President George Weah has issued “EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 124, which places a “MORATORIUM ON THE EXPORTATION OF UNPROCESSED NATURAL RUBBER from Liberia.
The President issued the executive order late Tuesday, December 12, 2023.“WHEREAS, Article 5 (c) of the Liberian Constitution provides that the Republic shall take steps, by appropriate legsiation and executive orders, to elininate the misuse of government resources and all other corrupt practices.”
The order reads: “WHEREAS, the Liberian rubber industry has been part of the national economic heritage for over 95 years, providing the highest single source of annual revenue for the Government and providing more employment nationwide than any ofther single economic sector, but having been greatly affected by abuse, misuse, abandonment and especially theft.”
“WHEREAS, the Liberia rubber industry has been, and continues to be, depleted by its tapping. observed to be increasing. in addition to having masive economic consequences on employment and Govemment revenue, the theft situation has major security implications throughout the country. WHEREAS, in order to deal with the depreciating situation obtaining in the Liberian rubber industry, the Government believes that further strategy is necessary, so that proper policies can be developed and an appropriate institutfional and regulatory framework established to curb retrogression, sustain development of the industry and stimulate growth.”
It continued- “WHEREAS, Executlve Order No. 16 was issued in 2008 to remedy this situafilon: but in the meantime, the Government belleves that, in the national interest, urgent action still necessary in order to stem the current decline in the industry, and as part of this an immediate pause in the exportation of unprocessed natural rubber is required.
“NOW, THEREFORE. I, George M. Weah, Sr.. with the intenfion of taking immediate steps to curb the decline in the Liberian rubber industry until appropriate policies and frameworks can be put in place to improve the situation of the ubber industry in the longer term in order to ensure redevelopment, new development., increased production, increased job opportunifles and increased revenue to government, hereby ordered as follows:
