Published: March 4, 2026
By Henry N. Kolenky
HARPER, Maryland County — Dozens of market women in Maryland County on Monday shut down trading activities in Harper and Pleebo, staging a peaceful protest against increased market fees imposed by the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA).
The protesters marched through the streets of Harper to the Maryland County Administration Building, calling on local authorities to intervene and halt what they described as burdensome charges that threaten the livelihoods of small-scale traders.
At the center of the dispute is the LMA’s decision to raise the annual market table registration fee to L$2,000 and increase the daily ticket fee from L$20 to L$50.
The women say the new fees are unrealistic for rural traders who often operate on thin margins and sometimes struggle to generate L$2,000 in total sales over several days.
“We are not refusing development,” said Madam Elizabeth Gono, who spoke on behalf of marketers from Pleebo. “But how can you ask us to pay L$2,000 when some of us cannot even make that amount in profit in a week?”
Traders at the Harper General Market voiced similar frustrations, saying they had attempted to negotiate a compromise with the association. According to Ms. Alicia Dennis, the women proposed L$1,000 for annual registration and L$30 for daily tickets, but the proposal was rejected.
“We tried to meet them halfway,” Dennis said. “But they refused to listen to us.”
Representation concerns
Beyond the fee increases, protesters also complained about what they described as longstanding exclusion from the LMA’s decision-making processes.
Several market women said Maryland County traders have not been represented at the association’s national conventions for more than a decade, leaving them without a voice in policy decisions affecting their businesses.
“How can decisions be made about us without us?” one protester said during the demonstration.
The women argued that the lack of representation has led to policies that do not reflect the realities of rural trading, particularly for vendors who sell perishable agricultural produce with narrow profit margins.
Officials urge dialogue
Maryland County Superintendent Henry B. Cole Jr., who has been mediating the dispute for the past three months, acknowledged the traders’ concerns and called for dialogue between the marketers and the LMA leadership.
Although he said he cannot overturn decisions made at the association’s national level, Cole proposed a temporary compromise under which traders would pay L$1,000 for annual registration and L$30 for daily tickets until the issue can be addressed at the LMA’s upcoming convention in Nimba County.
Cole also pledged to sponsor the registration fees for five market women to attend the convention, saying broader participation would help ensure that local concerns are represented.
“We cannot force people who say they don’t have money,” Cole said. “They must be part of the conversation.”
Market closure disrupts trade
Harper City Mayor Abraham B. Jackson expressed regret over the disruption caused by the market shutdown but defended the traders’ right to demonstrate peacefully.
“I am sorry for the inconvenience to citizens who depend on the markets for their daily food,” Jackson said. “But everyone has the right to express their concerns.”
LMA officials have maintained that the fee increases were approved during a national convention and are intended to support market infrastructure improvements and operational costs, including staff salaries.
However, the protesting women insist their immediate concern is survival.
Discussion about this post