VZCZCXRO9484
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHMV #0960/01 2141601
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021601Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY MONROVIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9066
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY 0007
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MONROVIA 000960 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W-AOKEDIJI, INR/AA-BGRAVES, AF/EPS, EB 
AID FOR AFR/WA-SSWIFT 
ACCRA AND DAKAR FOR FCS 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV ECON EPET ETRD EINV EFIN ASEC EAID LI
SUBJECT: LIBERIA ECONOMIC BRIEFS -- August 2007 
 
REF: A: MONROVIA 889 
B: MONROVIA 913 
 
¶1. (U) Following is a summary of recent economic and commercial 
developments in Liberia. 
 
---------------------- 
PRESIDENT SIGNS BUDGET 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (U)  President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf signed into law the 
FY2007-08 national budget on July 31.  The US$199.3 million budget 
is over 50% larger than the approximately $130 million budget for 
FY2006-07.  The budget is also roughly $16 million higher than the 
original draft submitted by the government in May.  The national 
legislature added several items, including increased salaries for 
civil servants.  A House proposal to create a legislative 
constituency fund for county development that would be administered 
by the legislature was deleted in last minute negotiations with the 
President.  The House passed a budget bill on July 18 (ref A) and 
the Senate made further changes to the bill, passing it to the House 
Ways and Means Committee for agreement, before passing the amended 
bill on July 24 (ref B).  The full House did not vote on the precise 
bill that was ultimately passed by the Senate and signed into law by 
the President. 
 
---------------------- 
DIAMOND MINING RESUMES 
---------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The Government of Liberia lifted the moratorium placed on the 
mining of diamonds in the country on July 26.  According to A. 
Kpandel Fayia, Deputy Minister of Planning at the Ministry of Lands, 
Mines and Energy, the Ministry began issuing diamond Class B and C 
licenses on July 30, 2007.  The licenses will be issued to alluvial 
and small-scale miners, sellers and brokers.  The lifting of the 
moratorium comes after the United Nations lifted sanctions in April 
and Liberia fulfilled all requirements for participation in the 
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme in May 2007.  Ten regional 
diamond offices are planned, of which seven are operational, but the 
government still faces numerous capacity constraints.  The Ministry 
currently has only ten diamond-mining agents responsible for 
checking and approving an enormous stack of new license 
applications.  The issuance of large scale Class A licenses await 
final approval of a new model Mineral Development Agreement and 
associated policy framework currently under deliberation at the 
Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy. 
 
------------------------- 
GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES LEITI 
------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U)   The Government of Liberia launched the Extractive Industry 
Transparency Initiative for Liberia (LEITI) on July 10, 2007.  In 
attendance were representatives of international partners including 
the U.S., the United Nations, European Union, African Development 
Bank, African Union, Economic Community of West African Community 
and representatives from the private sector.  LEITI will be overseen 
by a steering group composed of the Ministry of Finance, Chairman; 
Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy, Co-Chairman; Ministry of 
Internal Affairs; Forestry Development Authority; Liberia 
Reconstruction Development Committee; National Oil Company of 
Liberia; House Committee of Lands, Naturals resources and 
Environment; Liberia Bar Association; Publish What You Pay 
Coalition; Mittal Steel Liberia Limited; AmLib United Minerals; 
World Bank; African Development Bank; UNDP; U.S.; IMF; EC and DFID. 
 
--------------------------------- 
MINING AND OIL EXPLORATION UPDATE 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) OIL EXPLORATION:  The National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) 
on July 18 certified and presented a signed and ratified copy of an 
agreement for Broadway Consolidated Plc exclusive exploration of oil 
in Block LB 13 in offshore waters. The Production sharing agreement 
between Broadway Consolidated Plc and NOCAL grants Broadway a period 
of eight years divided into three phases to work Block LB13. 
 
¶6. (U) Broadway is one of five companies that won bids to work 6 
blocks out of the 17 blocks demarcated after a 2D seismic survey 
conducted by TGSNOPEC Geophysical Company of Houston.  The other 
companies are: Repsol-YPF (Spain) - block LB16; Oranto Petroleum 
(Nigeria) - block LB11; Regal Petroleum Plc (London) - blocks LB8 
and LB9; and Woodside (Australia) - block LB15. Oranto Petroleum is 
the only other company that has a signed and ratified agreement with 
NOCAL.  The ability of companies like Broadway Consolidated and 
Regal Petroleum to raise the funds for an effective exploration 
 
MONROVIA 00000960  002 OF 003 
 
 
program remains an issue.  Broadway is new to oil exploration and 
there are allegations that their acquisition of oil licenses and 
approximately three million acres of mining concessions were linked 
to their strong ties to officials of the Ministry of Lands, Mines 
and Energy during the National Transitional Government of Liberia 
(NTGL) and not to their expertise or financial viability. 
 
