MONROVIA — Grand Gedeh County District #3 Representative Jacob Debee, chair of the House Rule of Law Caucus, has accused the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) of unlawfully bypassing the Legislature by slashing petroleum storage fees, calling the move a "reckless overreach" that threatens Liberia's financial governance.
Debee charged that the LPRC's decision to reduce terminal storage fees from US$0.35 to US$0.02 per gallon not only undermines the Public Financial Management (PFM) Law but also erodes constitutional checks and balances.
"The 1989 Establishment Act gives LPRC the right to import petroleum, but nowhere does it grant authority to unilaterally set storage fees or revise charges that generate state revenue," Debee said. "These powers remain subject to legislative scrutiny and Ministry of Finance oversight."
Legal Framework in Question
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Citing the PFM Act of 2009, amended in 2019, Debee argued that all state-owned enterprises (SOEs) must submit budgets through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) for legislative approval. He warned that LPRC's action strips away transparency and risks emboldening other SOEs to operate outside their legal mandates.
"This strips away public oversight and disguises the true fiscal impact of LPRC's operations," he said. "Unchecked, this precedent will erode governance across the board."
Calls for Legislative Action
Debee urged LPRC's board to suspend the fee cuts immediately and submit a justification to the Legislature. He also called on the House Committees on Lands, Mines, Energy, Natural Resources & Environment, and Public Accounts to investigate.
He pressed the MFDP to reintegrate petroleum storage fees into a legislatively approved budget, warning that the Executive must ensure no agency operates "above the law."
A Deepening Political Divide
The policy shift has triggered sharp divisions. Representative Musa Hassan Bility, political leader of the CMC and owner of Srimex Oil and Gas, blasted the cut as a bid to collapse Liberian-owned businesses and hand LPRC monopoly control.
"This decision puts thousands of jobs at risk and undermines years of private sector investment," Bility said.
Senator Prince Moye, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget, defended the reform as a strategic measure to redirect millions toward health care, infrastructure, and social programs. He projected potential revenues of US$16.6 million annually under the revised structure.
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Moye insisted previous storage fees largely enriched private tank owners while LPRC bore costs without contributing significantly to state revenue.
A Defining Test for Governance
The confrontation between lawmakers and the executive-backed LPRC sets the stage for a critical test of accountability in President Joseph Boakai's administration.
"As lawmakers and guardians of the public purse, we cannot allow such impulsive and unilateral actions to go unchallenged," Debee said. "No government entity is above the law, especially when public finances and national interests are at stake."
With legislative committees now under pressure to probe the legality of the cuts, the controversy is shaping up as more than an economic dispute. For Debee, it is a defining moment for Liberia's rule of law and its democratic institutions.
