Monrovia-The Chief Executive Officer of Meawon Liberia Incorporated, Mr. Charles Bamakpeh, has called on President Joseph Boakai to immediately repeal Executive Order #166, which bans the export of unprocessed rubber, describing it as a death sentence for Liberian farmers and local businesses.
Mr. Bamakpeh said since the Executive Order was signed on June 26, 2026, warehouses across the country are filled with unprocessed rubber, export contracts have been cut off, and thousands of smallholder farmers have been forced to sell their produce at very low prices to survive.
According to him, Meawon Liberia Inc. and many other Liberian-owned companies have been completely cut off due to the ban and can no longer honor their international trade agreements, leaving their workers jobless and their farming families without money to sustain their homes and send their children to school.
Mr. Bamakpeh further explained that Executive Order 166, which replaced Executive Order 151 that previously allowed exportation with a fee of $150 USD per metric ton, does not help ordinary Liberians but instead favors foreign concession companies and creates a foreign monopoly to take over Liberia’s rubber sector.
He accused the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Alexander Nuetah, of betraying local farmers by supporting foreign companies over Liberian rubber exporters, brokers and farmers, noting that the Minister has been confrontational with farmers in the field instead of addressing their welfare.
The Meawon Liberia CEO also expressed disappointment that the export ban was imposed without any grace period, even though the Ministry of Agriculture was fully aware that local exporters were holding huge stocks, and criticized the Minister for seeking foreign investors at the United Nations General Assembly while suppressing Liberian businesses at home.
“It is my perspective that Minister Alexander Nuetah is operating with executive shielding to the detriment of Liberia’s rubber industry. We urgently request that the administration repeal Executive Order 166 and dismiss the Minister of Agriculture without delay,” Mr. Bamakpeh concluded.
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