By Amos Harris
The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) finds itself under intensifying public scrutiny as allegations circulate across social media accusing the institution of mismanaging government tax revenues derived from petroleum imports. In a decisive move to counter these claims, LPRC management convened a press briefing on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at its Bushrod Island headquarters. During the session, senior officials strongly denied the accusations and provided a detailed breakdown of the legal framework governing petroleum revenue in Liberia.
Managing Director Amos Tweh categorically rejected the assertions, labeling them as “baseless, misleading, and unsupported by factual evidence.” He emphasized that the confusion likely stems from a misunderstanding of how revenue is partitioned between different state entities. This clarification arrives at a critical juncture for the country, as Liberians increasingly demand greater fiscal transparency from state-owned enterprises regarding their contributions to the national budget.
According to the LPRC management, Liberia’s petroleum revenue administration is legally segmented to ensure checks and balances. The company maintains that its financial intake is strictly limited to statutory service and operational fees. These charges cover essential functions such as product storage, vessel discharge, laboratory quality control testing, and the general maintenance of the Product Storage Terminal (PST).
Managing Director Tweh clarified that all government taxes, including customs duties and excise taxes, are assessed and collected exclusively by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA). The LRA maintains a constant oversight presence at the terminal and possesses the sole authority to halt the “lifting” or distribution of products if the required taxes remain unpaid. Under this system, the LPRC acts as a custodian of the product, but the LRA acts as the gatekeeper of the revenue.
The operational workflow follows a rigid sequence. Licensed importers first submit “lay can” requests to the LPRC, specifying the product type—whether PMS gasoline, AGO diesel, or Jet Fuel—along with the expected volume and arrival schedule. Once a vessel discharges at the PST, the volumes are verified through an outturn report and recorded in both metric tons and U.S. gallons. While importers receive delivery authorizations, they are legally barred from distributing the fuel until the LRA issues a tax clearance and the LPRC receives its specific service fees.
Despite these detailed technical explanations, public skepticism remains high. Many citizens and civil society advocates argue that the distinction between “taxes” and “service fees” is a matter of semantics if the total amounts remain shielded from public view. Critics are now calling for a full disclosure of the revenue LPRC has generated from these service fees between 2024 and the present, as well as a clear accounting of how much of that surplus has been remitted to Liberia’s US$1.2 billion national budget.
While LPRC insists that all revenues are properly received, deposited into designated accounts, and audited under Public Financial Management (PFM) regulations, the press engagement stopped short of providing a granular financial breakdown. Governance experts point out that while LPRC may be following the letter of the law, “compliance with procedure does not automatically translate into transparency.” In a region where state-owned enterprises often struggle with public disclosure, the demand from the Liberian public is shifting from an interest in frameworks to a demand for hard figures.
The petroleum sector is arguably Liberia’s most economically sensitive industry, with any fluctuation or perceived irregularity directly impacting pump prices, transportation costs, and overall inflation. Consequently, the LPRC management maintains that its operations are strictly overseen by a Board of Directors and relevant government oversight bodies. However, the unfolding debate suggests that institutional clarity is now a prerequisite for market confidence.
At the heart of the controversy is a broader push for fiscal openness. Moving forward, the public expectation is for LPRC to proactively publish data regarding its total service fees, operational expenditures, and independent audit findings. As the debate continues, the company’s core defense remains unchanged: it does not collect government taxes and therefore cannot mismanage them. Whether this technical distinction will satisfy a public focused on the bottom line remains to be seen, but it is clear that in Liberia’s current economic climate, transparency is no longer optional—it is essential.