MONROVIA – The Alternative National Congress Political Leader Alexander B. Cummings is worried about the dreadful state of the Liberian economy as hardship continues to pose on citizens.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah, [email protected]
“Liberia economy is not working and our people are suffering and I know supporters of this government will disagree, but the reality is, Liberians are struggling,” Cummings said.
Cummings said it is no secret that prices continue to increase on a daily basis in Liberia while citizens are faced with difficulties to pay rents, afford tuition for school going kids as well as finding ends meet when government is yet to put in place mechanism that would address these challenges.
Currently, according to him, there is no policy in place to maintain sound fiscal discipline of the Liberian Economy while the country’s tax policy remains weak.
Cummings told the Sky FM morning show Tuesday that the refusal of government to eliminate monopoly is one contributing factor affecting continuous rise in prices which does not augur well for the Liberian Economy.
“We need to adopt small growth inducing tax policy by looking at our tax regime and see how we can expand our tax base and put out taxes that will encourage people to invest. Today, there are few people that are allow to import and sell ingredients like rice, that will not help the country, let’s open it up to more competition it will help,” Cummings averred.
“Why not create industrial zones in our port cities and give them tax incentives to invest and manufacture Liberia,” he said.
The ANC political leader termed as “unfortunate” recommendations that are yet to be implemented by the Weah’s administration, something that is creating hardship for citizens. Cummings says these economy policies would help alleviate Liberia’s challenges.
He complained over the poor state of foreign direct investment due to the lack of competent officials in the CDC run government.
“I think there is incompetence and ineptitude and there are allegations that resources are being diverted for personal used and those are all part of the reasons we are experiencing the challenges we’re experiencing,” Cummings stated.
However, he wants Liberians to be hopeful that President Weah and his officials may see the light to create the necessary changes that would improve their livelihood.
He also wants the Weah administration to create for itself the “confidence and integrity” that would draw the attention of key investors toward the economy.
“We have an ongoing investigation about what happened to 16 Billion Liberian Dollars and when it is not clear about what happened to the US$25Million that was supposed to be infused to mop out the Liberian
“You have the head of the National Housing Authority being recorded planning to extort money, all of those actions do not encourage confidence in local business people or foreign business people.”
Unless government can address these challenges, the ANC Political leader says Liberia Economy will remain in a fragile state.
He hopes that 2019 would create a new dawn for the CDC-government to take the action that will improve the economy.
At the same time, Cummings expressed grave concern over the ensuing rift between President George Weah and his Vice President, Jewel Howard Taylor.
He said the currently rift between the two top officials of government within less than a year in their administration is a serious problem for the country.
“Investors have their choice of where to put money, they don’t have to bring it to Liberia. They look at the action of government, utterances of government and they have a choice to go where is more stable and where there is growth. But all of these actions discourage people from investing,” he said.