Monrovia – Amid President George Manneh Weah’s pronouncement of a broke economy, a Liberian entrepreneur, Andrew N. Anderson, has offered to render free services to the Liberian Government.
Report by Gerald C. [email protected]
Speaking to FrontPageAfrica on Tuesday, February 27, Mr. Anderson, the General Manager of Gentle Clearing and Forwarding Company pledged to grant the government six years of free logistic services.
Gentle Clearing and Forwarding Company is a Liberian-owned business that is involved in the clearing and documentation process of cargo and machines from the Freeport of Monrovia and other ports of entry in Liberia for its several clients.
“In our own way, we decided to make our personal contribution to help this government morally.”
“I have decided to grant the government six years of free logistical service besides paying local charges.
Any Ministry that will bring in their documents in my office, Gentle clearing will offer free services besides paying local services to the government, that is APM Terminal handling charge and obtaining delivery order from the shipping line and transportation.”
“But when it comes to documentation from LRA, Commerce and BIVAC during declaration to have the Cargo cleared, my company is saying we are willing to carry on logistics services free for this George Weah’s administration for six years,” he vowed.
Meanwhile, Anderson has bemoaned the hurdles importers and clearing companies encounter in clearing goods and at the Freeport of Monrovia.
Speaking to FrontPage Africa, Anderson lamented that the lack of coordination between BIVAC and Custom, coupled with the poor service delivery system at some of the major players in the importation of goods and services is posing a serious set back in the operations of his business and other businesses.
“BIVAC will tell you that before bringing shipment in, it must be inspected over sea.”
“BIVAC will give you a document called Clean Report of Findings which indicates your duty and when you come to Liberia and receive your documents from BIVAC and you go do declaration with the intention that you are going to pay the duty that BIVAC has indicated, Custom will tell you no, the duty is not correct.”
“You’re supposed to pay additional. When you call BIVAC they will tell you the Custom people are doing their own thing.”
“Honestly, we want to know who is doing what; who is contradicting. Because I know BIVAC is not manufacturing, they are going by the book,” he explained.
He further accused APM Terminal of causing serious inconvenience for customers over the delay in giving out invoice, noting that customers would sit for more than five hours before being served invoice from India.
“And AMP terminal prolonging of generating invoice is killing us.”
“Nowhere in the world will you tell somebody to come pay money to you and tell them say they must wait must your invoice come from India before they send it by email.
Shipping is time. There is no time wasting. Every one-minute or two is important in shipping.”
“So, we need to address this issue. We have a young President, young government with lots of young forces.
“It’s time that we all speak out because we all want to be players and nobody wants to be a player no more.”
“We want to speak out. This is everyday thing. Lots of people complained a lot of time about the confusion.”
FrontPage Africa, in an effort to reach the management of AMP Terminal, BIVAC and the Bureau of Custom via mobile phone did not materialize as their phones rang continuously with no answer.
He further alleged that during the past government of, authorities at the Ministry of Commerce delayed the issuance of important documents in demand of kickbacks, something that adversely affected their businesses and the economy as well.
He averred that the delay in issuance of documents such as Import Permit Declaration (IPD) that permits importers to clear their goods from the port adversely affected the economy and Liberians.
He called on the new administration to do away with such corrupt practice and urged them that their actions should reflect the Coalition for Democratic Change’s “Change for Hope mantra that resonated well with the public.
“During the past government, when gasoline is coming into the country, we the agent of super Petroleum will go and process an IPD which should be given back within 24 hours.”
“This IPD will stay on somebody desk for more than one month because I don’t know the reason.”
” Maybe they want a kickback, they want a special envelop just to sign an IDP.”
“So, I am calling on Professor Wilson Tarpeh – we cried for change for hope, the change should come.”
“This time around the change should come. They must prove that there is change. “
“When we send IPD for processing, we should receive it within 24 hours. IPD don’t need to sit on somebody’s desk for two weeks,” he urged.