Liberia: Bility Accuses Govt of Sabotaging Petroleum Firms – Moye Defends Fee Cuts

Representative Musa Hassan Bility has accused the Liberian government of sabotaging local petroleum businesses by slashing storage fees from 35 cents to 2 cents per gallon, a move he says will cripple Liberian-owned terminals and centralize power in the state-run Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC). Bong County Senator Prince K. Moye, however, dismissed the accusations as “self-serving,” insisting the reform is designed to cut fuel costs and redirect millions of dollars into health care and infrastructure.

“This is not about Representative Bility,” Moye told reporters at a packed Capitol press conference. “The decision is based on our investigation and recommendations, which the president endorsed. It is about making petroleum costs more affordable for ordinary Liberians.”

In Liberia, private companies like Srimex Oil and Gas, owned by Bility, have invested heavily in infrastructure, while the government seeks to reclaim control and revenue streams.

Bility’s Charge: “A Deliberate Attempt to Cripple Liberian Entrepreneurs”

In a statement issued Tuesday, Bility condemned the government’s move as a betrayal of Liberian business interests.

“The intent of the Government’s action is to divert money away from Liberian terminal operators and redirect it to LPRC, with the intent to weaken Liberian ownership and silence Liberian innovation,” Bility said. “The net effect is to effectively shut down Liberian-owned petroleum terminals and centralize power in the hands of a few.”

Bility, who represents Nimba County District 7, warned that the policy threatens not only the survival of companies like Srimex but also Liberia’s broader energy security.

“This decision not only threatens our energy security but also undermines Liberian jobs and families, as there is no way that terminal operators can remain in business if the Government carries out this action,” he said.

He framed the dispute as a test of whether the government values its private sector. “The role of government is to create an enabling environment where the private sector can flourish and where Liberian businesses can benefit. This action … is a deliberate attempt to cripple Liberian entrepreneurs who have invested millions of dollars, much of which has not even been recovered, into infrastructure, technology, and workforce.”

Bility noted that Srimex has been a backbone of the sector for more than 15 years. “This company has served the Liberian petroleum industry through importation and storage. No responsible government policy would sacrifice its own citizens’ businesses under the pretense of price relief.”

He called on the administration to halt the new pricing scheme and “engage in transparent consultations with terminal operators” before implementing further reforms.

Moye’s Defense: “This Is About the People, Not One Businessman”

Senator Moye, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Budget, pushed back forcefully, accusing Bility of misrepresenting the reform as a personal attack.

“In the plenary of the Liberian Senate, it was not one person that sat in a corner and decided to launch an investigation,” Moye said. “It was a plenary mandate … more than twenty senators signed off on it. The recommendation went to the president, and he mustered the courage to enforce it despite resistance from powerful people in the petroleum sector.”

Moye emphasized that the president reduced the Senate’s recommended fee from 10 cents to 5 cents after further investigation, showing what he called “the beauty of democracy.”

“What we noticed is that many of our state-owned enterprises cannot even pay their assessed contributions to the national budget. This new structure identifies revenue lines that will impact the lives of the people. That is why I am happy to defend it,” Moye said.

He gave detailed projections: “From September to December 2025, Liberia will import 50.4 million gallons of petroleum products. At two cents per gallon, that will raise $1.9 million for essential drugs to help HIV and tuberculosis patients now that USAID has left. Another $4.5 million from a five-cent levy will go to support county road equipment. Altogether, the reform will generate $16.6 million a year.”

Moye urged the public to see the bigger picture. “Every time you buy a gallon of gasoline, you are financing someone’s storage fee. We simply redirected that small portion,just two cents, into social programs that will benefit every Liberian.”

Allegations Against Srimex

Moye took aim at Srimex’s business practices, alleging that the company was earning profits by renting storage tanks — a line of business not covered under its LPRC contract.

“Maybe the only thing making him talk is that the real line of business he’s supposed to be doing, importing petroleum and storing it in his own tanks, is not what he’s focused on. His whole business now is about renting tanks,” Moye charged. “The contract between Srimex and LPRC says: build your tank, bring your product, and store it. If you want to store someone else’s product, you need LPRC approval. That’s clear.”

Moye likened Bility’s objections to former Senator Prince Y. Johnson’s opposition to a war crimes court. “As soon as you say it, he felt targeted. That’s the same case with my honorable colleague.”

By Liberian Investigator.