MONROVIA – The Liberian Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC), particularly its Managing Director Amos Tweh, has been having quite a restless, pestering time from incessant censures from citizens, particularly stakeholders in the petrol sector, over attempts by the company to arbitrarily disrupt tagging policy that has been on the books for some time now. Critics, representing the political and commercial spheres of the country, unanimously regard the changes not only as unhealthy to the struggling Liberian economy, but term it trade manipulation intended to line up pockets for elites of the ruling establishment, overtures that the company and its head continue to reject. Yesterday, two prominent Liberian tycoons and politicians were guests on a local radio phone-in talk show at which time they amplified the bellowing frustrations of the public, venting their outrages, though, yet again, the LPRC management called in on the show to share their counter perspectives. The Analyst’s George C Flomo reports.
In the last couple of weeks, citizens and businesspeople have been expressing their disgusts following the revised petroleum pricing structure by government in a bid, expressly, to commit to “maintaining affordable fuel prices for consumers while securing funds for critical infrastructure, particularly the Road Fund”.
Not all Liberians believe the professed intent of the policy action. While some legislators say the Executive Branch, let alone the LPRC, has no constitutional authority to adjust taxes approved the Legislature, several businessmen, stakeholders and citizens say the move is a maneuver and orchestration for the ruling elites to amass political wealth in the name of the ordinary of people.
A local radio talk show, OK Morning Rush, Wednesday, September 17, 2025, featured a fierce debate over the matter when two of the country’s best-known business and political figures appeared, warning that the government’s action undermines local investors and offers no direct benefit to Liberians at the pump.
The owner of Srimex Oil and Gas, Political Leader of the Citizens Movement for Change Musa Hassan Bility, and Simeon Freeman, businessman and Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change openly criticized the policy.
The live broadcast, moderated by Journalist Clarence Jackson, saw the two businessmen outlining what they described as the hidden dangers in the government’s new pricing regime, while Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) Managing Director Amos Tweh later joined the show by phone to defend the adjustment.
Musa Bility: “Government took from us and gave to itself”
Speaking first, Musa Hassan Bility accused the government of deliberately slashing storage fees available to Liberian-owned terminals while reallocating the same amount to state institutions and programs.
“The government reduced the storage fee by US$0.33 and then increased other charges by that same amount,” Bility explained. “They took money away from Liberian investors like Srimex and gave it to the LRA, to LPRC, to all kinds of so-called programs. But the truth is, Liberians buying gas at the station still pay the same high price. Nothing changed for the ordinary consumer.”
Bility emphasized that the move directly affects local companies that borrowed heavily from commercial banks to build storage facilities. He warned that if private businesses are stripped of their agreed fees, they risk defaulting on loans, something that would send a chilling message to future investors.
He went further to highlight what he described as the government’s misplaced priorities in revenue collection.
“The aggregate collectible tax on petroleum imported into this country is more than 150 million dollars,” he noted. “But go to the LRA and see how much they actually record — less than 60 million. Why? Because government officials and international companies are taking duty-free exemptions while Liberian investors who put our own money in this economy are the ones being targeted.”
Bility threw his support behind lawmakers who are pushing the abolishment of duty-free privileges, describing them as a major source of revenue leakage.
Simeon Freeman: “When you touch one of us, you touch all of us”
Echoing Bility’s frustration, Simeon Freeman took a broader political and economic angle. He accused the government of penalizing Liberian entrepreneurs instead of reducing unnecessary government spending.
“When you touch one of us, you touch all of us,” Freeman declared firmly. “If this government really wants to reduce costs for Liberians, let them remove GST on petroleum. Let them cut the waste in travel, procurement, and vehicles. But you don’t come after Liberian investors who have built terminals with bank loans and expect them to survive.”
Freeman argued that the role of private investors is being deliberately undermined by state actors who, in his words, “want to re-channel private income into government coffers under the pretense of consumer protection.”
He continued: “The government makes over a hundred million dollars annually just on petroleum products, but still ordinary people don’t see the benefits. Instead of focusing on cutting fat from its own budget, the government finds it easy to target the private sector. This is why our country remains unattractive to investors.”
The MPC political leader stressed that such moves not only discourage new investors but also risk collapsing the businesses of those who already invested, including Liberians who have staked their reputations and financial credibility with banks.
Amos Tweh Calls In: “This was done in the people’s interest”
As the criticisms mounted, LPRC Managing Director Amos Tweh phoned in to “clarify” the government’s position.
Tweh insisted that the adjustment was carried out in the interest of the Liberian people and was not intended to punish private operators.
“The objective of the adjustment in the petroleum pricing structure was to prevent or minimize increases in pump prices,” Tweh stated. “We did the adjustment with the goal of reallocating some of the cents to support government programs that are crucial to our people, especially county road equipment and other social development initiatives.”
Tweh disclosed that the reallocation was expected to generate around US$17 million in revenue for development purposes.
He further argued that private operators like Srimex still stand to benefit from other margins built into the pricing formula, including importers’ margins, retail margins, transportation, and distribution fees.
“If you look at the schedule, importers still get 14 cents, retailers get 20 cents, transporters 8 cents, and distributors 5 cents. That is more than 40 cents available within the chain. So it is not correct to say that Liberian investors are being completely squeezed out,” Tweh said.
Tweh also reminded the public that contracts signed between terminal operators and the LPRC outlined clear provisions regarding the use of storage facilities. He maintained that the government’s actions were consistent with those agreements and with broader national interests.
Business Leaders Reject Tweh’s Explanation
But Bility and Freeman were not convinced by Tweh’s defense. Both insisted that the reallocation of fees was merely cosmetic and failed to bring any tangible benefit to the Liberian people.
Bility, in particular, questioned the inconsistencies in the figures being quoted by the LPRC boss, pointing to differences in the total margins said to be available to private actors.
“They keep saying 42 cents or 47 cents here and there, but the truth is, we know exactly what has been taken from us,” he argued. “They reduced our storage, they gave it to themselves, and Liberians are still suffering. That is the plain truth.”
Freeman, for his part, warned that government’s approach to business regulation could have dire long-term consequences.
“You cannot run a country by frightening your own investors,” Freeman cautioned. “Every time you make an arbitrary policy change that threatens business sustainability, you send a message to the world that Liberia is not safe for investment. That is not how a country grows.”
A Debate That Won’t End Soon
The fiery exchange on OK Morning Rush has brought Liberia’s petroleum pricing debate to the forefront of public attention.
On the one hand, government argues that fee adjustments are designed to prevent sharp price hikes and to help it generate resources for development. On the other hand, business leaders insist that the measures are strangling local investors while ordinary Liberians see no reduction not only in fuel costs but also in tangible development benefits being accrued from the cuts.
With the Ministry of Commerce noticeably absent from the adjustment process, questions remain over whether the policy followed due process and whether consultations with private sector stakeholders were adequately held.
As the controversy deepens, it remains to be seen whether government will revisit the petroleum pricing structure or whether Liberian business leaders will continue to resist what they view as an unfair transfer of wealth from private hands to government agencies.
For now, the battle lines are clearly drawn: the state claims it is protecting consumers, while local entrepreneurs argue they are being sacrificed in the name of government revenue and pro-poor benefits.