Monrovia — The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) has strongly denied allegations of targeting petroleum importers, including Srimex Oil and Gas, amid recent tensions over regulatory enforcement actions.
Speaking over the weekend during a donation exercise to the At-risk Youths Temporary Holding Center in Johnsonville, the Deputy Managing Director for Administration at the LPRC, Jocab Smith, clarified that the agency’s actions are strictly regulatory and not politically motivated.
“We have no inclination to witch-hunt anybody. We don’t have any political objectives in the decisions that we make,” Smith told reporters. “Our role is to regulate the petroleum sector to ensure order, transparency, and compliance with the laws of Liberia.”
The clarification comes after reports surfaced of a standoff between LPRC and Srimex Oil and Gas, a company owned by businessman turned politician Musa Bility. According to accounts, LPRC management temporarily shut down Srimex’s terminals due to alleged unpaid taxes and failure to comply with newly introduced tariff regulations.
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Sources indicated that LPRC personnel attempted to enforce the new tariffs by assigning agents to the Srimex terminal. However, Bility reportedly denied them access, prompting the LPRC to lock down the facility. In response, Bility accused the regulatory body of obstructing his company’s operations unjustly.
“They say they came to enforce their new tariff. I told them we already have a billing system in place. Why are they obstructing our operations?” Bility said in an interview. “They have all of our trucks outside. We will go to court.”
Addressing the incident, Mr. Smith confirmed that the Srimex terminal was temporarily closed but reopened the same day after the company agreed to comply with LPRC’s monitoring protocols.
“One of the importers refused to allow our agents on the premises. Without our agents, we have no way of knowing the inflows and outflows of products. So, based on that, we took the decision to temporarily close the entity until the issue was resolved,” he explained.
Smith also disclosed that Srimex was not the only importer affected. Another petroleum importer, Cornex, faced similar enforcement measures but quickly complied after a dialogue with LPRC.
“It’s not about Srimex or Cornex; it’s about ensuring everyone in the sector is in compliance. We cannot live in a chaotic society. The law is the law, and no one is above it,” Smith added.
He emphasized that LPRC remains committed to regulating the sector fairly and transparently, without fear or favor.
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“We are going to do our job–firmly, responsibly, and without malice. That is the only way we can build a functioning and accountable petroleum sector in Liberia,” he concluded.
