Introduction

Through the Ministry of Public Works, in close cooperation with the Association of Construction Contractors (ALCC), the Chamber of Architects (LCA), the Engineering Society of Liberia (ESOL), the Chamber of Commerce (LCC) and the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Government of Liberia enacted a new system called the Contractors Classification and Certification System (CCCS).

This is to regularize the infrastructure sector of Liberia by categorizing construction companies in the country. The categorization is based on the companies’ abilities to carry out works that they are certified to implement to ensure quality and durability of infrastructure works in Liberia.

The CCCS was launched on October 4, 2012 and the CCCS registration and categorization processes started on January 2, 2013.

Objectives

The CCCS has four (4) core objectives and they are as listed below:

1. To maximize economy and efficiency in public works procurement and obtain the best value for public expenditures for the transport and social infrastructures by prequalifying construction contractors according to rules and standards set by MPW.
2. To ensure participating companies have the full capacity to implement projects based on the MPW’s established qualification requirements.
3. To operate an electronic information system that is opened to the public in order to achieve transparency and accountability in the procedures and processes of the CCCS.
4. To contribute to the growth of Liberia’s private sector by building its capacity towards better construction performances.

Advisory Committee

The CCCS has an Advisory Committee that comprises of members from the following institutions:

1. Ministry of Public Works 2 persons
2. Association of Liberia Construction Contractors 1 person
3. Engineering Society of Liberia  1 person
4. Liberia Chamber of Architects 1 person
5. Liberia Chamber of Commerce 1 person
6. Civil Society Member (CSM) (Vacant) 1 person

Categories

The CCCS has three categories that are divided into 49 classifications. A.1 is for General Road Works and A.2 to A.18 are subcategories of the Transport Infrastructure section. B.0 to B.12 is for General Building Works and there are subcategories within the Social (Building) Infrastructure section as well.

Please see details below:

(1) Transport Infrastructure (28) 

A.1 - Road construction
A.2 - Bridge construction
A.3 - Drainage systems and culverts
A.4 - Routine maintenance of asphalt paved roads
A.5 - Granular and stabilized sub-base and base structures
A.6 - Mechanized routine maintenance of gravel and earth roads
A.7 - Maintenance and rehabilitation of bridges and major culverts
A.8 - Labor based road works
A.9 - Retaining walls and slope stabilization
A.10 - Earth movement
A.11 - Asphalt pavements
A.12 - Asphaltic surface treatments
A.13 - Portland cement concrete structures and concrete slabs
A.14 - Foundations, piling foundations and maritime sheet piling
A.15 - Drilling, surveys
A.16 - Horizontal and vertical road marking
A.17 - Flex-beam, traffic lights and other Road safety measures
A.18 - Design of pavement structures, bridges, retaining walls, slope stabilization, drains and culverts, road safety audits, traffic lights, etc.
A.20 - Airport field and runway construction
A.21 - Airport field and runway rehabilitation
A.22 - Airport field and runway maintenance
A.30 - Harbor construction
A.31 - Rehabilitation and maintenance of harbor structures
A.40 - Railway construction
A.41 - Maintenance and rehabilitation of railways
A.50 - River dredging and construction of protection dam structures
A.51 - Maintenance of protection dam structures
A.60 - Gallery, tunnels and caverns

(2) Social (Building) Infrastructure (20)

B.0-B.12 – General Building Works
B.1 - Construction of hospitals
B.2 - Maintenance of hospital buildings
B.3 - Maintenance of hospital equipment
B.10 - Public buildings for school and college
B.11 - Maintenance of public buildings
B.12 - Quality control, materials testing, drilling and penetration tests, geophysics
B.20 - Administration buildings for government and other public institutions
B.30 - Airport buildings
B.40 - Harbor buildings
B.50 - Train stations and buildings
B.60 - Mechanical installations
B.61 - Electrical installations
B.62 - Plumbing and pumping systems
B.63 - Roofing
B.64 - Painting
B.65 - Masonry
B.66 - Steel welding
B.67 - Floor tiling
B.68 - Pavers and paving stone installers
B.69 - Gardeners

(3) Consultancy (1)

B.13 - Architectural Design, Consultancy and Supervision

Fees

Application fees for registration are fixed. They are US$300 and US$1,000 for local and foreign company, respectively. The cost for works ranges from US$50 to US$10,000 depending on category of works and nationality of the owner.

Registration Requirements

To register with the CCCS, companies should submit the following documents:

1. ALCC Certificate
2. Business Registration
3. Article of Incorporation
4. CVs and two passport size pictures of all key staffs (general manager, engineers, etc.)
5. ESOL certificate for the engineer (where applicable)
6. LCA certificate for the architect (where applicable)

Operational Description

All construction companies constructing, rehabilitating, maintaining or altering any public infrastructure, or participating in bids for works must register with the CCCS. This includes infrastructure works such as buildings, highways, roads, parking facilities, railroads, excavations, or other structures provided the total cost for the project (labor and materials) is US$500 or more.

Technical Requirements

Companies wanting to register with the CCCS must provide proof of equipment ownership. This proof can be a copy of a signed equipment lease agreement or memorandum of understanding between the company and the leasing entity or an equipment purchase receipt.