MONROVIA – The government of President Joseph Boakai has, for the second time, suspended Western Cluster’s Road Permit with immediate effect. This decision follows sustained pressure from the Liberian Senate and has led the Ministry of Public Works to suspend the Road User Permit (RUP-220620-004) granted to Western Cluster Limited (WCL) for the commercial hauling of iron ore along the Freeport of Monrovia to Bomi Hills Road corridor.
Recently, numerous Senators raised alarms about the operations of Western Cluster Liberia Limited, describing them as a “fiasco” that endangers lives, destroys public infrastructure, and depletes national resources for the benefit of foreign entities. The Senate’s investigation has unequivocally demonstrated that WCL is incapable of fulfilling its agreement with the government. Key findings reveal that WCL has consistently delayed the construction of a railway and port in Grand Cape Mount County, opting instead to use public roads for transporting iron ore. This misuse has caused significant damage to infrastructure.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Public Works reinstated WCL’s road user permit without conducting a critical environmental impact assessment, neglecting the safety and environmental hazards posed by the trucking of iron ore through densely populated areas.
In a decisive statement dated July 12, 2024, the Ministry of Public Works announced the immediate suspension of WCL’s permit, following a formal communication from the Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA). The EPA highlighted that WCL’s environmental permit for Class A Exploitation and Processing of Iron Ore Phase IBI (4MTPA DSO/Concentrate) expired on June 5, 2024, violating Liberia’s Environmental Protection and Management Law. The failure to renew the environmental permit within 30 days constitutes a direct violation of Section VI (G) of the Road User Permit, which mandates compliance with all environmental regulations and laws approved by the EPA.
The Ministry of Public Works underscored the severe health and safety risks to road users and the environment resulting from WCL’s non-compliance. As such, the Ministry has invoked Section VI (B) of the permit to suspend WCL’s operations immediately to protect public health and environmental safety. This suspension will remain in full effect until Western Cluster Limited provides documented evidence of compliance with Liberia’s environmental laws. Should WCL fail to rectify these violations within 60 days, the Road User Permit will be permanently revoked.
