Monrovia — The Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia, PATEL, has raised alarm over what it describes as the increasing involvement of foreign business operators in retail and distributive activities that are legally reserved for Liberian citizens, as well as the continued poor quality of services provided by the country's major telecommunications companies.
The organization warned that these developments are negatively affecting local businesses, weakening Liberia's economic growth, and placing an unfair burden on ordinary citizens.
Speaking at a press conference held in Monrovia on Monday, January 6, PATEL National Chairman Dominic Nimely accused foreign entrepreneurs, including those engaged in manufacturing and importing goods into Liberia, of operating directly in the retail sector and distributing goods at the community level. He said these practices violate both the spirit and intent of Liberia's Liberianization policy, which was established to protect indigenous business interests.
According to Nimely, many foreign owned businesses import goods in large quantities and operate wholesale stores, but are now increasingly visible in residential communities where they distribute similar goods on what is commonly known as "sell pay." He explained that sell pay is a credit based system traditionally used by Liberian petty traders, allowing customers to receive goods and pay for them at an agreed later date.
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In Liberia, 'sell pay' has long served as a survival mechanism for small scale traders and low income entrepreneurs. Nimely said the involvement of foreign suppliers in this practice has created serious challenges for Liberians who purchase goods from wholesale stores and depend on community level sales to sustain their businesses. He noted that Liberian traders are now finding it difficult to compete, as their suppliers have effectively become their competitors.
Nimely attributed the situation to what he described as the government's failure to fully enforce the Liberianization policy, which reserves more than twenty five categories of business exclusively for Liberian citizens. He claimed that Liberians are currently benefiting from only about twelve of those categories, while foreign nationals dominate the remaining sectors.
He stated that in many communities across the country, foreign nationals can be seen engaging directly in sell pay activities, a practice he insisted should be limited to indigenous Liberians. Nimely argued that foreigners did not come to Liberia with natural resources such as sand, gravel, or crushed rocks, yet they are heavily involved in selling these same resources back to Liberians for profit. He stressed that retail trade and supply chains are businesses meant for Liberians, not for foreign investors who were expected to bring large scale capital and industrial investments into the country.
According to Nimely, many foreigners entered Liberia under the label of investors but have since taken over jobs and business opportunities that should have been preserved for Liberians. He said instead of establishing factories, creating employment, and strengthening the economy, some foreign operators are focused on chasing the local currency and accumulating wealth through retail and distributive trades that are legally reserved for citizens.
He further alleged that property lease agreements owned by Liberians are being used by foreign entrepreneurs to operate businesses that directly compete with local traders, to the disadvantage of Liberian business owners. Nimely observed that it has become common to see Lebanese, Indian, and Chinese nationals operating both wholesale and retail businesses throughout the country, leaving limited space for Liberians to grow and succeed.
He explained that this situation has contributed significantly to the growing problem of loan defaults among Liberian business owners. According to him, many Liberians obtain loans from banks to start or sustain their businesses but are unable to repay because they cannot compete with well-financed foreign operators who dominate the market. He added that this reality is often misunderstood, leading to the false perception that Liberians are unwilling to repay loans, when in fact they are being squeezed out of their own economy.
Nimely emphasized that the rebuilding and development of Liberia depend largely on its citizens and that foreigners should be prohibited from engaging in businesses that have been legally set aside for Liberians. He said meaningful economic growth cannot be achieved if Liberians continue to remain spectators in their own country.
Turning to the telecommunications sector, Nimely also accused Orange Liberia Limited and Lone Star Cell MTN of providing poor communication services while generating millions of dollars from Liberian consumers. He complained that despite the high cost of voice calls, internet data, and other services, the quality of network coverage and call reliability remains unsatisfactory.
He described frequent call failures, dropped calls, delayed missed call notifications, and unstable network connectivity, even within the capital city of Monrovia. Nimely said users often experience poor service despite being in close proximity to one another, a situation he described as unacceptable. He accused the two GSM companies of failing to make meaningful investments in upgrading their infrastructure, despite the significant profits they continue to earn from subscribers.
Nimely recalled that PATEL has made several attempts to engage both companies through dialogue, but those efforts have not produced any tangible results. He added that interventions by the Liberia Telecommunications Authority and the National Legislature have also failed to yield improvements, even after grace periods granted to the telecom operators have expired.
He said Liberians should not be expected to continue paying high prices for internet data and communication services without receiving value for their money. Nimely compared Liberia's telecom services with those of neighboring countries, stating that communication services across the sub region are far superior.
According to him, countries such as Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Nigeria offer more reliable and advanced internet and call services. He cited the recent launch of 5G services in Sierra Leone, noting that the network already reaches parts of the Liberian border. He expressed concern that in Liberia, users in certain areas of Monrovia and nearby communities still struggle to access basic network services and are often forced to step outside their homes to get a signal.
Nimely called on the government, through the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, to immediately launch a comprehensive probe into the operations of Orange Liberia and Lone Star Cell MTN and to take appropriate regulatory actions. He urged authorities to compel the companies to bring modern and sophisticated telecommunications equipment into the country and to provide services comparable to those available in other African nations.
He said PATEL is calling for a roundtable discussion involving the government, the two GSM companies, and representatives of consumers to find a lasting solution to the problem. Nimely warned that if the government fails to act, the organization is prepared to escalate the matter, revealing that PATEL has already raised more than five thousand United States dollars toward organizing a peaceful protest against the poor delivery of telecom services.
However, Nimely distanced PATEL from a separate protest announced by former PATEL Chairman Presley Tenwah, which is intended to draw attention to challenges facing Liberian owned businesses. He clarified that PATEL is not involved in any protest against the government or the private sector and urged Liberian business owners to boycott the planned demonstration.
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He said the organization has been working closely with the government and has several pressing issues that require resolution through dialogue rather than confrontation. Nimely used the occasion to commend the government for allocating one hundred thousand United States dollars each to the Liberia Business Association and the Liberia Chamber of Commerce in the current national budget.
He also praised the government for creating opportunities for Liberian entrepreneurs to obtain service passports and for assuming the cost of travel and accommodation for Liberian business groups attending international business forums. Nimely described these initiatives as positive steps toward empowering local entrepreneurs and strengthening the private sector.
He noted that although Liberian owned businesses continue to face serious challenges, citizens are no longer mere spectators in their own economy under the Unity Party led administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. He observed that contracts worth millions of United States dollars are increasingly being awarded to Liberians, signaling a shift toward greater economic inclusion.
Nimely, however, stressed that sustained progress will depend on the government's commitment to protecting Liberian businesses from unfair competition. He warned that while foreign entrepreneurs and their families continue to grow wealthier by operating in sectors reserved for Liberians, many local business owners are declining and have little to show for their efforts, a situation he said must be urgently addressed if Liberia is to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
