The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 22, 2017

Today’s summary includes stories on the commendation of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf by Bong County Technical College, Liberia National Bar Association Annual Convention, and the approval of Financial Loan by the House of Representation.

Bong College Students Extol President Sirleaf

According to the Focus newspaper, students of the Bong County Technical College (BCTC) are commending President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the appointment of Dr. Charles Mulbah as acting President of the college. The students said, the appointment of Dr. Mulbah is impacting the college significantly. They noted that since he took over, Dr. Mulbah has ensured key reforms as part of efforts to build the hope of students. Speaking to the Liberia News Agency Monday, the acting President of the student government of the college, Thomas Ketor, said for example, the fee for registration has been reduced from US$110 to US$75, while credit is now five US dollars instead of six US dollars. Ketor said, even scholarship students who were indebted to the College have been presented grade sheets and have begun registration. He said, although the challenges at the BCTC remain enormous, the students are convinced that Dr. Mulbah and his team with support from the board will work to make the institution better.

Liberia Nat’l Bar Association Begins 4-Day Annual Convention Tomorrow – In Gbarnga

The Liberia National Bar Association is expected to hold its national convention in Gbarnga, Bong beginning November 23. The disclosure was made recently by the Resident Circuit Judge of Bong, Boimah Kontoe, during the opening of the November term of court in Gbarnga. An invitation letter sent to Kontoe by the president of the National Bar Association says the event will take place from November 23 – 26 under the theme of  “Sustaining Democratic Governance and Enhancing the Practice of Law and Access to Justice in Liberia.” The formal opening is slated for Friday, November 24 at the Gbarnga Administrative Building. The event is expected to be attended by local and national leaders as well as members of Judiciary, reports the Focus newspaper.

House Approves US$16.5m Loan

The Insight newspaper reports that the House of Representatives has approved a financing loan agreement for the construction of a road project linking Gbarnga and Salayea in Bong and Lofa Counties. The project is based on an agreement signed between the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Republic of Liberia which was submitted to the Legislature by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Members of the House of Representatives took the decision on Tuesday, November 21, 2017 during its 69^th day sitting following recommendation from its committee on Way, Means, Finance and Development Planning. The all-important project is expected to see the undertaking of the construction of asphalt road of approximately 81km long and 7.5 km, length and it shall also include among other things construction works, such as earthworks, bridge-works and consultancy service, instructional support and land acquisition. As part of the agreement, the Liberian Government agreement to secure a loan to 5 million Kuwait Dinars (USD 16,516,002.04) from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development to assist in funding the Gbarnga-Salayea Road Project).

ECOWAS Peacekeepers Learn Laws of War

More than 40 members of the Economic Community of West African States – Standby Force (ECOWAS SF) began a training course on international humanitarian law (IHL) and rules applicable in law enforcement in armed conflict situations. The five-day training which began on 21, November, 2017, is jointly conducted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the ECOWAS Commission. “We live in times characterized by increasingly complex situations of armed conflict and violence, not just in Africa but the world at large”, said Jean-Françoise Queguinner, ICRC’s deputy head of delegation in Nigeria. “it is times like these that challenge us to emphatically demonstrate in our words and actions that wars do have limits, pens the Insight newspaper.

House Passes New Revenue Code

The Insight newspaper pens that the Liberian Legislature has passed an act to amend the Revenue Code of Liberia to adopt a modernized customs Code (2017). The Legislative instrument title: “An Act to Amend the Revenue Code of Liberia, Phase One of the Reform Tax Code of Liberia, A.D. 2000, as Amended by the Consolidated Tax Amendment Act of 2011, to Adopt a Modernized Customs Code 2017 was passed yesterday by majority members of the House of Representatives in Chamber. The Passage of the act by the Lower Chamber was recommended by  its committee on Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning following what the committee termed and consultations with authorities of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) including actors and experts in the financial sector.

UBA Donates Reading BooksTo ELKMC

The pioneer African bank, United Bank for Africa, UBA has donated a carton of “Things Fall Apart” reading books to the Estelle Liberty Kermoh Empowerment Center. The donation was made to the center at the weekend at its GSA Road, Paynesville headquarters. The bank’s Corporate Communications Officer, Melody Mezay Kettor said the donation was made because the bank believes in empowering Liberia’s young generation. Mrs. Kettor said the UBA is also committed to molding the minds of students to cultivate the culture of reading in the Liberian society. She expressed hope that the gesture will be helpful not only to the center, but to students who come from different communities to attend reading sessions there. The UBA official also commended ELKEC for the kinds of work it does, promising “something bigger in the future”. Responding, the center’s Executive Director, Estelle Liberty Kemoh commended the UBA for its donation, indicating that it comes at a time the center is faced with logistical challenges. Mrs. Kemoh said the donation means that the bank has lived up to its corporate social responsibility. She assured that the books will be used for their intended purpose. The outstanding female Liberian Journalist said the small library she operates positively impacts students, especially underprivileged students, reports the Insight newspaper.

Experts Examine The Management Of The ECOWAS Customs Union

The 1^st meeting of the joint ECOWAS-UEMOA Committee for the management of the ECOWAS Customs Union began in Abuja, Nigeria on the 20^th of November 2017. Delegates at the meeting drawn from ECOWAS Member States, will brief the Committee on the state of implementation of the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) in their respective countries and discuss the revised text on the ECOWAS Trade liberalization Scheme (ETLS). Declaring the meeting open on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission’s Commissioner for Trade, Customs and Free Movement Laouali Chaibou, the Principal Program Officer, Customs Procedure, Mr. Felix Kwame Kwakye maintained that a harmonized, functional Customs union for West Africa is central to economic integration hence the issues to be discussed at the meeting “go well beyond the ECOWAS Common External tariff,” Insight newspaper reports.

IOM Hosts 2-Day Officers Training on Migration Data

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has commenced a two-day training on migration data collection and management in Monrovia. Participants were drawn from non-governmental organizations with migration-related mandates, including the Ministry of Labor, National Social Security and Welfare Cooperation, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Refugee Commission.  Also attending were participants from the Ministry of Justice, Liberia Immigration Service, Ministry of Education, Mano River Union, International Labor Organization (ILO), UNHCR, European Union and World Hope International. The objective of the training, according to IOM National Program Officer (Data Policy) Adaeze Molokwu, is to enhance national capacities on migration data collection and management using the ECOWAS regional guidelines, reports the Daily Observer.