Monrovia Liberia-The Government of Liberia  empathizes with the public for the difficulty they have had to go through over the last couple of weeks in obtaining petroleum products from stations across the country.

Due to the shortage of gasoline, in many instances, people are made to stand in long queues for several hours before getting served.

This situation is disturbing and can not be allowed to continue. As a result, the government has purchased emergency supplies which are due in the country within one week to alleviate the situation.

The government treats the constant availability and supply of petroleum and other essential commodities on the market with utmost importance. This is why President George M. Weah has constituted a special taskforce, headed by Honorable Trokon Kpui, Minister of State Without Portfolio, to investigate and establish what caused an estimated 60 percent discrepancy between importers’ inventory reports of products at the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and actual stock of products at its petroleum storage facilities.

The task force mandate will cover the period between January 2017 and January 2020 and also include the following members:

• George D. Wolo- Ministry of Commerce

• Peter D. Somah -Ministry of Commerce

• Rufus G. Mahn- Liberia Revenue Authority

• Augustine G. Chenoway-LRA

• Dominic K.L. Hina- Ministry of Finance Development Planning 

At the end of their mission, the group is expected to give a detailed understanding of the LPRC petroleum storage process and determine importation dates, product quantity and lifting schedules with the view of ensuring corrective measures to prevent a recurrence of the present situation.

Additionally, the Ministry of Commerce and the LPRC have been mandated to work with importers to ensure that the limited stocks available are distributed properly.

While this is ongoing, the government appeals to the general public for patience as it works to remedy the situation.