Gov’t extends tariff suspension on rice
In the wake of sky rocketing prices of the nation’s staple food-rice, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf issued an Executive Order No. 70 – extending Executive Order No. 61, which suspends tariff on rice.
” The Government of Liberia in its desire to continue bringing relief to the public hereby extends Executive Order No. 61, suspending the import of tariff on rice as classified under tariff Nos. 1006.30.00 (in packing of more than 5kg or in bulk); 1006.30.00 (in packing of at least 5kg); and 1006.40.00 (broken rice) under the Revenue Code of Liberia Act 2000 as amended,” a release said.
The Executive Order No. 70 which takes immediate effect comes at a time when the prices of basic commodities tend to be increasing by the day since the end of the deadly Ebola virus amidst hard cost of living.
An Executive Mansion Release, over the weekend said the Government is committed to ensuring that the prices of certain basic commodities on the Liberian market are at levels that do not impose unnecessary burden on the population.
The Executive Order No. 70 also follows government’s assessment and evaluation of the causes of increases in the prices of various strategic commodities. It says it intends to initiate measures to ameliorate the situation.
It also added that in furtherance of the findings of the assessment, Government has recognized the need to curb the continuous increases in the price of rice, the country’s staple to make it affordable for public purchase.
The new move however emphasized that there exists a need for exigent measures to achieve the desired objective of easing the economic burden on the people of this country to enable access to the staple food, and such measures cannot await long processes.
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However, in the exercise of the Executive Power vested in the President by the Constitution, the President issued Executive Orders No. 11, 19, 45, and 61 suspending import tariffs on rice in the interest of the public, and circumstances again necessitate similar measures.-Press Release
