| Overview : Liberia’s natural resources continues to be a major source of hope for inclusive economic growth and development, as well as social transformation. The management of these natural resources however has come under scrutiny through the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) concessionaires, whose operations were meant to generate employment and stimulate local economy. The sobering reality however is that concessions have not lived up to the expectations of the key stakeholders – the Government of Liberia, the investors, and the Project Affected Communities (PACs). While the decline in global commodity prices since 2011 has undermined revenues, progress in developing some of the concessions has been slow, particularly in the agriculture sector. Expected contributions to tax revenue and royalties from the investments have not been realized and local/community development spin-offs have not been delivered. Alongside these challenges, land concession conflicts and labour disputes associated with concessions continue to be a key driver of conflict. It is in view of the foregoing that qualified individual contractors are requested to review the attached Terms of Reference and submit their proposals as per the instructions provided in the attached TOR Notice. |
