LiberiaFact CheckHomepage

False! No consistent decline in prices of rice, petroleum in Boakai’s administration

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Claim: Liberian President Joseph Boakai alleges that the price of rice and petroleum products has consistently declined within the first two months of his administration.

False! No consistent decline in prices of rice, petroleum in Boakai’s administration

Full Text

President Joseph Boakai delivered his second address about the nation’s state on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, in compliance with Article 58 of the Liberian Constitution.

“The President shall, on the fourth working Monday in January of each year, present the administration’s legislative programme for the ensuing session and shall once a year report to the Legislature on the state of the Republic. In presenting the economic condition of the Republic,” Article 58 states.

President Boakai, during his State of the Nation Address, claimed that in the first two months of his administration, the price of 25kg parboiled rice was reduced.

“Despite global trends affecting commodity supply and prices, we have seen consistent declines in the costs of essential commodities, including rice and petroleum products. The price of 25kg IR64 parboiled rice was reduced within the first two months of our leadership.”

DUBAWA decided to verify the claim as part of its effort to counter misinformation and disinformation.

Verification

According to the Liberia Market Monitoring Bulletin, the national average price for a 25kg bag of rice in March 2024 was 3,700, an increase of 21% compared to the previous year.

The price for a gallon of gasoline increased from LRD 840 to LRD 950 between March 2023 and 2024, a 13% increase.

Also, in May of 2024, rice importers wrote to the Ministry of Commerce, requesting an increase in the price of parboiled rice. The importers attributed the increment to the rising cost of importing rice to Liberia.

Following the request from the rice importers, the government of Liberia approved it with an emphasis on local production.

The increment led to several Liberians expressing frustration over the country’s harsh economic conditions and calling on the government to ensure that the country’s staple food is affordable.

Conclusion

Our findings show that there has been no consistent decline in the prices of rice and petroleum products; therefore, President Boakai’s claim is false.

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button
Translate »