-Says Procurement Still at Planning Stage
MONROVIA, Liberia — The Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday rejected media reports that it awarded a US$429,009 contract to renovate the Monrovia Industrial Park, saying an inter‑agency board approved a quarter‑year operational budget but no construction contract has been issued and procurement remains at the planning and compliance stage.
In a statement, the ministry said the Monrovia Industrial Park (MIP) Inter‑Agency Advisory Board met on Oct. 22, 2025, with quorum and approved an adjusted operational budget for urgent works to improve security, sanitation and infrastructure at the park. “Contrary to the media report, no contract has been awarded to any construction company, and no construction work has commenced,” MOCI said. “We have fully complied with all legal and administrative procedures.”
The Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) approved the MIP procurement plan on Oct. 30, specifying methods and timelines, according to the ministry. Expressions of Interest are slated for publication on Monday, Nov. 3. “All procurement activities remain at the planning and compliance stage,” the statement added.
What The Board Approved
The resolution, which MOCI says was signed by nine of the 10 board members or their accredited representatives, authorized spending in the last quarter of FY2025 on:
- Construction and furnishing of an MIP office building
- Construction of security booths, two major gates and three smaller access gates
- Renovation of the existing MIP office
- Erection of a concrete wall and wire fence to secure the park
- Resurvey of MIP land
- Garbage removal and disposal
- Recruitment of security guards
- Installation of signboards for visibility and wayfinding
Governance And Quorum
The MIP is governed by an Inter‑Agency Advisory Board created under a 2017 administrative regulation that transferred oversight of the park from the National Investment Commission to MOCI. The board includes the Ministries of Commerce and Industry; Finance and Development Planning; Public Works; Justice; and Labor; plus the Environmental Protection Agency, National Investment Commission, Liberia Business Association, Liberia Revenue Authority, and Liberia Chamber of Commerce.
MOCI said invitations for the Oct. 22 meeting were sent to the heads of member institutions. While the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning did not have a representative in attendance, the regulation sets quorum at seven members—not specific institutions—so decisions were “legally valid and procedurally sound,” the ministry said, adding it has received no formal challenge to any representative’s authority or signature on the resolution.
Background on the Park
Established by an act of the Legislature in February 1966 on 1,112 acres, the Monrovia Industrial Park was designed as an estate for local and foreign manufacturers between the Mesurado River Bridge and the Gardnersville access road. MOCI says encroachment has reduced the site to about 200 acres, now occupied by small and medium manufacturers producing nails, flour, paint, oxygen and steel rods.
Why The Budget
Now MOCI said tenants and users had submitted complaints about “deplorable conditions,” citing lack of security, electricity, waste management and exposure to encroachment. An initial emergency board meeting on Oct. 14 failed to achieve quorum and was rescheduled for Oct. 22, when the budget was approved.
Call For Fact‑Checking
Inviting reporters and civil society to visit the park to verify that no construction is underway, MOCI urged “responsible and accurate reporting,” arguing that misinformation undermines public confidence and distracts from efforts to promote industrial growth and jobs.
“The Inter‑Agency Advisory Board remains the sole approving authority for all funding and project implementation decisions related to the MIP,” the ministry said. “We have complied with PPCC requirements and are proceeding in line with the approved procurement plan.”
