The current situation in 2025 is proving to be a repeat of the same issue, with Yeleboe facing import duties totaling $5,719, well above the $4,460 he initially paid for the machinery.
Monrovia-Kesseh Yeleboe, a son of Boinsen District in Bong County, has expressed deep frustration over the government’s persistent refusal to release his agricultural consignment from the National Port Authority, despite meeting all the necessary requirements. Yelebo’s consignment, which includes a Front-end Loader and two vital tractors intended for his agricultural project, has remained stuck at the Freeport of Monrovia due to excessive tax charges and bureaucratic delays imposed by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
By Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
This marks the second time that the government has denied Yeleboe his agricultural machinery, which is critical for mechanizing food crop production and helping over 500 farmers in his district. In 2018, Yeleboe imported two front-end loaders, intending to improve rice production in Bong County. However, those machines were not released due to similar delays and tax-related issues, forcing him to leave Liberia without receiving the equipment.
The current situation in 2025 is proving to be a repeat of the same issue, with Yeleboe facing import duties totaling $5,719, well above the $4,460 he initially paid for the machinery.
“It is disheartening that the Liberian government continues to impose excessive duties on equipment intended to help local farmers,” Yeleboe lamented.
“This is the same situation that occurred in 2018, and it is happening again in 2025. It feels as if nothing has changed, and I am being forced to go through the same cycle of frustration and disappointment.”
Despite the challenges, he remained determined to push forward with his agricultural project.
As the founder of the Kesseh Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting smallholder farmers in Bong County, Yeleboe has focused on increasing food production through modern farming techniques.
The current situation in 2025 is proving to be a repeat of the same issue, with Yeleboe facing import duties totaling $5,719, well above the $4,460 he initially paid for the machinery.
The tractors and front-end loaders are meant to reduce the reliance on hand tools, assist with de-stumping fields, and recycle soil to improve productivity.
In addition to the front end loader, Mr. Yeleboe has already purchased 7 garri processing machines for cassava farmers in boinsen District.
However, the excessive import duties and delays in clearing the equipment are stalling progress.
This situation directly contradicts President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s Executive Order No. 139, which was signed on November 27, 2024.
The Executive Order specifically aimed to suspend import tariffs on agricultural equipment to make such tools more accessible and affordable for local farmers.
The order was designed to increase accessibility to agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and machinery, promote productivity, and improve livelihoods by reducing the tax burden on those directly involved in agriculture.
The government’s continued imposition of excessive import duties on Yelebo’s equipment appears to violate this directive, hindering the very goals that President Boakai’s executive order sought to achieve.
According to the Executive Order, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Liberia Revenue Authority, is responsible for streamlining the tax exemption process for agricultural equipment and ensuring that importers only pay Customs Users Fees (CUF) and, where applicable, the ECOWAS Trade Levy (ETL).
However, the ongoing difficulties Yeleboe faces suggest that the administrative processes intended to support local farmers are not functioning as intended.
Instead of facilitating access to vital farming tools, the bureaucratic inefficiencies are exacerbating the problems faced by smallholder farmers.
Yeleboe stressed that Bong County holds significant agricultural potential, but this potential is being stifled by the government’s failure to support local farmers with the tools they need to succeed.
He emphasized that the challenges are not just affecting his project, but the future of thousands of farmers across Liberia.
“The government must do better. Our farmers deserve the support that will enable them to thrive and build a more prosperous future for Liberia,” Yeleboe stressed.
Despite these setbacks, he expressed commitment to uplift smallholder farmers.
However, without a supportive government and efficient systems in place, he warned that Liberia’s agricultural sector will continue to struggle.
In a time when Liberia is focusing on the future of food production and agricultural growth, Yeleboe’s plea for immediate action to address the bureaucratic inefficiencies and revise the excessive import taxes on agricultural equipment is more urgent than ever.
As a result, Yeleboe is calling on the government to live up to its promises and create a more favourable environment for farmers to help drive economic growth and ensure food security in the country.
However, when contacted, LRA Communications Manager, Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh told FrontPageAfrica that the Revenue session at the institution is responsible for allocating taxes in different categories.
Sengbeh also raised concerns whether the equipment spoken about were brought into the country for Mr. Yeleboe’a personal agriculture project, which could be a business.
However, he noted that the Revenue department would respond to the inquiries message to him via WhatsApp, and until then, he cannot speak to the matter, noting that he cannot Speak to a specific time that the concerns would be addressed.
