NATIONAL NEWS
MONROVIA – The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) has strongly denied allegations circulating on social media that it collects and mismanages government tax revenues, describing the claims as false and misleading.
Speaking Wednesday, LPRC Managing Director Amos Tweh clarified that the company has no legal mandate to collect or manage government taxes under any circumstance.
By: Sampson W Weah sampsonwweah7@gmail.com
“LPRC does not collect government taxes, nor does it have the authority to manage them,” Tweh stated. “Our responsibility is limited to terminal operations and the collection of approved service-related fees.”
According to him, the collection of petroleum-related taxes falls exclusively under the mandate of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA). These taxes include customs duties, excise taxes, and other statutory levies paid by licensed petroleum importers.
Tweh explained that importers initiate the process by submitting shipping requests to LPRC, after which petroleum products are discharged into the company’s storage terminals. Upon arrival, the quantities are verified, documented, and allocated for distribution.
“The fees charged by LPRC are strictly operational,” he emphasized. “They include storage, vessel discharge, inspection, and laboratory testing. These are service fees — not taxes.”
He further noted that all government taxes are assessed and collected directly by the LRA, stressing that no petroleum product can be lifted from LPRC storage facilities without proof that all applicable taxes have been fully paid.
“Even when our service fees are settled, lifting cannot proceed without confirmation from the LRA that government taxes have been paid,” Tweh added.
Addressing accusations of mismanagement, the LPRC Managing Director said the company cannot mismanage tax revenues because it does not collect them, attributing the claims to a misunderstanding of the institutional roles within Liberia’s petroleum revenue framework.
He reaffirmed LPRC’s commitment to transparency and accountability, noting that all service fees collected by the company are properly receipted, deposited into designated accounts, and audited in accordance with public financial management regulations.
Tweh also urged media institutions, civil society organizations, and the public to verify information with the appropriate authorities when discussing petroleum pricing and revenue collection.
