THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2014

The Central Bank of Liberia’s pronouncement to pay off the outstanding loan obligations of all private schools are dominating today’s summary of the local dailies.

The official turning over ceremony of officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and State Without Portfolio was also highlighted.

DOMINANT STORY

CBL Declares Financial Sector Stimulus - Pays off Loan Obligations of All Private Schools

The Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) has announced a major financial sector stimulus reducing interest rates on existing stimuli with banks for Liberian businesses and paying off the outstanding loan obligations of all private schools, from kindergarten through high school. According to the CBL, the commercial banks have already provided the CBL with the list of schools and the amounts involved.  In a special statement on the impact of the Ebola virus disease (EVD) on the economy on yesterday, CBL Executive Governor Dr. J. Mills Jones said  “this intervention serves two purposes: it helps to relieve the banks of the burden of provisioning, where schools find themselves unable to repay the debts, and it helps to relieve the potential burden on parents who may already be experiencing financial difficulties from increased fees that schools may have to impose in order to meet the obligation of the banks.” He said the Bank’s decision is due to the prolonged closure of schools as a result of the Ebola crisis which has contributed to increased debt burden of the private schools that have borrowed from banks.  The CBL Executive Governor also listed a number of measures [interventions], which he said, are aimed at alleviating the stress posed by the Ebola crisis on both the banking system and the economy in general, Daily Observer reports.

Related Caption: CBL Stimulus Package Salvages Liberia’s Ebola Economic Woes(   FrontPage Africa), CBL Will Pay Off Outstanding Loan Obligations Of All Private Schools(Heritage), CBL On Rescue Mission-Saves Private Schools, Others(In Profile Daily), Governor Jones Speaks On Schools Loan Obligations(The News), CBL Moves To Revive ‘Rural Economy’-Announces Several Measures(Daily Observer)

OTHER STORIES

Amb. Grigsby Takes Over As States Minister Without Portfolio With Distinction

Ambassador Sylvester M. Grigsby is now Liberia’s new Minister of State without Portfolio, coming to the job with a vast experience spanning over three decades. He officially took over the post on December 30, 2014, following his appointment by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and subsequent confirmation by the Senate. The Foreign Ministry Family couldn’t sit to see its seasoned diplomat leave the Ministry without recognition, there by hosting a special honoring ceremony for him during an official turning over ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, December 30, 2014. He was appreciated for his invaluable services rendered the Ministry and country for nearly 40 years, Heritage reports.

For Effective Service Delivery To Liberian Rural Dwellers, 12 Gov’t Ministries, Agencies Climax De-Concentration Policy Documents

Twelve government ministries and agencies have concluded the formulation of a de-concentration matrix which will be used as an enabling tool for effective service delivery to citizens and residents in rural Liberia. The exercise is the result of a ministerial validation of a document on decentralization. De-concentration is a key drive of efforts towards the implementation of GOL’s Decentralization policy. Dr. Roosevelt G. Jayjay, National Program Director for the National Decentralization Implementation Secretariat (NDIS), told participating agencies of Government at the opening session on Monday that government was poised to begin effective de-concentration of some services of the Ministries and Agencies (MACs) to local level authorities starting this January, 2015. As an effort precedent to ensuring the success of this new policy direction of government, Dr. Jayjay  said it was important for line ministries and agencies to clearly identify specific services that they would pass on to local level authorities in the various counties. He stressed that in many parts of the country, if not all, our people are anxious to enjoy public services which are not reaching them. The documents after completion, will enable the President, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, to give it a major national boost when she launches the De-concentration Platform sometime early this year, the statement from Ministry of Internal Affairs said, Daily Observer reports.

Related Caption: Liberia’s Decentralization Matrix Complete, Internal Affairs Says (FrontPageAfrica)

Liberia Temporarily Lifts Curfew For New Year Eve Service

The FrontPage Africanewspaper writes that in a statement signed by Acting Justice Minister Benedict Sannoh curfew for Wednesday Night, December 31, 2014, the eve of the New Year is hereby suspended.  According to the daily, by directive of the President, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf the action is in an effort to enable churches and religious groups around the country to conduct traditional worship services on the eve of the New Year.  The daily furthered that all Churches and Religious organizations conducting worship services on New Year's eve are advised to abide by all existing Ebola preventive protocols as well as the Regulations issued by the Minister of Health governing the control and abatement of the spread and eradication of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). The Liberia National Police and all Security agencies are advised to take note of this suspension”.

Related Caption: Curfew Suspended(The New Dawn)

Exquisite Sanitation Projects Over US$50,000 –For Waste Management

As the year 2014 ends today, the Exquisite Sanitation Incorporated has disclosed that it intends to extend its waste collection activities beyond central Monrovia, specifically Clara Town to other communities in 2015, provided it acquires an estimated amount of over US$50. The Exquisite Sanitation Incorporated is a local NGO that has for the past years been undertaking sanitation or waste collection activities in the Township of Clara Town on the Bushrod Island. The Executive Director of the group, Emmanuel S. Diggs, said the entity has provided jobs to many persons in Waste Management in Clara Town, In Profile Daily writes.

MRUYP Receives US$142K Grant For Ebola Sensitization

The Speaker of the Mano River Union Youth Parliament (MRUYP), Melvin Saah, has disclosed that his organization is expected to receive a US$142,000.00 grant for Ebola sensitization in Gbarpolu and Sinoe Counties from December 2014 to April 2015. He said the amount which is a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is intended for contact tracing in about 400 communities, collection of data on affected gender and level of interventions by community – based organization, In Profile Daily reports.

Chinese Medical Team Pledges To Help Build Liberia’s Health Sector

The head of the Chinese Medical Team has pledged that his team will help the Liberian Government rebuild its public health sector. Mr. Wang Yungui observer that the Liberian public health sector is in dire need of resuscitation, and that as a very good partner to the Liberian government and people, they will help rebuild it to enable  it provide adequate healthcare for citizens, West Africa Info Post reports.

UN Envoy Urges Regional Teamwork

United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative on Ebola Emergency Response to West Africa, Dr. Tony Ban Berry, Monday urged the Governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to work together and eliminate the deadly Ebola virus from their respective countries. “What we need to see now is to have teamwork amongst the three countries worst hit by the epidemic”, Dr. Ban Berry suggested, New Democrat writes.

EU Aid Shipment Arrives In Ebola-Hit West Africa

An EU aid shipment including vehicles and medical equipment for the three West African nations hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic has arrived in Guinea. An European Union (EU) aid shipment including vehicles and medical equipment for the three west African nations hardest hit by the Ebola epidemic has arrived in Guinea, officials said on Sunday (Dec. 29). The Dutch navy’s largest ship, the Karel Doorman, arrived in Guinea on Saturday and was due to also stop in Sierra Leone and Liberia, a statement from the EU delegations said. The Karel Dooman also delivered aid to the three countries in November, including vehicles and tonnes of hospital equipment. Ebola has killed more than 7500 people over the past year, almost all of them in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, New Democrat reports.