The_Open_Door_deel1

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Souree:
- Annual Report, Department of Agriculture,
September 1, 1966 to August 31, 1967, p. 33.
Liberia; and the increased capacity of the ports, particularly
of Buchanan, Greenville and Harper. Secondly, the high prices
of tropical timber on the international markets. Lastly, the
gradual but (inevitable) depletion of forest resources in
neighbouring countries, notably in Ivory Coast.
General consensus seems to exist in the country with respect to
the number of logging companies operating in the country at the
end of 1973, viz., 32. The Bureau of Forest Conservation,
however, reported that the number of timber concession companies
grew from 6 in 1969 to 34 in 1973• After the great and
uncontrolled influx of companies in 1973 and 1974 (some
companies literally moved their - heavy - equipment across the
border coming overland from Ivory Coast) the administration of
Liberia's forest resources turned into a nearly complete chaos
which probably cost the nation millions of dollars. The number
of logging companies operating in the country as of the end of
1974 was 45 according to the Ministry of Planning and Economic
Affairs, 54 according to the Ministry of Agriculture (the Bureau
of Forest Conservation) whereas the Ministry of Finance (the
Concessions Secretariat) reported that in that year the number of
timber concessions had increased to 50 (38). One year later the
Ministry of Finance reported that at the end of 1974 the number
of forest concessions granted had amounted to 36, of which 33
had been engaged in active logging operations (39)- As a
consequence nobody seemed to know the exact total area committed
under timber concession agreements, forest utilization contracts,
survey permits, option areas, etc. As a result, any analysis of
the forestry sector and of Government's timber concession policy
in the 19 70's can only be sketchy.
In general, timber concessions are (very) readily granted in
Liberia - usually through the influence and political weight of
a "big shot". The signing of the agreement, however, is not
always followed by actual logging operations. Sometimes the
concessionaire does not even invest one dollar in equipment. In
some but not all of these cases the concession is sold to another
investor, with yet no guarantee that actual logging operations
will follow. In a few cases this change of ownership is
accompanied by a change in or a modification of the company's
name. There were also instances in which it proved more
attractive to negotiate and conclude an new concession agreement
for a new company with new privileges than to expand the
activities of the old company whose privileges (tax exemptions
e.g.) had expired. In other cases the concession rights lapsed
after a certain period and the company existed on paper only.