Development Insight of Liberia. Jeety Rubber LLC under the spotlight:

10 JAN 2023 LISTEN

As part of my final paper last year to acquire my MA, I wrote an intensive research paper entitled: ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF INDUSTRIAL SECTOR ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIBERIA (2000-2020). This paper was 40% economical and 60% more developmental due to the complexities of development issues trending in Liberia. The paper examined the effect of the industrial sector on the development of Liberia. The specific objectives of the study were to analyze the trend of GDP per capita and its determinants, and to determine the effect of the industrial sector on the economic development of Liberia.

Before the civil war in Liberia, manufacturing and construction accounted for around 20 percent of the GDP; that figure dropped to 10 percent by 2000. Manufacturing was dominated by iron-ore production and rubber processing, but domestic and industrial consumption goods were also produced. The size of the local market in Liberia is very small (the United States market is 15,000 times larger in terms of purchasing power), and this makes investment to produce goods for domestic consumption in Liberia unattractive. The largest industries in the nation are forestry, mining, energy, and communications. Rubber and timber have been the main export products from Liberia since the civil war ended.

There are 5 major sectors in industry sectors of development and the raw materials industry is the primary sector of any economy from this development perspective. Fortunately, rubber is key in this effect and this is where the Jeety Rubber LLC comes in. As many of us are aware, industrial development plays a pivotal role in economic uplift. It raises the productive capacity of the people and creates ever-increasing employment opportunities. The lack of industrial development and its socioeconomic impacts in Less Developed Countries has continued to be a problem. And Liberia is no exception to this problem.

For over 100 years of effective and revenue maximization in Liberia dating back as far as 1926, the Firestone Liberia LLC has raised billions of USD in revenues from the Liberian economy . Yet, failed to build a single sub-company to process and produce rubber materials like tires, hand gloves, bucket and many usable materials that can be made from rubber. Under the largest rubber company in Liberia, Liberia has become an export substitutional country for over 90years even though Firestone primary responsibilities are:

Investment in the Liberian Economy
Sustainable Local Employment
Providing Social Development, etc.

These and many more are enough reasons to frown at their operations in Liberia.

With their low contributions to the Liberian economy contextually as it should be, we’re now witnessing a new era in the industry with the coming of a branded and well-structured rubber company called Jeety Rubber LLC.

In the picture below with Liberia’s President George Weah is Indian businessman and Philanthropist, Mr. Upjit Singh Sachdeva commonly known as Jeety. This businessman is now constructing a US$25 million Rubber Processing Factory in Margibi County to produce tyres for the first time in Liberia since the coming into existence of the Firestone Rubber Company. This company that is being constructed by Jeety will have many facilities for smooth operations. It is being built on 132,000 sq ft of land in Margibi City. Initially, businessman Jeety intended to have established this company in Ivory Coast, Abidjan, but the President of Liberia, Dr. George Weah, who in his wisdom wanted more private sector jobs into the country, pleaded with Jeety to build the company in Liberia. The concession agreement was signed in December of last year with good appealing clauses that will favour the company as well. This is a massive development from an employment service spectrum that should be celebrated by all Liberians.

THE BENEFITS TO THE CITIZENS OF LIBERIA??

Liberia has a large but unskilled work force – the unemployment rate is estimated to be around 80%, with a large youth population 60% of its population is under the age of 2 and low adult literacy levels estimated to be at 55.5% from my development research.

Under the Sirleaf’s Administration, the Government recognizes that in the short term, mass employment opportunities will need to be created for unskilled to semi-skilled workers as a means of immediate poverty alleviation but also as a way of creating a stable political environment and inclusive growth. These opportunities will be offered in the labor intensive sectors such as mining, forestry, rubber and agriculture. The Government however recognizes that Liberia is not immune to the forces of globalization – and that it will eventually shape the demands on Liberia’s labor force, and also require Liberia to respond to the opportunities it will present, particularly as Liberia competes with other countries to insert itself into value chains which are increasingly international and competitive.

Employment
Health
Education
Local Community development
Social transformation
Investment in the Liberian Economy
Infrastructural development etc..

Isnt the above worth celebrating for the people of Margibi County and Liberia at large? I believe you’ll agree with me that it is indeed a massive development and we hold a big thank you to the Weah’s administration for this endeavours. Like Jeety, we encourage all private investors and companies operating in Liberia to adapt to the “Liberia Development First” ideology. This is significant to our growth and development as a country. Thank you, Jeety. You’re a man on a mission to see Liberia being developed industrial wise and we congratulate your kind. We’ll discuss the above benefits to the citizens of Liberia relative to the Jeety Rubber LLC in our next piece. Liberia is developing. Liberians will benefit.