MONROVIA – Sinoe County Senator and Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Cllr. Augustine Chea, has defended the Senate’s decision to endorse recent petroleum pricing adjustments, describing the move as constitutional and necessary to support the Boakai administration’s social and development programs.
In a detailed statement issued on Friday, September 12, 2025, Senator Chea dismissed arguments raised by the “Rule of Law Caucus” of the House of Representatives, which had questioned the Senate’s constitutional authority to independently investigate the pricing structure of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and recommend allocations from petroleum storage fees.
“The argument advanced by the ‘Rule of Law Caucus’ of the House of Representatives against the Senate in the matter of LPRC’s petroleum storage fees not only lack constitutional grounding but also defies a basic understanding of the Legislature’s concurrent oversight functions,” Cllr. Chea said.
He stressed that the Senate’s recommendations to the President regarding the use of petroleum storage fees did not amount to appropriations. “Recommending that a portion of petroleum storage fees be used for county road equipment maintenance and feeder road construction and maintenance is a policy recommendation, not appropriations, it is advisory, not executive,” he explained.
Chea further argued that public corporations and government agencies are legally permitted to charge fees for services, noting that such payments are not classified as taxes under the Revenue Code. “Fees charged by public corporations or government agencies for their services are not taxes under the Revenue Code; they are payments made in exchange for their services. And while public corporations and government agencies often collect these fees directly, the LRA may collect them on their behalf if legally authorized to do so,” he stated.
It is worth noting, on Thursday, September 11, 2025, the Senate praised the Executive Branch, through the LPRC, for implementing the new petroleum pricing adjustments. According to a press release signed by Siafa Jallah, Deputy Director for Broadcast, the Senate said the reforms reflect the Presidency’s mandate to create a fairer pricing structure while channeling resources into critical social and development programs.
The revised pricing framework introduces a $0.02 per gallon levy to support government social programs, replacing the previous financing cost. An additional $0.09 per gallon has been earmarked to support county equipment. Combined, the $0.11 increase per gallon is projected to generate approximately $17 million annually, based on import volumes of 154,652,417 gallons of petroleum.
According to the Senate, the decision followed a public hearing organized by a joint Senate committee that engaged stakeholders across the petroleum sector. The committee’s findings were extensively debated by senators, subsequently endorsed by plenary, and then forwarded to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for further action.
“The Senate’s oversight is intended to ensure that petroleum pricing not only reflects fairness in the market but also delivers tangible benefits to the country and its citizens,” the Senate statement concluded.
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