Commerce Inspector General, D. Dorr Cooper, is warning Liberians to stop hiking the price of rice on the Liberian market. IG Cooper said it is wrong for Liberians to be politicizing rice by creating an artificial shortage, thereby increasing the price of the commodity abovegovernment’s stipulated price. The IG made the statement Friday, May 24, 2024 when his inspection team commence the inspection of business centers to find out if they are in compliance with government’s regulation on the price of rice.
Inspector General Cooper said the change Liberian people wanted, for which the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government was voted out of office, is now here, and therefore “we should support the change by following government regulations”. He emphasized that Liberia will only get better if Liberians embrace change by working with the Unity Party government.
According to IG Cooper, there has been no increment in the price of a 25 KG bag of rice since the Unity Party government took over from the CDC government. He said the government and rice importers agreed on the price of rice at US$16.75 cent per 25 KG bag of rice, and since than there has been no increment. Consequently, people should stop increasing rice price at the detriment of the citizens. Cooper revealed that the stockpile of rice at the various warehouses can take the country up to November 2024, and another ship will be arriving at the port a month or two from now.
On Friday IG Cooper launched an inspection across Monrovia, in line with government’s regulation in keeping the price of rice stable. The IG locked several businesses in Duala and other parts of Monrovia for selling rice above government’s stipulated price. The exercise, which is expected to continue this week, is part of government’s enforcement of the regulation to keep the price of rice stable. According to him, the Unity Party government remains engaged with the importers in keeping the price of rice at US$16.75.