Monrovia, November 13, 2026 – A prominent rubber planter has commended the House of Representatives, through its Committee on Agriculture, for taking a bold step to bring all stakeholders together to examine the controversial Executive Order 166.
Mr. Charles Bamakpeh, Chief Executive Officer of Meawon Liberia Incorporated, said the Committee’s decision to convene series of roundtable discussions was a welcome intervention that could pave the way for better understanding and a recommendation to the President for a positive reversal of the order.
Since the issuance of Executive Order 166, local rubber farmers across the country have cried foul, arguing that the order disadvantages them while giving leverage to bigger farmers and concessionaires. Many smallholder farmers have expressed frustration on ground that the policy has made it difficult for them to compete and survive in the sector.
Bamakpeh indicated that the House’s intervention is timely and shows that lawmakers are listening to the plight of local farmers.
“This is a bold step by the House of Representatives. Bringing all stakeholders to one table to ascertain the facts surrounding Executive Order 166 is the right thing to do. It will lead to better conversation and a recommendation to the President,” Bamakpeh told legislative reporters at the Capitol Building.
The latest meeting, however, ended prematurely due to the absence of several key stakeholders, including representatives of big concession companies, regulatory authorities, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to Committee, the hearing could not properly proceed because of the absences and other irregularities observed. The Committee said it does not want to keep pushing the matter down without proper verification and stressed the need for all relevant parties to be present to ensure a fair and transparent process.
A new date for the hearing is expected to be announced once all parties have been duly notified.
Despite the postponement, Bamakpeh is somewhat excited for the step taken by the House.
“This action should be lauded, though it’s the first step forward.”
He called on the august body to exert further and speedy action to bring the situation to a successful and conclusive end.
“As I said, we appreciate the House for starting this process. We now call on them to act swiftly so that this matter can be brought to a successful and conclusive end for the benefit of all Liberian rubber farmers,” he added.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai signed Executive Order No. 166 on June 24, 2026, banning the export of unprocessed natural rubber indefinitely, effective July 1, 2026. The order defines unprocessed rubber broadly such as natural latex, coagulum, cup lump, tree lace, bark scrap, ground scrap, and any rubber not subjected to industrial processing.
The government pointed out that the ban is intended to strengthen local processing, create employment, increase domestic value addition, and ensure Liberian rubber farmers benefit more directly from the industry.
But this has somewhat proven indifference, as local farmers believe that it’s an unjust way of taking them from the industry.
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