LIBERIA: WEAK LEADERSHIP UNDERMINES COMMERCIAL FORESTRY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MONROVIA 000019 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O.12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR PGOV ECON EAID SENV LI SUBJECT: LIBERIA: WEAK LEADERSHIP UNDERMINES COMMERCIAL FORESTRY REFORM REF: MONROVIA 793 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Weak leadership at the Forestry Development Authority (FDA) has delayed resumption of commercial logging, placed millions of dollars of potential revenue at risk and jeopardized the success of the forestry reform program. The companies bidding on logging concessions consistently demonstrate weak financial and technical capability, and the FDA's failure to adequately follow law and regulation in the award of timber concessions is delaying contract awards and leaving the FDA vulnerable to litigation. While the findings contained in the latest United Nations (UN) Panel of Experts (POE) report are consistent with warnings and recommendations international advisors have shared with the FDA for months, FDA leadership has criticized those calling attention to problems and refused to take timely corrective action. This attitude may herald a return to "business as usual," which will adversely affect legitimate investment and sustainable, equitable growth in the sector. The success of the post-sanction commercial forestry reform program requires a renewed commitment on the part of FDA leadership to break with the past and concerted donor support for a responsible timber concession process. End Summary. CORNER-CUTTING UNDERMINES COMMERCIAL FORESTRY REFORM -------------- -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Under the pretext of achieving national Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) goals of increased revenue and job creation, the FDA has cut procedural corners in the first award of timber concessions since lifting of UN timber sanctions in 2006. This short-sighted approach has resulted in delayed resumption of commercial timber activities and failure to reach PRS targets. A rush to award additional concessions for once-in-a-generation Forest Management Contracts (FMCs) before resolving issues in the concession award process jeopardizes revitalization of the sector. ¶3. (SBU) The first three FMCs, totaling 600,000 acres, were advertised and awarded in mid-2008 and are with the President for signature. According to reports from the USAID-funded Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) advisor to the FDA, after the award of the contracts, but before presentation of the contracts to the President, someone reportedly altered the documents to substitute one single, up-front rental payment for the 25 annual payments in the original contract. The alteration effectively reduces the concessionaires' tax obligations by 96 percent, potentially giving away up to $50 million in government revenues. (Note: In an informal meeting with USG advisors in early December, one bidder admitted that the FDA had advised them not to worry about the obligation to pay the bid price annually over the 25-year life of the contract as stipulated in the bid documents. The bidders said the FDA officials told them that the annual payment obligation could be altered after the bids had been submitted. End note.) ¶4. (SBU) The FDA's Board of Directors officially learned of the situation in early November and decided to withdraw the contracts from the President's office and reinstitute the annual payment requirement. (Note: The role of the Board Chair, Minister of Agriculture Christopher Toe, in the document discrepancy thus far is unclear; in a meeting with the Ambassador and USAID Director November 21 he did say that he favored annual payments and was seeking to correct the contracts. End note). Post has inquired several times to the FDA since then to verify that the contracts have been recalled, but to date there is no indication they have been either withdrawn or corrected. ¶5. (SBU) Even before this alteration of the contracts, the process leading to the award of these three concessions was deeply flawed. World Bank and USAID advisors noted several irregularities: the prequalification did not screen out clearly unqualified companies; bid documents had not been approved by the Board; evaluation standards were not established in advance by the Inter-Ministerial Concession Commission (IMCC); and advertisements were not placed internationally, as required by the Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA). These violations could leave the FDA vulnerable to litigation, delay and embarrassment. They also make it difficult to attract responsible and capable firms able to rejuvenate the forest sector. A losing bidder has already appealed the award of the largest contract. Resolution may take months. ¶6. (SBU) In spite of these mistakes and repeated caution from advisors and civil society, the FDA proceeded to repeat many of the same errors as it began a new round of bidding for four large FMCs, encompassing one-third of Liberia's concessionable forest. According to international advisors, draft tender documents were riddled with errors, altered at the last moment (again to substitute MONROVIA 00000019 002 OF 003 a single rental payment for 25 annual payments),and initially advertised without legally-required Board and IMCC approval. The FDA advertised the bid documents in local newspapers but made only belated, perfunctory efforts to advertise internationally, again making it difficult to attract responsible and capable firms. ¶7. (SBU) Overall, the companies bidding on timber contracts are extremely weak and the FDA is doing little to enforce prequalification standards or attract firms that are more likely to perform as promised. USAID-supported due diligence efforts revealed that the winner of the largest FMC contract did not hold a valid prequalification certificate at the time of bidding. Most bidders are funded almost entirely by debt, not a single bidder has any appreciable equity, and only one appears to have reliable access to credit. For the six small concessions tendered earlier in 2008, only three contracts were executed because the other three winning