The Daily Observer has reliably learnt that, prior to the unfolding issue of pending redundancies at Firestone Liberia, the company had been put up for sale and there are intense ongoing negotiations with a European firm that is currently engaged in natural rubber production in Liberia. In an exclusive visit extended the Daily Observer to the concession area in 2018, the outgoing General Manger of Firestone Liberia, Eduardo Garcia, noted that Liberia currently produces about 0.6 percent of the world’s rubber supply. Interestingly, the Liberian administration does not provide any information to the public to indicate what price Bridgestone is using to buy latex from the Liberian Firestone Rubber Plantation. “Headcount reductions will take place throughout the company’s operations and will include retirements, discontinuation of certain work contracts, and redundancies,” the Firestone Liberia statement said. According to Mr. Garcia, Firestone Liberia employs well over 6,800 persons, though the plantation is host to around 80,000.

Source: Daily Observer March 20, 2019 02:26 UTC