The Solidarity & Trust for a New Day (STAND) has issued a sharp condemnation of Liberia’s newly announced tax measures, branding them as an unjust assault on ordinary citizens and a looming threat to national stability. The group is demanding an immediate review and reversal of the policy, warning that it will deepen hardship and erode public trust in government.
At a time when most Liberians are already struggling with rising living costs, scarce income opportunities, and economic uncertainty, STAND argues that the government’s aggressive taxation of small traders, petty business owners, and self-employed citizens is both reckless and indefensible. These individuals, the group notes, are not part of a thriving formal economy but are forced into self-reliance due to systemic unemployment and the state’s failure to create sustainable jobs.
Instead of easing pressure, the new tax regime targets the very backbone of Liberia’s survival economy. Market women, motorcyclists, shopkeepers, and informal workers—who generate livelihoods without state support—are now being penalized for their resilience. STAND warns that this approach risks collapsing the micro-enterprises that sustain households and communities nationwide.
From a policy perspective, STAND denounces the taxation model as fundamentally flawed. It prioritizes short-term revenue collection over long-term growth and stability. By overburdening low-income earners while failing to expand the productive base of the economy, the government is shrinking opportunity, discouraging entrepreneurship, and accelerating poverty. A fair tax system, the group insists, must be equitable, growth-oriented, and sensitive to the realities of the population—not punitive toward those struggling to survive.
The organization also raises concerns about governance and fairness. When citizens are asked to sacrifice more while receiving little in return—whether in jobs, services, or economic opportunity—confidence in leadership erodes. A government that taxes without enabling prosperity, STAND cautions, risks alienating its people and weakening the social contract that binds the nation together.
If left unchecked, the group warns, the policy trajectory could trigger broader national risks. Rising inequality, business closures, and deepening poverty are not merely economic challenges but precursors to instability. “No nation can achieve sustainable peace or development while systematically squeezing its most vulnerable citizens,” STAND declared.
The group further cautioned that continued disregard for the economic realities of ordinary Liberians will intensify public frustration and could spark civic resistance. “This is not a threat, but a reflection of historical patterns: when survival is threatened, people will respond,” STAND stated.
Despite these challenges, STAND highlighted the resilience of Liberians, who continue to innovate and support one another despite systemic obstacles. That resilience, the group stressed, must be protected—not punished.
STAND’s demands include: Immediate suspension of tax measures affecting low-income and self-employed citizens, development of a fair, transparent, and equitable tax framework that safeguards vulnerable populations, a shift in policy focus toward job creation, economic expansion, and support for small businesses, and greater civic engagement to ensure public policies reflect the will and welfare of the people.
Liberia, STAND concluded, stands at a critical crossroads. The choices made today will determine whether the nation advances toward inclusive growth or sinks deeper into inequality. “Taxation must be a tool for development—not an instrument of hardship,” the group asserted.
