–Protesters Call for Commerce Minister Dismissal
IPNEWS: Anti-Rice increment protesters Thursday, May 23, stromed the EJS Ministerial complex currently hosting President Joseph N. Boakai’s first cabinet retreat.
The protesters mainly young men chanted slogans calling for the dismissal of Commerce Minister, Hon. Amid Modad for his complacency in yeilding to rice importers (rice cartel) demands for increment of Liberia’s stable food rice.
IPNEWS reporter on scene witnessed the arrest of at least three protesters who threatened unspecified actions if their colleagues were not release within 72hrs.
One of the protesters Trokon Gibson, told reporters that they were on the grounds of the EJS Ministerial complex to petition their president to dismiss Commerce Minister Hon Amin Monday but came under sustain chased by officers of the Liberian Police Anti-riot Unit.
It may be recalled, President Joseph Boakai immediately directed a no rice increment following a close door meeting with major importers of Rice on late Tuesday,May 21,2024, at the Executive Mansion.
Liberia’s President Joseph N. Boakai, regarded as ‘wisdom father’, averted a national crisis over what political pundits call ‘potential risk’ in the wake of the rice increment.
The Ministry of Commerce had earlier announced that government had negotiated with a ‘ rice cartel’ to dropped their demand of an increment of a 25kg bag of Indian rice previously sold at US$16.50 to US$20.
Hon. Amin Mondad Minister of Commerce and Industry, at a Ministry of Information press briefing told Journalist that the government had agreed in principle to increase the price of rice from US$16.50cents to US $18.50 cents.
However, President Boakai stance validated previous suspicion that the Hon. Amin Mondad Minister of Commerce and Industry, had yielded to demand by the ‘Rice Cartel’ without the general agreement of the Boakai’s administration.
Following a brief meeting between President Joseph Boakai and rice importers in Monrovia on Tuesday, President Boakai has mandated rice importers not to increase any price of rice, and that the price of a 25kg bag of rice remains the same.
Minutes after the Ministry of Commerce and Industry announced an increment of the commodity on Monday, May 20, prices of a 25kg bag of rice jumped from $16.75 to $20.050, in many parts of the city center, with reports of as high as US$ 22.00 in cities such as Kakata, Harel, Buchanan, Ganta, and Gbarnga.
The History of hike in prices of Liberia stable food rice remains fresh on the minds on many in 1979, when the Progressive Alliance of Liberia called for a peaceful demonstration in Monrovia to protest the proposed price increase. The peaceful demonstration on April 14, 1979, was carried out by at least 2,000 activists on the Executive Mansion which turned bloody settling the paste for Liberia’s ugly past of ten years of civil wars.
On Monday, May 20, 2024, the Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Minister of Commerce and Industry Amin Modad, announced that it has agreed to a request from importers to increase the price of a specific brand of rice on the local market, describing the rice industry as a “cartel.”
A investigation by the authoritative Independent Probe Newspaper uncovers how rice importers had earlier written to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, proposing a minimum price of US$20 per 25kg bag of parboiled rice to offset the rising cost of importing rice to Liberia.
The importers claimed that a 20% surcharge is being levied on the commodity by the Indian government.
“India imposed a 20% surcharge on parboiled rice, which has impacted the price of rice. Additionally, they (rice importers) cited the war in Ukraine and issues in the Middle East that also impacted freight, insurance, and timing.” A Statement from the Indian government read.
