The politics surrounding the moratorium positioned on unprocessed pure rubber by some people that former president Weah issued an Government Order No. 124 to guard Indian Businessman Jeety is way from the reality. It can be crucial for individuals to know that authorities is an establishment of continuity.
Liberia has an extended historical past of rubber as one among its pure sources courting as far again in 1926 with the institution of the American owned Rubber firm often known as the Firestone Rubber Plantation.
Unarguably, rubber has been one of many main sources of Liberia income revenue, with the sector serving as one of many job markets for a lot of Liberians. Sadly so, for 98 years of existence as a rubber producing nation and discovering itself within the sixteenth place among the many world rubber producing nations, Liberia has not been in a position to produce any tangible factor constituted of rubber in Liberia.
Though, there was unease stress surrounding the working, and buying situations in addition to the agreements signed between the Liberian state and rubber corporations, however it’s value noting the progress the federal government of Liberia has made since 2008 to transition from simply producing and exporting the unprocessed rubber, to inserting a ban on unprocessed rubber for the only intent of encouraging the manufacturing of rubber supplies in Liberia.
Why the ban on unprocessed pure rubber?
On November 10, 2008, President Sirleaf contemplating the financial function that the rubber sector performs within the financial system of Liberia, issued an Government Order No. 16 with the only intention of taking concrete motion to curtail the decline within the Liberian rubber business. It’s famous within the Government Order that: Accordingly, the Government Order was meant to get rid of what the federal government referred to as “the misuse of presidency sources and all different corrupt practices”. The Order famous that the rubber business was a part of the state financial, offering the best single supply of annual income for the federal government and on the identical time offering extra employment alternative for Liberians within the nation. “NOW, THEREFORE, with the intention of taking quick steps to curb the decline within the Liberian rubber business till applicable insurance policies and frameworks could be put in place to enhance the scenario of the rubber business in the long run in an effort to guarantee redevelopment, new improvement, elevated manufacturing, elevated job alternatives and elevated income to authorities, it’s hereby ordered as follows.” The Order said.
Part 1 of the Order additionally states: “That from the date of this Order, there shall be no exportation of unprocessed pure rubber from Liberia till in any other case suggested. Unprocessed pure rubber shall be outlined because the uncooked materials tapped from rubber timber, not having gone by any processing to vary its bodily or chemical composition; or pure latex, coagulum, cup lump, tree lace, bark scrap, floor scrap and another type of unprocessed or processed pure rubber (together with concentrated latex and dry rubber produced or derived from the latex produced by rubber timber. For functions of this Government Order, “processed rubber” shall imply latex focus, technically specified rubber (“TSR”) and different dry rubber or grades of rubber which are typically thought of to be processed rubber by the pure rubber business worldwide.”
Within the train of the Government energy vested within the President by the structure of Liberia, President Sirleaf on April 28, 2014, issued one other Government Order No. 60 to exchange Government Order No. 16 and 50 banning the exportation of unprocessed pure rubber from the nation. Therefore, as a matter of reinforcing the Government Orders No 16, 50, and 60 issued by former President Sirleaf, the federal government of Liberia beneath President George Manneh Weah, in 2023 issued an Government Order No. 124 banning the exportation of unprocessed pure rubber as a result of gross abuse, absolute misuse, and rampant stealing of unprocessed pure rubber, and the following exportation of it with no profit to authorities and folks of Liberia.
When the necessity was turning into so overwhelming for Liberia as one of many oldest rubbers producing nations to remodel its rubber sector, it took a long-lasting consultative pattern with actors concerned to reach on the choice of banning the exportation of unprocessed pure rubber.
It was a tough choice, however the authorities was beneath obligation to have positioned the ban on unprocessed pure rubber within the curiosity of the state and the general public, to safeguard the rubber business, change the narratives of Liberia’s rubber historical past of manufacturing rubber and may’t produce even “rubber plate, rubber ban, or tires within the nation.”
The Government Order No. 124 banning the exportation of unprocessed pure rubber states that “From the date of this Government Order, there shall be no exportation of unprocessed pure rubber from Liberia till in any other case suggested,” the manager order declared. “Unprocessed pure rubber shall be outlined because the uncooked materials tapped from rubber timber, not having gone by any processing to vary its bodily or chemical composition; or pure latex, coagulum, cup lump, tree lace, bark scrap, floor scrap, and another type of unprocessed or processed pure rubber (together with concentrated latex and dry rubber produced or derived from the latex produced by rubber timber).”
To make sure that Liberians in rural space and all small farm holders have full entry to the rubber market, the Government Order additional states “That inside 30 days of the issuance of this Government Order, the Ministry of Commerce and Trade, at the side of the Ministry of Agriculture, shall make a particular effort to supply entry to home markets for Liberian rubber farmers in distant areas who rely totally on cross-border commerce in unprocessed pure rubber,”
Join free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the most recent in African information delivered straight to your inbox
As a matter of assuaging theft within the rubber sector, it is usually clear inside the Government Order: “That transporting or shifting unprocessed pure rubber exterior of rubber plantations between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. shall be prohibited. People discovered transporting or shifting unprocessed pure rubber throughout these hours shall be stopped by the plant safety pressure or regulation enforcement authorities. Any individual discovered to be in violation of this Government Order shall be prosecuted by the Ministry of Justice.”
The Rubber Improvement Fund (RDF), and the Small Farm Holders Affiliation have since welcomed the ban on the exportation of unprocessed pure rubber by the Liberian authorities. Consistent with the doctrine of “authorities of continuity” former President George M. Weah issued an Government Order No. 124 banning the exportation of unprocessed pure rubber as a result of identical cause as outlined in Government Order No. 16, 50 and 60 issued by former President Sirleaf. It’s due to this fact comical, for individuals who can do analysis, or for the hate they’ve for President Weah to at all times affiliate him banning the exportation of unprocessed pure rubber for the sake of Jeety.
