The Sustainability Manager of the Golden Veroleum Liberia Mr. Willie Chea at a stakeholder meeting held on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 said the concessionaire has commenced upgrading its development map of River Gee County as part of its area of operations in the country.
“We came to do an assessment because if you look at the concession agreement, we have few counties that are part of our concession agreement and River Gee County is no exception. We have been in conversation with the River Gee caucus and the local authority for expansion, therefore we have come to do assessment and make a report to management”.
On his part, River Gee Senator Jonathan ‘Boy Charles’ Sogbie expressed thanks and appreciation to the Management of GVL for listening to their request and sending an assessment team, which according to him signals green light for development in the county.
“This is a wonderful day for me especially being part of a would be agreement. We understand that the private sector is the boost of any economy but for our country, it is the opposite. So we are trying our best to buttress the government’s effort in creating jobs outside of the public sector. And this is the first step in that direction, and I am grateful”.
Senator Sogbie praised GVL Management for being supportive and responsive.
“We are grateful to God that we are seeing this during our lifetime. I want to personally say thanks to GVL Chief Executive Officer(CEO), who has committed himself to his words and dispatched an assessment team barely after a series of engagements by us, I mean Senator Conmany B Wesseh and I”.
He noted that GVL should have started its operations in River Gee County but due to some unexplained reasons, it was prolonged.
“The conversation for GVL coming to River Gee County has been around for couple of years, for what reason it didn’t materialized, I don’t know, but few months ago, when we had hearing with respect to the labor law practice, we invited all those concession companies, and Senator Wesseh and I took the opportunity to have a conversation with the Management of GVL, that discussion is yielding good result. I don’t know how the concession will be spread around, but whatever comes out, it must impact our people’s lives”. Senator Sogbie emphasized.
In 2009, GVL started exploring opportunities to operate in Liberia with the goal of helping the Liberian government to reduce poverty through the provision of jobs, community development, education and health.
Golden Veroleum Liberia (GVL) is an oil palm developer, committed to long-term investment. As one of Liberia’s largest investors, its operation is bringing employment, infrastructure, education and healthcare to some of the poorest areas of the country.
In 2009, GVL was invited by the Liberian government to explore the potential for investment in the country. They consulted local communities in 2010, and development was widely welcomed. GVL is playing a key role in the government of Liberia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy and the economic revitalization of Liberia’s rural economy, by creating jobs and training employees in an extensive range of transferable skills, while contributing to infrastructure for the communities in which she works. Such development will ensure opportunity for environmental conservation and prosperity for communities, while working collaboratively with key stakeholders and efficiently for investors, ensuring stability, sustainability and investment returns. Reports Augustine Young Jr.