IPNEWS: Amid the high cost of rice on the Liberian market and in the face of varying information on the country’s staple food, the former President of the Liberia Council of Churches (LCC) is calling on President George Manneh Weah to, what he calls “shake up his cabinet.”
Bishop Dr. Kortu K. Brown told Smart News Liberia yesterday in an interview via mobile phone that the government regulators are inept and insensitive to the plight of ordinary people, adding, “We have two critical and unresolved concerns; there is either rice shortage or no rice shortage in the country.”
For that, the tough-talking clergyman says President Weah needs to shake up the cabinet, especially, he said the government agencies responsible for the messy rice crisis.
Bishop Brown stressed during the interview if there is no rice shortage, why is the commodity not available on the market?
Accordingly, the former LCC President stated that the rice is either being withheld by importers or hoarded by dealers.
Bishop Brown, pastor of the New Water in the Desert Pentecostal Chruch, however, told Smart News that the regulators including the Ministry of Commerce are unable to adequately address the concerns of importers and consumers, hence, contributing to the embarrassment of the country.
He continued: “Earlier this year, when I served as President of the LCC, we approached the government through the Ministries of State, Commerce, and the National Port authority.”
“However, the response to our concerns on reported rice shortages about 8 months ago was rebuffed by the National Port Authority (NPA) and Commerce. In fact, the Minister of Commerce refused to meet with the leadership of the Council at the time despite the intervention of the Minister of State at the time,” Bishop disclosed during the interview.
Bishop Brown concluded by saying, “It’s time for President Weah to take sides with the Liberian people. Shake up the regulators. Show them the exit door. And restore the people’s confidence in the government.”
Meanwhile, sources close to the rice trade and the Ministry of Commerce say from September 2021 to date, the government of Liberia has not actualized an offer made to rice importers to provide subsidies for the importation of the commodity which is intended to stabilize and maintain the retail price of a 25kg bag of rice at US$13.
Recently, a Liberian lawmaker exposed machination in which the Liberian government allotted US$35 Million for rice subsidy in three budget periods but has yet to reach the rice importers in full.
Nimba County Representative Samuel Kogar who is a House ranking member on commerce and trade said he does not understand why the importers have not been able to get their money in full, despite the budget allotments.
