By Langston Joe Wilson, LINA Maryland County Correspondent
PLEEBO, June 10 (LINA) – The Government of Liberia, through the National Bureau of Concessions (NBC), has commenced a comprehensive compliance audit of two major agricultural concessionaires in the southeastern part of Liberia.
The Maryland based Cavalla Rubber Corporation (CRC) and Maryland Oil Palm Plantation (MOPP) in 2011 signed separate concession agreements with the Government of Liberia for the production and processing of rubber and oil palm respectively.
According to the Director General of the National Bureau of Concessions, Theodore Momo, Jr., the compliance audit, monitoring and evaluation exercise seeks to assess the extent to which the two companies have adhered to the terms and conditions outlined in their separate concession agreements, particularly with regard to labor practices, environmental obligations, social responsibilities, and financial commitments to the government and affected communities over the years.
The exercise, which is in response to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s request to the national legislature for the visitation of all concessions in Liberia, was recently triggered by a communication from Maryland County District #2 Representative Anthony F. Williams, calling on the plenary of the House of Representatives to review the concession agreements of the Cavalla Rubber Corporation and that of the Maryland Oil Palm Plantation.
The NBC boss noted that the audit will also examine the companies’ fulfillment of community development obligations, including infrastructure, education, and health initiatives promised under their respective contracts.
Director General Theodore Momo assured the public that the government remains committed to ensuring that all concessionaires operate in accordance with the laws of Liberia and the agreements they have signed, adding that this exercise is not intended to penalize companies, but to track fact-based information that will aid the pending review process of both agreements.
According to him, senior managerial staff from both companies have acknowledged the exercise and expressed their willingness to cooperate fully with the team.
The exercise, which is a prerequisite to the visitation of concession agreements, is expected to last for one week.
The initiative, he said, began on Thursday, June 5, 2025, with a technical meeting with top management of CRC and MOPP.
“By law, before a concession agreement is reviewed, the NBC conducts the M&E and compliance exercise to inform the government on revenue, labor, education, health and environmental issues ahead of time,” The NBC boss narrated.
As part of enhancing transparency and accountability, Director General Momo disclosed that the NBC is collaborating with local representatives of the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Liberia Revenue Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency to cross-examine reports from various departments of the companies.
On the other hand, the inter-ministerial team is hosting separate discussions with experts, Multi-stakeholders Platform (MSP) traditional leaders, youth and women groups from affected communities and the leaderships of CRC and MOPP workers unions to hear from them about the company’s compliance and delinquencies.
He told journalists that the exercise also includes sightseeing tours to verify the existence of all that are documented in relation to environmental issues, infrastructure and corporate social responsibility, and employment opportunities, after which the NBC will compile its findings with recommendations and submit to the office of the President for any corrective action.
He disclosed that the initiative forms part of a broader effort to strengthen oversight of concession agreements across the country, as the government ensures that natural resource exploitation leads to tangible benefits for its citizens.
