River Cess County Senator, though under US sanction, has called for a reduction of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) storage fees from the current US$0.35 cents back to US$0.18 cents.
Bill Tweahway argued that this change would provide immediate financial relief to both drivers and passengers.
Sen. Tweahway said, redirecting the increased storage fees to government for national development would not yield timely benefits for citizens.
He stated: “We should not redirect the US$0.35 LPRC storage fees to the government. Let’s drop it back to US$0.18 cents so our people can immediately benefit.”
Tweahway recalled how the George Weah regime made the fees hike from US$0.18 cents to US$0.35 cents to fund the construction of a LPRC storage farm.
He remembered that the planned storage facility was abandoned by the Weah regime, raising questions about the continued justification for the higher fees.
“Instead of redirecting the US$0.35 storage fees from tank owners to national development, let’s bring it back to US$0.18 cents.”
Tweahway believes that lowering the fees could lead to a decrease in gasoline prices and transportation fares, thus providing significant immediate benefits to the public. He meanwhile, criticized the apparent disconnect between LPRC’s fee collections, and their tangible impact on citizens.
“LPRC collects fees similar to those for the National Road Fund, but the citizens do not feel the real impact of these collections,” he said, urging for a more direct benefit to the populace.
By advocating for the reduction of storage fees with the aim to “ease” the financial strain on citizens, and enhance their overall economic well-being, Tweahway said such a measure could lead to a “significant decrease in daily expenses for families,” ultimately contributing to a more stable and prosperous economy.