Monrovia, March 19 -- The Liberian Senate has passed a controversial bill seeking to transform the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) into a full-fledged state-owned enterprise, amid concerns over the speed of its passage and limited time given to lawmakers to review the final draft legislation.

The bill, titled An Act to create the LPRC, was introduced by Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County and seeks to repeal key provisions of the 1989 Petroleum Law.

The proposed legislation grants the LPRC exclusive authority over petroleum importation and distribution, while also redefining its legal status with governance, accountability, and oversight structures.

The passage of the bill followed a tense and prolonged consultative p...