By Godgift Harris
The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) is under growing public scrutiny amid allegations circulating on social media.
Reports have accused the institution of collecting and mismanaging government’s tax revenues from petroleum imports.
In response to the claims, LPRC Management on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, senior officials strongly denied the accusations.
The entity clarified the petroleum revenue collection framework.
LPRC Managing Director Amos Tweh, categorically rejected assertions that the company collects government’s taxes.
Tweh described the claims as “baseless, misleading, and unsupported by factual evidence.”
The clarification comes at a time when many Liberians have demanded greater transparency from state-owned enterprises, particularly regarding their financial contributions to the national budget and their internal revenue management systems.
Who collects what?
According to LPRC, petroleum revenue administration structure is legally segmented.
The company maintains that it collects only statutory service and operational fees related to storage, discharge, laboratory testing, quality control, and maintenance at its Product Storage Terminal (PST).
“All government taxes, including customs duties and excise taxes are assessed and collected solely by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA),” Tweh said.
The LRA, he said, continues oversight at the terminal and has the authority to prevent product lifting if taxes remain unpaid.
Under the current system, licensed petroleum importers submit lay can requests to LPRC specifying product type PMS gasoline, AGO diesel or jet fuel along with volume and arrival schedule.
Upon vessel discharge at the PST, volumes are verified through an outturn report, recorded in metric tons and U.S. gallons.
Importers then receive transfer and delivery authorizations, but lifting cannot proceed unless all LRA-assessed taxes are fully settled.
Only after-tax clearance and payment of LPRC’s service fees distribution can take place.
Public skepticism persists
Despite management’s detailed explanation, skepticism remains high among members of the public.
Several citizens have questioned how much revenue LPRC has generated from service fees between 2024 to present, and how much of that revenue has been remitted or contributed to national budget, currently valued at approximately US$1.2 billion.
Critics argue that while LPRC may not collect statutory taxes, the service fees it charges represent significant revenue streams that must be publicly accounted for.
“The issue is not just about tax collection. The issue is transparency, how much has LPRC collected in operational fees; how are those funds managed; what has been contributed to the national budget?” a local civil society advocate questioned.
Though LPRC insists all revenues are properly receipted, deposited into designated accounts, and audited under Public Financial Management regulations, no detailed financial breakdown was provided during Thursday’s press engagement.
As of the oversight and accountability questions, management said, its operations are overseen by a board of directors, and relevant government institutions and that all revenues are subject to established internal financial controls.
Yet governance experts note that state-owned enterprises across the region often face weak public disclosure practices, even when operating within legal frameworks.
“Compliance with procedure does not automatically translate into transparency,” one financial analyst observed.
“The public have therefore demanded figures, not just frameworks.”
The petroleum sector remains one of the most economically sensitive industries, directly affecting pump prices, transportation costs, and inflation.
Any perception of financial irregularity within the system can erode public trust and destabilize market confidence.
The bigger question
At the heart of the controversy is a broader demand for institutional clarity and fiscal openness.
Many Liberians now want LPRC to publicly disclose, total service fees collected from 2024 to date, operational expenditures over the same period, contributions made to national budget.
LPRC has meanwhile, urged media institutions and civil society organizations to seek clarification from appropriate authorities regarding petroleum pricing and tax procedures.
But critics argue that the company itself must proactively publish financial data to dispel doubts.
As one commentator put it, “Those who speak with authority must come with clean hands.”
For now, LPRC firmly maintains that it does not collect government taxes, and therefore, cannot mismanage tax revenues.