Citi Business News has learnt the Liberian government has suspended all forms of taxes in the country as it tries to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak.
This comes after the Liberian government earlier suspended taxes on rice imports to control increasing prices of essential commodities.
According to the Executive Order No. 61, the Government of Liberia took the decision, after conducting an assessment into the causes of increases in the price of strategic commodities, with an intension to make it affordable to the public.
The World Bank estimates the outbreak will cost Liberia close to 234 million dollars or 12% of GDP.
The World Bank in a report said the Ebola outbreak will cost the West African economy 32.6 billion dollars by the end of next year if health officials are slow to contain the spread.
Speaking to Citi Business News the Charge D’Affairs of the Embassy of the Republic of Liberia in Ghana, Musu J. Rhule said,”in the first place because of the Ebola situation in the country, we are not collecting taxes anymore and you know the country depends on taxes to run the economy, yes the IMF is right”.
According to her , the government of Liberia’s priority now is to contain the spread of the Ebola virus .
Meanwhile the Liberian Embassy in Ghana has commended Ghana for not preventing Liberians entry into the country.
“we do not share a border directly with Ghana but most countries have refused Liberians entry into their countries but Ghana hasn’t done that …we have students who have arrived here , they are in school and that’s a good gesture …we commend them for that”, she stated.
Cote d’Ivoire is one African country that has closed land borders with its neighbors affected by Ebola, including Guinea and Liberia, and suspended air flights to and from the affected countries.
By: Rabiu Alhassan/citifmonline.com/Ghana