[ACCI-CAVIE] Tons of yellow machines landed at the Freeport of Monrovia on the 15th & 18th of January 2022 respectively and awaiting clearing. According to one of the Senior Managers & Engineer Mr. Archie Cooper of ABK Incorporated, there are different specifications of Caterpillar Machines that arrived at the Port. He stressed that the process his company went through to bring in the shipment was time worthy considering COVID-19, and it included the manufacturing, testing for performance and queueing for shipment.

He further informed FPA that these machines are in the country as a fulfillment of executing an equipment supply contract awarded to his company in June of last year. Few pieces of the consignment of equipment has been successfully cleared and the clearing process of the rest is ongoing.

According to the CEO of ABK Inc. Mr. Alieu B. Kromah, who quickly pointed out that, “Our country needs to give local companies a priority to help the Government achieve its developmental initiatives; that’s the only way we will see a significant impact in the entrepreneurial sector and the economy will have a balance” he added. He also informed FPA that his company is making strides to clear the consignment of brand new CAT Equipment from the Port of Monrovia for onward delivery to the Ministry of Public Works.

The CEO of ABK Inc. told FPA that the stock in the consignment contains 42 brand new pieces of equipment comprising of the following: Excavators, Motor Graders, Compacters, Wheel Loaders, Bull-Dozers, Asphalt Pavers, Dump Trucks, Bitumen Sprayer Trucks, Low-Bed & Tractor Heads, Water Sprayer Trucks, Mobile Service Trucks and Pick-Ups.

Meanwhile, Liberia has been listed amongst other African countries as underdeveloped, due to lack of adequate public infrastructures; mainly road connectivity. One institution that is held accountable by Liberians for the improvement of our public utilities is the Ministry of Public Works (MPW).

The Ministry (MPW) has suffered for many years without the authority to carry out its main function (Road Construction & Public Infrastructure management) because of policy difference since the Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s regime which subjected the MPW to only award contracts regarding road works and other public utilities.

This policy difference has since created a gap for at least 185 professionals from the Mobile Equipment Workshop Unit within the MPW; to include: machine operators and expert engineers trained by our country’s resources to be without job-functions up until now.

Now that the MPW is about to have its own fleet of equipment, if these machines are applied well according to a well-coordinated plan; there’s no doubt that these professionals and experts can once again contribute to the rebuilding of our nation and our public infrastructures will be improved.

Sometimes in June of last year, the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Public Works signed a contract with a local Liberian Company: ABK Alternative Equipment & Transportation Solution, located in Congo Town on the Tubman Boulevard. The terms of the contract between ABK & MPW is to supply the Ministry of works with quality equipment to enhance the Ministry’s ability to aggressively tackle roadworks and other infrastructural challenges.

By FPA Staff