Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung has launched a major push to strengthen Liberia’s Liberianization policy by pressing manufacturers and private sector actors to hand over distribution and retail opportunities reserved by law to Liberian-owned businesses.
At a high-level meeting held Friday, May 1, 2026 in Monrovia, the Vice President engaged key manufacturers and stakeholders to enforce provisions of Liberia’s 2010 Investment Act which reserves distribution, retail trade, and several other business categories exclusively for Liberians. The move comes amid growing concerns over the increasing presence of foreign nationals in sectors legally protected for Liberian citizens, raising questions about weak enforcement of the law.
Recently, why on ELBC road, Liberia’s Vice President stressed that the government has the political will to ensure Liberians fully benefit from economic opportunities meant for them, describing enforcement of the policy as a national priority. A major focus of the discussions was G5, formerly the Coca-Cola bottling facility, where a mixed distribution system involving both Liberian and foreign distributors currently exists.
Officials noted that strict entry requirements including a bank guarantee of about US$150,000, strong market networks, and the ability to conduct cash-based transactions, have made it difficult for many Liberians participate.
According to him, the government is now considering a plan to gradually phase out foreign distributor arrangements and replace them with five to ten qualified Liberian-owned businesses as authorized distributors.
However, he disclosed that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is expected to issue formal guidance inviting eligible Liberian businesses to participate. Similar reforms are also being proposed for NICOM Distilleries and RITCO, both of which currently operate direct-to-customer sales systems without structured distributor networks.
