ICC nor Euro-Logging could not be reached for comments but a man who claimed to be an employee of ICC but refused to give his name told our reporter that the FDA extended its deadline for the payment of the US$2.7m but with a 5% fine.

He said what is mind-boggling is that if the ICC or Euro-Logging cannot pay their taxes now will they be able to pay when a penalty of 5% is added?

He accused some officials whom he did not name both at the FDA and the Inter-ministerial Concession Committee (IMCC) headed by Robert Tolbert of demanding too much under the table which he claimed has rendered his company cash-stricken.

"What we spent under the table as "cold water" to reach where we are today could defray the cost of all of our taxes, contract bid and fees," he said.

Already, eyebrows are being raised by some logging companies against the suggestion from the Executive Mansion that taxpayers' money be used to underwrite the tax obligations of ICC and Euro-logging. Some are even warning that they could either demand the refund of their money paid to government revenue or go to court if the government goes ahead with the decision.

Meanwhile, latest report reaching this paper says lawyers from the various logging companies have been holding meetings in preparation for possible lawsuit against the government of Liberia if it goes ahead to loan US$2.7m to the ICC or Euro-Logging. Investigation continues.