bidders did not have sufficient capital. Of those contracts executed, only one is moving forward. Weak companies may not be able to execute contracts, to protect the forests, to live up to their community obligations, and to exercise environmental safeguards. Despite these well-known concerns, the FDA has so far taken few steps to attract stronger companies, and has shown lukewarm interest in USAID offers to support a pre-tender marketing campaign. The FDA has requested USAID assistance again to perform a due diligence assessment on the next round of FMCs. ADVICE IGNORED - ACCUSATIONS ABOUND -------------- ¶8. (U) The international community enthusiastically supports the FDA's commitment to a speedy resumption of commercial logging and has made many concrete contributions to that end. GEMAP, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and World Bank advisors have made numerous suggestions for improvements in the concession process; USAID has offered to assist the FDA with marketing and due diligence; and the Ambassador and USAID Director expressed concerns in a meeting with FDA Managing Director John Woods November 21. In each case, partners have raised concerns in the interest of avoiding the missteps that caused delay. ¶9. (SBU) However, FDA management does not see it that way. Woods wrote in an October e-mail that the advisors were engaging in a "deliberate attempt to try to retard our progress." He has accused some international advisors, in writing, of acts bordering on "economic sabotage" (a crime punishable by imprisonment),of subverting the national interest, and of putting personal interests ahead of those of the government. He has speculated, again in writing, on whether advisors are promoting the prequalification of stronger firms out of some "side motivation." Most of these communications have been widely circulated. UNITED NATIONS REPORT BRINGS ISSUE TO A HEAD -------------- ¶10. (U) In its December 2008 report, the UN Panel of Experts (POE) outlined the deficiencies in commercial timber reform during 2008, saying, "the actions of the Forestry Development Authority do not appear to be in compliance with some important requirements of the National Forestry Reform Law and its regulations regarding the process of awarding contracts for commercial timber concessions." The report detailed many of the missteps noted above with particular concern regarding the $50 million change in the payment terms for three FMCs after the conclusion of negotiations. ¶11. (SBU) Woods responded on December 17 in a widely circulated e-mail asserting that the POE report was "based on rumor." He charged that the POE was motivated by a desire to "undermine progress in the sector and sabotage the PRS." Woods deflected responsibility for the missteps and claimed the findings of the report suggested that U.S. Forest Service and GEMAP advisors were "not doing their jobs." ¶12. (SBU) Meanwhile, a leading Civil Society organization involved in the forestry sector responded to the POE report by publicly calling for Woods' resignation. In a December 19 letter to forestry stakeholders, Silas Siakor, Director of the Sustainable Development Institute (SDI),issued a plea "for those who have leverage with Hon. Woods... to ask him to resign and pave the way for the President to appoint a new Managing Director." Woods responded to the call by questioning the "genuine motive" of SDI. (Note: an NGO coalition including SDI had issued a statement in October raising concerns about a number of issues related to the forest sector. The FDA labeled the group as detractors determined to "sabotage" the sector and the PRS. End note.) MONROVIA 00000019 003 OF 003 ¶13. (SBU) USAID Mission Director sent an e-mail to Woods on December 18, 2008 requesting a response to the issues raised by the POE report, noting that they were the same issues that GEMAP and USFS had raised for months and the Ambassador and USAID Director discussed with Woods in November. Woods responded January 5, 2009. He conceded that the bid evaluation process had been flawed and blamed the GEMAP advisor for faulty due diligence conclusions. He vowed to outsource due diligence and follow a checklist of procurement procedures but did not suggest how the FDA intended to attract qualified firms. Woods declared that the altered contracts had been brought to his office and corrected in accordance with a Board resolution for 25 annual payments. (Note: Post has not been able to verify the status of the contracts. End note). COMMENT -------------- ¶14. (SBU) Liberia cannot afford to fail in its forestry reform efforts. "Business as usual" in the sector will adversely affect legitimate investment, sustainable and equitable growth, and possibly political stability. Everything in the POE report is consistent with the concerns and recommendations provided to the FDA by the GEMAP, USFS and World Bank advisors over the last several months. By disparaging those who are calling attention to problems, the FDA discourages timely corrective action. Partners stand ready to help FDA move ahead, but can only do so if the FDA managers remain committed to reform. ¶15. (SBU) Regrettably, current FDA management has proven itself incapable of making these reforms work. Meanwhile, donor patience with the FDA's poor performance is actually enabling the organization to revert to old habits that will gradually dismantle the reform program. The FDA needs leaders who are willing and prepared to carry the organization through a period of sober reflection and dynamic reform. This cannot be accomplished when those who offer well-intentioned advice are ignored and labeled saboteurs. ¶16. (SBU) Even if FDA leadership were removed today, however, the institution would remain fragile with severely limited capacity. Comprehensive and timely reform of the concession process for the once-in-a-generation FMCs may require a more intensive, urgent and comprehensive strategy including possibly outsourcing the concession process through a management contract. Such an initiative would require immediate, concerted support from donors: the alternative is confirmation that those who benefited under the old system can resume operations once the donors give up. THOMAS-GREENFIELD