IPNews-Grand Bassa Co.: Nearly 14 years into its mining operations in Liberia, residents in affected communities within the operational areas of world steel giant, ArcelorMittal will now begin to feel the direct impacts of proceeds given to the Liberian government.

As part of the new arrangement intended to impact the lives of local community residents, ArcelorMittal Liberia has launched the Community Development Fund (CDF) for its operational areas.

Speaking Wednesday during the lunch of the fund, ArcelorMittal Liberia, head of Government Relations Marcus S. Wleh noted that the company is delighted for the lunch of the community development fund.

Wleh indicated that this fund has to do with the twenty percent (20%) that the company withholds from the Country’s social development fund (CDF) for the affected communities in which they operate.

Such amount has not been given for 14 years to the affected communities in Nimba, Grand Bassa and Bong Counties.

“ArcelorMittal Liberia is happy that the community development fund is being lunch today. The community development fund is the official name for the 20% of the county social development fund that ArcelorMittal has been authorized by the government to disburse directly to the communities,” Wleh said.

According to the Company Head of Government Relations, the Community Development Fund signifies a very good example of the strong partnership between the private sector and the government of Liberia.

He further added that the fund is intended to promote real sustainable development within their mining areas in the country.

Marcus S. Wleh: “The purpose of this amount is to fund development projects of communities that are in our operational areas. This year all of the projects have being identified and it’s in the management guidelines”.

Wleh disclosed that the total fund available for this year’s projects are in the tone of eight-hundred, forty thousand United States dollars (US$840,000) to be distributed among three counties.

He named Grand Bassa, Bong and Nimba Counties as the three counties for the distribution of the fund.

In response, Representatives of the three counties expressed appreciations to the company and the government for reaching this agreement.

Representative Joseph Sonwarbi of Nimba County in a brief remark stated, the action by the company is a clear demonstration that there is a need for public private partnership in the country.

“Giving this 20% which is meant to go the communities of impact, I think for the government since the inception of ArcelorMittal in Liberia since 2006 is now that ArcelorMittal is looking at working closely with impacted communities of their operations” Rep. Sonwarbi noted.

For his part, Representative Albert Hill of Bong County asserted that the move is a good beginning for the public private partnership in the country and this is the first of its kind in many years in Liberia.

“The 20% withheld by ArcelorMittal which is going directly to our people within the affected communities is a sign of giving power back to our affected citizenry,” Hill said.

Representative Vincent Willie who spoke on behalf of the of the Grand Bassa County Legislative Caucus voiced that since the company came into the country, communities have not directly benefited from said fund and it is under their leadership as Representatives of the counties this is coming to actualization.

Representative Willie cautioned his colleagues to properly review the agreement between the government of Liberia and ArcelorMittal but with a keen interest on this portion that has to do with the communities development fund be given to the communities before the CDF is deposited into the account of the central government.