NPA, APM Terminals Sign New Deal

–As NPA Highlights Major Achievements

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.

The government of Liberia through the National Port Authority (NPA) has signed a new five-year (5yrs) agreement with the APM Terminals.

NPA Acting Managing Editor, Celia Cuffy-Browne

APM Terminals is a foreign company currently operating the marine services operation of the National Port Authority at the Free Port of Monrovia.

Making the disclosure at a news conference Friday, June 1, 2018 at the NPA head office on the Bushrod Island, NPA Deputy Managing Director for operation and Acting Managing Director, Madam Cecelia Cuffey Brown says Liberia stands to benefit greatly from this new agreement.

“Our administration has succeeded in signing a new deal with the APM Terminals through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which focuses on both the marine services operation and weigh bridge operation at the National Port Authority (NPA), at the Free Port of Monrovia. This new agreement will last for five years period and may be renew in keeping with the terms and conditions of the agreement,” Madam Cuffey Brown revealed.

Super post Panamax cranes work the Emma Maersk at APM Terminals Algeciras Spain

She assured port users and the business community that this new agreement would in no way affect the cost in the clearing of a containers from the port by business people.

Brown said this would not have been successful without the fullest support of President George Weah, adding that the President’s vision and love for country facilitated the many gains made by the NPA.

The NPA Acting Managing Director stated that consistent with this new agreement, the APM Terminals would begin to pay the government of Liberia fifteen percent (15%) royalty on total annual revenue generated from the marine services operation.

“After the APM Terminals pay fifteen percent (15%) royalty on total annual revenue generated from the marine services operation to NPA, expenditure and taxes will be taken out and the remaining profit will be divided between the APM Terminals and the NPA equally,” Brown said.

The NPA boss disclosed that the APM Terminals has agreed to pay the total of 1.25million United States dollars to the NPA as arrears for the last two years the company operated the marine services and at the same time provide training for port workers within the five years period of the agreement.

The NPA acting head revealed that under the agreement for the operation of the weigh bridge by the APM Terminals, the company would annually give the sum of 37.5million United States to the NPA out of its growth.

Brown stated that NPA family sees this new arrangement between the NPA and APM Terminals as a major boost to the President’s vision and accomplishment for the Liberian people as they all strive to implement the Pro-Poor agenda of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)

However, she indicated that the NPA would be engaging other areas and companies that are indebted to the NPA within the coming days and months so as to legally claim those revenues.

She named smith, a private company that has allegedly operated the marine services at the Port of Buchannan for many years without paying a dime to the NPA

Meanwhile, the NPA acting boss has assured the Liberian people of collecting all NPA legitimate monies from every area on behalf of the government.