----------------------------- 
STRATEGIC COMMODITIES UPDATE 
----------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) RICE:  The Government of Liberia through the Liberia Produce 
Marketing Corporation (LPMC) and the Ministry of Commerce has 
imported 6,000 metric tons of butter rice to be sold at US$20.00 per 
bag of 100 pounds.  Representatives from ECOBANK and International 
Bank confirmed that the rice was purchased from Novell Commodities 
based in Switzerland through a letter of credit of US$2.1 million 
guaranteed by ECOBANK (Liberia) Limited (US$900,000), International 
Bank (Liberia) Limited  (US$700,000) and LPMC (US$500,000). 
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the importation of the rice 
and its sale below the agreed official price was "goodwill" to 
Liberians during the July 26 independence celebrations.  This is the 
first time after several years that LPMC has participated in the 
sale of rice.  Prior to the civil conflict, LPMC purchased and 
marketed produce from farmers and sold Parboiled rice given to 
Liberia under the US Government PL-480 program.  Although the 
government has mandated that the rice be sold at below market rates, 
there are already reports that retailers are hoarding the rice to 
sell at higher prices later. 
 
--------------------- 
BANKING SECTOR UPDATE 
--------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has indicated that the 
banking sector is healthier than it was a year ago. The CBL 
indicated that this positive outlook is based on the stronger 
capital and loan position of commercial banks.  The capitalization 
at commercial banks showed an improvement from negative 17.3 percent 
in March of 2006 to positive 16.1 percent as of May 2007.  The 
proportion of non-performing loans has declined from 61 percent to 
41 percent in March.  According to the CBL, all commercial banks now 
have the agreed minimum capital requirement under prudential 
guidelines to operate.  Gross assets have increased by 24 percent 
over the level recorded in December 2006 and by 46 percent over the 
level recorded in March 2006. 
 
¶9. (U) The CBL has indicated that it has met all the benchmarks 
agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Staff 
Monitored Program.  The CBL disclosed that its net international 
reserves increased from US$9 million in March 2006 to US$29.2 
million as of June 30, 2007.  The CBL conducts regular foreign 
exchange auctions through the various commercial banks and has 
provided US$9.76 million since January. 
 
------------------- 
AGRICULTURAL UPDATE 
------------------- 
 
¶10.  (U) On July 13, 2007 the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and 
London-based Equatorial Biofuels (EBF) signed a Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) that will ensure the conclusion of an investment 
agreement for the development of oil palm. The MOU commits the MoA 
and EBF to finalize an agreement for presidential approval not later 
than August 3, 2007.  EBF was granted a management contract for 
Fendell, Decoris and Butaw oil palm plantations in Montserrado, 
Maryland and Sinoe counties respectfully.  Equatorial Biofuels was 
formerly called Nardina Resources PLC and was renamed after 
acquiring Liberia Forest Products for US$800,000 which owned rights 
to the three oil palm plantations. 
 
¶11. (U) The Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the United Nations has concluded the distribution of 
2,608 metric tons of high yielding rice seeds to 101,400 farming 
families throughout the country.  The distribution of the rice seeds 
suitable for upland and lowland ecologies commenced in March 2007. 
The program was implemented with assistance from NGO partners with 
funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) of the 
United Nations.  The seed distribution focused on internally 
displaced families that were returning to their homes. 
 
----------- 
AGOA UPDATE 
----------- 
 
¶12. (U) Liberia participated in the Sixth African Growth and 
Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum held in Accra, Ghana from July 18-19, 
 
MONROVIA 00000960  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶2007.  Since its acceptance to AGOA in January, the GOL has set the 
task of developing a National Trade and Export Promotion Strategy 
that will ensure the country benefits from AGOA.  Initial targets 
for the strategy include coffee, cocoa, crafts, spices, rubber and 
wood products. 
 
BOOTH