Liberia grants big fuel tax relief to key state firmsBy KEMO CHAM in Freetown | Friday, April 20  2012 at  15:04

The Liberian government has announced a 100 per cent customs duty waiver on fuel for a select group of services providers "in the interest of national reconstruction and development".

All fuel used by the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), and National Transit Authority (NTA) will receive a 100 per cent customs duty waiver which the government hopes will cut down on expenditures and enhance services towards national development.

The move announced by the Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, through an Executive Order (decree) #41 on Thursday will also exempt schools, clinics and hospitals which are deemed by the Ministry of Finance to be inadequately covered by government’s budgetary appropriation or subsidies.

The government said the duty exemption will lower costs to generate electricity, provide public transportation and information and minimise the operating costs of schools, clinics, and hospitals in the country.

The Sireaf administration has promised to improve on basic services provision during the course of its second and final term in office, and running water and electricity are crucial to this effect.

The government`s Thursday statement stressed that a dire need still exists to minimise the cost of transportation, provide electricity and information to the general public at reasonable prices through the NTA, LEC and LBS.

"Government recognizes that the need for customs duty exemption on fuel to generate electricity, provide public transportation and information, minimise the operating costs of schools, clinics, and hospitals that are not adequately covered by government’s budgetary appropriation or subsidies,” the presidential statement said.
The Executive Order is imperative “at this time of rising costs and rapid development,” it added.

This order followed the expiry of its predecessor #31, which had been passed on similar grounds.