LETTER FROM SACLEPEA – Price Controls and the Danger of Extortion Masquerading as Policy: A NOTE to JNB

By Rep. Musa Hassan Bility

Mr. President,

There are moments in the life of a nation when leadership must look beyond the applause of temporary relief and ask whether the path chosen strengthens or weakens the foundation of our Republic. Today, I must speak plainly: your government’s attempt to control prices of goods and services is not only misguided but has been hijacked by the very committee you appointed, headed by the Vice President, into a racket of extortion.

What began as a government initiative to stabilize prices has now degenerated into a small gang of extortionists, preying upon the very businesses that keep food on the tables of our people. Traders, importers, and entrepreneurs are being forced to “settle” committee operatives before their goods can move freely. This is not regulation; it is state sponsored shakedown. It is shameful, it is dangerous, and it undermines both your authority and the credibility of government itself.

Let us be clear: no economy in history has ever prospered by controlling prices through decree. Artificial ceilings may feel like a short term favor to the poor, but in reality, they create shortages, fuel black markets, and suffocate supply. The result is always the same: higher hardship for the people, and less confidence in the state. In Liberia today, we are witnessing the same cycle, only made worse by the corruption that now feeds off these failed policies.

The danger, Mr. President, is twofold. Economically, we are strangling productivity. Politically, we are breeding resentment and lawlessness at the heart of the state. A committee led by the Vice President should never become a cartel. If government is to have moral authority, it cannot be seen extorting its own citizens under the cover of policy.

Liberia needs real solutions, not populist shortcuts. We need policies that expand production, encourage competition, and reduce the cost of doing business. We need investment in agriculture, energy, and infrastructure so that supply rises and prices naturally fall. We need transparency and fairness, not backdoor collections by government’s own appointees.

Mr. President, this is a moment for courage. The easiest road is to allow this sham to continue, to let your people believe that cheap goods today mean prosperity tomorrow. But the harder, nobler road is to admit that this experiment has failed, to disband the gang of extortionists, and to pivot toward sound microeconomic policies that truly empower our people.

From Saclepea, I say: Liberia deserves better.