Monrovia - A US$13 million secret tax waiver to logging companies by the Government of Liberia would severely threaten forest communities and undermine the efforts to mitigate climate change in the country, says Global Witness (GW). Signed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the tax break seeks to, under the guard of the law, offer protection and subsidy for logging companies at the expense of Liberians, GW says. Liberia is one of the world’s poorest countries, with a 2017-2018 budget put at US$563 million. Young added: “The choice is a stark one for Liberia’s donors: why should they spend millions helping Liberia, only for the Liberian government to give millions back to predatory logging companies? The tax reform opens a debate over its underlying intent and target beneficiary especially as the curtains fall on the current administration.

Source: Front Page Africa December 20, 2017 02:26 UTC