Authorities of China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC) Liberia Limited have committed the firm to the economic empowerment of Liberians through more jobs creation and training opportunities to enhance national growth and development.
CGGC Liberia, a Chinese-owned mining services entity, has since January 2015 served as the sole producer and distributor of commercial mining explosives and has also been involved in the provision of additional mining services to prominent mining companies in Liberia, China and Turkey, among others.
The company caters to a coordinated workforce that includes about 22 foreign and over 75 local staff (as well as daily hire hands).
Its management told the Liberia News Agency (LINA) on Tuesday that the company remains committed to increasing its labor force, hoping that the Liberian economy will improve further so as to give rise to the condition where more Liberians will be recruited to work.
Jason Dong, Deputy General Manager of CGGC Liberia, explained that the company has struggled to reach its current status as previous economic conditions at the start of its operations occasioned a slump in the growth of the company, leading the entity into a structural readjustment which saw the reduction of staff (mainly foreign employees).
Given the nature of handling explosive contents, the business of commercial explosive is associated with a lot of risks, Jason told LINA, noting that CGGC has ensured that explosive contents are well maintained and that the company’s explosive storage magazine is one of the best in Africa because the firm complied fully with all international standards and measures before it was built.
On whether or not CGGC is in compliance with strict security protocols given the sensitivity of the job they do, Jason said the company is doing just that with all regulations set by relevant authorities, disclosing that agents of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) do a regular inspection of the storage magazine and adjoining facilities after a period of three months.
According to him, during the shipment of its commodities to Liberia, the company usually writes the Ministry of Lands, Mines and Energy for permission, and the ministry, in turn, informs the Ministry of Justice, which is clothed with the authority to grant a clearance to the entity.
Though the company said it has not experienced or incurred any casualty as the result of an accident, Jason disclosed that CGGC is also committed to its social responsibility as the company is paying an annual social fund of US$10,000 to surrounding communities where it is operating under a three-year commercial explosive agreement with government.
Amidst its urge to provide more employment opportunities for Liberians in years to come, the CGGC Deputy General Manager said that Liberia has the prospect of growing beyond its current status.
Terming Liberia as a developing country, Jason believes that judging from what the country used to look like in the past, the nation is now achieving its development goal, adding that this will happen gradually.
Speaking about the level of reception here, Jason noted: “I have noticed that Liberians are great, trusted and generous people.”
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