The_Open_Door_deel1

-449-
National Legislature, This decision, however, was accompanied by
a move in which the coastal counties, where the Americo-Liberian
population dominated the tribal people politically, were expanded
to the detriment of the Hinterland area (1964). When, in the
following decade, the official Liberian policy with respect to
the use of Liberian manpower by foreign investors became one of
"Liberianization" this mainly referred to the employment of
highly qualified people who almost by definition were Americo-
Liberians. Since the nuiiiber of Americo-Liberians with a good educations
often obtained abroad, was increasing and since the already
overpopulated ministries could no longer absorb those who
had returned from abroad after successfully completing their
studies, there was a need to find well paid jobs for these relatives
and friends of those in power. This, in fact, formed the
basis of the "Liberianization" policy which in 1973 was introduced
by President William Tolbert,
The wealthy and politically powerful Liberians continued to prefer
the employment of foreigners, even at managerial level, in
enterprises of their own despite the lip-service publicly paid
to "Liberianization". Without any difficulty, some twenty "exceptions"
to the official Liberianization policy can be shown.
It is concerned here with private enterprises, owned by Liberians
as well as public corporations and partially Government owned
companies. The most notable example is the multi-million dollar
business empire of the Tolbert family, the Mesurado Group of Companies,
with investments in Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,
England and The Bahamas. A group of Englishmen had been hired in
the 1970's which was responsible for the daily operations of the
various companies. There were also other examples of expatriate
management of Liberian owned enterprises. President Tolbert's
rice, rubber and palm oil farm in Belafanai, Bong County, was
run by an expatriate from the Phillipin.es; the W.V.S. Tubman Estate
in Maryland County which produced rubber, was being managed
by a Chinese; Charles D. Sherman's palm oil plantation in Grand
Cape Mount County was headed by an expatriate from Belgium and
Libtraco, another fully owned Liberian Company, employed foreigners
in managerial positions (Germans).
Publicly owned enterprises and ventures such as Air Liberia,
Robertsfield International Airport, Robertsfield Hotel, Ducor
Hotel, Africa Hotel, the entire O.A.U. Conference Center as well
as the Liberian Produce Marketing Corporation (L.P.M.C.), the
Liberian Rubber Processing Corporation (L.R.P.C.), the Liberian
Rubber Articles Manufacturing Company (LIRAMCO), Agrimeco, and
the Liberian Petroleum Refining Company (L.P.R.C.) were managed
by expatriates or by foreign companies holding management contracts.
The same applied to partially Government owned companies
such as the National Iron Ore Company (N.I.O.C.), the Liberian
Bank for Industrial Development (L.B.I.D.), the Central Printing
Press Inc., and the Liberia Timber and Plywood Corporation (formerly
called Vanply of Liberia) which is 51% owned by the True
Whig Party.