MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Barely hours after the Unity Party (UP) led administration under President Joseph Boakai, through the Ministry of Commerce, announced an increase in the price of the country’s staple food, rice, from $16.50 to $18.50 per 25kg bag, the decision has come under sharp criticism from a member of the past administration.
Hon. Eugene Lenn Nagbe, former Liberia Maritime Commissioner in the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) under former President George Weah, expressed his displeasure with the UP-led government on his official Facebook page in a post titled, “HOW DID WEAH KEEP RICE AFFORDABLE AND AVAILABLE – why UP cannot and will not.”
Nagbe asserted, “President Weah kept the price of rice affordable and available at $17 throughout his tenure, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. He did that not by magic, but through political will.”
He elaborated on the measures taken during Weah’s administration to maintain rice affordability. These included:
A deliberate policy of tariff reduction, subsidies, and elimination of bottlenecks at the port.
Prioritizing the scheduling of rice ships to avoid demurrage.
Upgrading offloading equipment to shorten docking turnaround time.
Lighting the port to enable berthing at night.
The ex-Maritime Commissioner noted that President Weah regularly convened consultative meetings with rice importers, relevant government agencies, and private sector actors to ensure the “Cocktail Policy for Rice Affordability and Availability” remained actionable. He also mentioned that Liberia’s designation as a White Listed country by the United States Coast Guard, after meeting stringent ISPS requirements, positively affected the country’s reputation and reduced ancillary insurance premiums.
He criticized the current administration’s justification for the price hike, calling it “hugely and deliberately misleading” to attribute the increase solely to the export tax imposed by the Indian government. He pointed out that the Indian government imposed the export tax on white rice in September 2022, which was extended to parboiled rice in August 2023. “Not now,” he emphasized.
Underlying all of this, according to Nagbe, is a matter of leadership. “President Weah succeeded in this because he had the political will, the leadership skills, and zero interest in receiving kickbacks from the rice cartel. The UP government has zero excuse other than a complete lack of the aforementioned attributes and wherewithal,” he stated.
The government’s decision to increase the price of rice has ignited a broader debate about economic management and leadership in Liberia. As the nation grapples with these changes, the criticisms from former officials highlight the ongoing challenges and expectations from the current administration.
