An investigation by Verity News has uncovered multiple leaked videos and pictures, revealing that Bea Mountain Mining Corporation (BMMC) has hired foreign nationals to wash cars, a role exclusively reserved for Liberian citizens under the country’s 1975 Liberianization Policy.
This discovery emerged after leaked videos surfaced showing foreign nationals believed to be Turkish washing vehicles, directly contravening Liberian laws that restrict certain economic activities to local citizens.
The footage, obtained by this publication, has ignited public outrage and raised serious questions about the government’s failure to enforce the policy, protect the interest of Liberian citizens, and curb the regulatory gaps that allow such violations.
Understanding the Law
Liberia’s Liberianization Policy, initially enacted in 1975 and expanded in 1998, aims to empower indigenous Liberians by reserving 26 key economic sectors exclusively for them.
These sectors include:
Car washing
Block making
Gas station operations
Peddling
Ice cream manufacturing….among others
The policy’s core objective is to promote local entrepreneurship and reduce economic marginalization by ensuring that these trades remain in the hands of Liberians.
“This is more than a mere breach of rules, it’s an affront to the Liberian people,” said a local economic analyst. “The fact that foreign nationals are working in sectors legally reserved for Liberians reveals serious weaknesses in law enforcement.”
Policy Intentions vs. Reality
Besides restricting certain sectors, the Liberianization Policy requires foreign-owned businesses to:
Employ and train Liberians at all levels;
Source raw materials locally when possible;
Provide equity participation opportunities to Liberians in some cases.
Despite these provisions, enforcement remains weak and inconsistent. Many foreign nationals continue operating businesses in restricted areas through informal or undocumented means, making regulatory oversight difficult.
Why Enforcement Falters
Experts attribute the policy’s failure largely to weak institutional capacity and insufficient political will.
Additionally, many Liberians lack the vocational skills, technical training, and financial resources necessary to compete effectively with better-funded foreign enterprises.
Consequently, the very people the policy is meant to protect often find themselves excluded from economic opportunities legally intended for them.
Following the Bea Mountain Mining case, local residents are urging the Ministry of Labor and the Liberia Immigration Service to take swift and decisive action.
Workers emphasize that symbolic enforcement is inadequate; they are calling for a broader crackdown on illegal foreign involvement in protected sectors alongside meaningful support for Liberian entrepreneurs.
Analysts warn that without stronger enforcement and targeted support for local businesses, the vision of a Liberian-owned economy will remain unattainable.
If urgent reforms are not enacted, incidents like the Mount Barclay car wash and Bea Mountain’s foreign car washer may become commonplace, further eroding public trust and undermining the very purpose of the Liberianization Policy.
