The Chief Executive Officer of Petrol Trade has disclosed that the petroleum sector generates more revenues for government.
Abraham Kaydea stated that on each gallon of petroleum product purchased from petrol filling stations, government gets US$1 towards the Road Fund which was established in 2018.
He noted that this huge revenue base can help to foster development in the country.
According to the Movement with Integrity for National Development (MIND), Kaydea made the assertion on Friday as the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) joined journalists around the world to celebrate World Press Freedom Day in Monrovia.
According to him, government can collect enough revenues from the various sectors to ensure that developmental plans are implemented, rather than waiting on donors’ funding to execute developments for the people.
He noted that the petrol sector plays a key role in raising needed revenues to support the national budget to help transform basic social services across the nation.
The Petrol Trade boss maintained that government should be able to collect all relevant revenues from sectors which are obligated by law to do so, rather than basing Liberia’s development agenda on donors and partners’ money.
At the same time, Kaydea has alarmed over the practice of journalism in Liberia over the years, as he believes it does not reflect standard and professional journalism.
He asserted that journalism is a noble profession which society depends on to share the opinions of the people on national and international issues, and Liberia cannot be an exception.
According to him, some Liberian journalists are neglecting the ethical standards of journalism and engaging in yellow journalism, which is not healthy for the Liberian society.
Kaydea stressed that journalists have been held as noble people in society who perform their duties professionally, but currently in Liberia, some journalists are abusing the profession for their selfish gains, which is undermining the credibility of Liberian Journalists.
He urged Liberian Journalists to engage in research of individuals who appear on their platforms before being hailed in the society, noting that some of them do not deserve such praises from the media, which is the watchdog of the larger society.
He said the media serves as the eyes, ears and mouth of the people in the society, so if the media begins to compromise its position through the action of some members, then the PUL should muster the courage to weed them out from the practice of journalism in Liberia, adding that they are practicing journalism unethically.
In conclusion, MIND as a civil society organization is calling on the Government of Liberia to include business institutions on government business conferences, both national and international, which will give business institutions a platform to interact with international partners that will help with more business establishments which will give employment opportunities to many Liberians and reduce the unemployment rate.
