A group under the banner “Consortium of Rubber Sector Actors in Liberia (CORSAL)” has threatened a mass protest action against Executive #124 that was issued by former President, George Manneh Weah, which placed a ban on the exportation of unprocessed rubber from Liberia.
In December, former President Weah issued an Executive Order #124, which bans the exportation of unprocessed rubber from Liberia.
Speaking to Journalists over the weekend in Monrovia, the Chairman of CORSAL, James W. Sayekea, said that the ban placed on the exportation of unprocessed rubber is affecting several Liberian businesses and the general economy, with taxes being no exception.
According to him, since the pronouncement of the former President, over 34 containers of rubber are at the Freeport of Monrovia since December 2023, accumulating storage fees amounting to thousands of United States dollars, and hundreds more containers at buying stations across the country.
CORSAL Chairman narrated that because of this unfortunate situation, some of their members’ bank loans are now in default and they are unable to make payments because of the ban.
“These loans were secured by their properties and if they do not make their payments in time, they risk losing those properties to the banks, thereby rendering them and their families homeless in their own country. Generally, we cannot afford to meet our daily personal obligations, we are now left to face the harsh economic conditions of the day with no one caring to know about that,” he explained.
However, Sayekea has disclosed that the rubber group has decided to come out in the next few days in large numbers at strategic locations in Monrovia, to let all the inhabitants know that all is not well and that they are being economically and socially suffocated and isolated, rendering them impotent to cater to their families and to contribute to the growth and development of the country’s economy, a condition they can no longer bear as they are prepared to “take our destiny into our own hands”.
“Now that we have made all these efforts to amicably resolve these issues affecting our lives and there seems to be no urgency on the part of the State and its actors to address these concerns, we who are affected by this evil ban have decided to come out in the next few days, in large numbers at strategic locations in public squares in Monrovia, to let all the inhabitants of this Republic to know, that all is not well and that we are being economically and socially suffocated and isolated.
It has rendered us impotent to cater to our families and to contribute to the growth and development of our country’s economy, a condition we can no longer bear as we are prepared to take our destiny into our own hands! Remember, the right to life is a fundamental human right that no one should be deprived,” he stated.
According to him, CORSAL has reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion and protection of the Free-Market System and holds dear its valuable principle of competition which promotes and sustains free trade.
Sayekea indicated that the CORSAL is a registered advocacy group under the laws of the Republic of Liberia, comprising rubber farmers, rubber brokers, truckers, rubber exporters, and forwarding agents.
The Group Head explained that the rubber sector history is replete with the dominance of few elite institutions to the disadvantage of the poor Liberian rubber farmers and other Liberian actors, which works against a free competitive market on the basis of willing buyer and willing seller.
He said the Rubber Sector of Liberia must be left alone to operate on the basis of “willing seller and willing buyer”, adding that it will greatly help to improve the lives of the rubber sector actors and their families in particular, and the Liberian populace in general.
Meanwhile, Sayekea has called on well-meaning Liberians to join the group in the struggle against the wicked Executive Order # 124 that seeks to suppress the already suffering masses.
