The Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia (PATEL) has called on the government to immediately revoke the current listing that was place out, through the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), concerning the country’s own businesses; if the government fails to do so PATEL will shut down their business.
Speaking to a team of journalists on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, PATEL’s National Chairman, Dominic Nimely, asserted that their protest this time around will be a go-slow protest, and they will not get on the streets; instead, they will shut down their businesses so the government will bring in businesses that they can run.
According to Nimely, he believes that the action of the government raising tariff is a death trap to get rid of their Liberia-owned businesses, and that they cannot operate under an unhealthy atmosphere. “This is unacceptable,” they said.
“Day before yesterday we received this information from LRA that additional fees have added to the previous fees: US$280 for shipment, $400 clearance for BIVAC. BIVAC already has $250 that we were crying on, and it has increased the amount. Our issue in Liberia is Liberian-owned businesses,” PATEL’s National Chairman, Dominic Nimely, stated.
He further stated that the government is supposed to be helping its citizens instead of putting hard taxes on them all the time. He noted that, with the current hardship in the country, government is requesting that a container pays US$160 just for inspection, which he said is unacceptable. He frowned that the increments from APM Terminals are uncountable and unbearable.
“I think in this time the government should lessen duty and be give incentive to Liberian-owned businesses in the country, to encourage people to come because government alone cannot provide jobs. The private sector too has its own job opportunities for citizens,” he maintained.