Rubber industry in Liberia calls for Gov’t support

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Rubber industry in Liberia calls for Gov't support

The Rubber industry in Liberia are calling for the government to support them. Harrison G. Karnwea, chief executive officer of Nimba Rubber Incorporated, said the rubber industry accounts for the majority of the country’s total employment and therefore needs to be sustained by the national government.

“The government needs to prioritize agriculture, especially the rubber sector which is the biggest employer of this country. The unemployment that we are talking about so much today is caused by the demise of the rubber sector,” he said.

The CEO of the Nimba Rubber Incorporated, who is also the former Managing Director of the Liberia’s Forestry Development Authority, said, “Our contribution to the economy of the country has been overlooked and I think we need to go and sit with them and discuss with them how much contribution we have made and how we deserve the little bit of money that we contribute to the government.”

Rubber money

According to Karnwea, many of them benefited from rubber money that made them who they are today and are therefore calling on the government authority, especially the Ministry of Agriculture, to understand that the sector cannot be overlooked and cannot be taken lightly.

Mr. Karnwea made the remarks when he delivered the keynote address at the induction ceremony of the newly elected officials of the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia (RPAL) to steer the affairs of the organization for the next two years.

The event, which took place at the RPAL headquarters located at Cooper Farm, Todee District, Montserrado County, brought together officials of the government, Firestone Liberia, the Ministry of Agriculture, and citizens of both Montserrado and Margibi Counties.

He further stated that the industry needs the support of the government to ensure that those who are in the business are assisted to ensure that productivity increases, efficiency increases as well as help people to earn a living.

“Mr. President, we look up to you to take us to another level as you can see your predecessor has tried by taking this establishment from zero to hero. So we expect you now to take it to the top level. For those of us in the sector, we just need to continue to hold together, work together and with the big players so that we get assistance,” said Mr. Karnwea.

“This sector has struggled for almost all funding throughout the year. During the Ebola year, the government intervened to some extent through the intervention of the Rubber Planters Association of Liberia under the presidency of Mr. Benjamin Garnett. Unfortunately, most of you small farmers at the bottom of the ladder that need the money so much in most cases were unable to access the fund. The reasons being that the banks demand collateral and most of us have small farms,” he added.