By Grace Q. Bryant
The House of Representatives has unanimously voted to lift the moratorium on the exportation of unprocessed rubber.
It followed a communication from Bong County District7 Representative, Foday Fahnbulleh who recounted the continuous negative impact and unbearable suffering Liberian rubber farmers and all other actors within the rubber sector are faced with as a result of Executive Order # 124.
According to him, Executive Order # 124 is actually intended to suffocate rubber farmers and deprive other actors within the rubber sector of Liberia business opportunities.
He said the brokers are the aggregators in the value chain and investment risk bearers.
The Bong County Lawmaker said they invest resources in the smallholders, buying the rubber from them and selling it to big buyers.
The ban has also restricted their options to sell, as some of the current buyers’ policies do not permit them to buy from aggregators.
It can be recalled an executive order was issued by former President George Weah in November 2023 prohibiting the export of unprocessed rubber or raw latex cup lumps from Liberia.
The House therefore forwarded its decision to the Executive informing it about the decision.
