The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 2017

News of the MOU signed between the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the School of the Blind is the lone story dominating our summary of the local dailies today.

The Summary also highlights President Sirleaf’s Congratulatory Message to the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, on that country’s 206th Independence Anniversary, 20 participants from the Nigerian Institute for Security Services one-week study tour in the Country, President Sirleaf’s participation in the AU 29^thOrdinary Session in Addis Ababa among others.

DOMINANT STORY

LRA Signs MOU With School For The Blind

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has launched a Social Corporate Responsibility Program aimed at providing assistance to vulnerable groups, communities and institutions here. The LRA says the program seeks to place a prime focus on directly collaborating with and contributing to the betterment of more vulnerable communities throughout the country. Officially launching the program on 1 July during the LRA’s recent Taxpayers Appreciation Day in Monrovia, Commissioner General Elfrieda Stewart Tamba said, the Social Cooperate Responsibility Program is in fulfillment of the entity’s legislated mission and a vital way of taking the LRA to the people in a different dimension. The release say under the MoU, the LRA will empower and work with the visually impaired, through the Liberia School of the Blind, to engage into tax awareness and education, while at the same time providing employment opportunities for them.

Related Captions: LRA Launches Social Cooperate Responsivity Program Signs MOU With School of the Blind (FrontPage Africa), LRA Launches Corporate Social Responsibility Program-Signs MOU With School For Blind (INSIGHT)

OTHER STORES

President Sirleaf Congratulates Bolivarian Republic Of Venezuela On 206th Independence Anniversary

The INSIGHT newspaper reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a Congratulatory Message to the Venezuelan leader, Nicolas Maduro, on that country’s 206th Independence Anniversary. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia, Venezuela celebrates its Independence Day today, July 5, the day on which the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence was adopted by a congress of Venezuelan provinces. The release says President Sirleaf, on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia and in her own name said, “On this auspicious occasion, it is my desire that the excellent relations subsisting between our two countries and peoples will continue to flourish, as we work together to explore new areas of cooperation to ignite concrete outcomes out of our historic relations, for the betterment of our two peoples.”

Related Caption: Pres. Sirleaf Cheers Venezuela On 206th Independence (The New Dawn)

Nigerian Institute For Security Services Delegation Tours Liberia

The INSIGHT newspaper says a delegation of 20 participants from the Nigerian Institute for Security Services (ISS) is in the country on a one-week study tour run from July 3-10^th, 2017. According to a Foreign Ministry release, the visit is intended to study the relationship between the Executive and the Legislative branches of the Liberian Government under the theme: “Executive-Legislative Relations:  Gap, Challenges and Prospects.” They will also study security and strategic issues of bilateral importance to both countries. The daily reads that the delegation will hold critical discussions with relevant ministries, agencies and commissions in the executive, legislative and judiciary branches of the Liberian Government relevant to the theme of the study. They will also meet with the civil society organizations, democratic institutions and several security parastatals.

Prez Sirleaf Seeks Advance Training For Young Liberians

The Daily Observer reads that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has called on Texas Instruments (TI), a leading global technology company, to provide young Liberians aspiring to a profession in technology the opportunity to benefit from the company’s training programs. A dispatch from Washington says President Sirleaf made the request last week when she visited the headquarters of TI in Dallas Texas. During a meeting with TI Executives, President Sirleaf indicated that as the company plans to expand its presence in Africa, Liberia is an ideal place to establish an operating center. President Sirleaf expressed the hope that young Liberian professionals in technology would be afforded the opportunity to benefit from TI’s internships and other training to better prepare them to perform quality services

Related Caption: Pres. Sirleaf Seeks Advance Training For Young Liberians (The New Dawn)

New Laws on Water & Sewer, Economic Zone under House’s Review

A Joint Committee from the House of Representatives is critically reviewing two draft bills from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to change certain provisions in the Liberia Water & Sewer Corporation and to nullify the Law of the Liberia Industrial Free Zone Authority, into the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Act of 2017. In the President’s letter to House Speaker Emmanuel J. Nuquay on the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation Act, it’s aimed to make the Corporation more viable in dealing with its responsibilities of providing safe water supply, sanitation and good hygiene at affordable cost in the country. President Sirleaf argued that the new law is aimed to address ambiguities that preclude the Corporation from effectively ensuring the optimum development and use of water resources, revenue generation, sustainability and reduction in unemployment in the country. According to the Daily Observer, the House’s Plenary in it Tuesday’s session mandated the Joint Committee on Public Utilities, Judiciary, Ways, Means & Finance and Development Planning and Commerce to report in two weeks.

House Summons Public Works Minister

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Public Works, Williams Gyude Moore, to appear before full plenary to give reasons why construction of the bridge linking Vahun and Wanhansa districts in Lofa County has been prolonged. According to a communication sent to Plenary on Tuesday,4 July by Lofa County district#2 Representative Julie Fatorma Wiah, a year ago specifically prior to the rainy season last year, she wrote the Ministry of Public Works, requesting its intervention after the bridge linking Vahun and Wanhansa districts collapsed, which is the only route leading to both districts. Representative Wiah says the route provides the only outlet for residents of the two districts to send their children to school, hospital and other activities.  Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has reached a decision for the Minister of Public Works to appear before the full Plenary on Thursday, July 5, at 10:00 A.M.

66 Incumbents Up For Re-Election- 50 Lawmakers Want Second Term, 15 Seek Third

With seven days to the end of Candidate Nomination of the 2017 presidential and representative elections, the Daily Observer says it has gathered that at least 66 of the 73 incumbents are vying to return to the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, January 16, 2018, the term of the 53rd Legislature will end. The election of new and returning lawmakers, totaling 73, coupled with the current 30 Senators will give birth to the 54th Legislature. The daily reads that based on interviews conducted with all 73 members of the Lower House, of the 66 sitting Representatives seeking re-election, 15 are running for their third term (hat-trick), 50 are eyeing their second (brace), while an incumbent Representative who have served two terms will be seeking his first term from another county.

AFL Soldier Earns Two Masters’ Degrees

Captain (CPT) Eddie P. Lamptey of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), as a part of the nearly 1,200 officers graduating from the United States Army Command and General Staff Officer Course on June 9, earned a Military Master’s of Arts and Science (MMAS) degree from the United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGCS) in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, USA. The graduating class included mid-career officers from all American military services, as well as 110 international officers representing 85 countries and 15 federal government civilian employees. According to the Daily Observer, Captain Lamptey was awarded a MMAS degree and the International Officer Graduate Badge for his research on “Security Sector Reform in Liberia: Progress and Challenges Ahead of United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) draw down.” He also completed a Master of Art (MA) in International Relations from Webster University.  

SCNL Provides Alternative Livelihood Training To Cocoa Farmers

According to the In Profile Daily, as part of efforts to create livelihood alternatives for people living around the Gola Forest National Park in Gbarpolu County, a national Conservation Organization, and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) has graduated 112 farmers in Cocoa production after 10 months of intensive training. The farmers were selected from two clans in Gbarpolu County including Gonglay and Normon Clans, all of Kungba District. The initiative was official launched in August 2016 as part of the European Union (EU) funded Gola-MA project.

Related Caption: SCNL Provides Alternative Livelihood For Farmers…Graduates 112 In Cocoa Production (INSIGHT)

Frances Johnson Morris, Others Speak On Non-Violent Election Today

A group of Liberians from diverse professional backgrounds, under the umbrella ‘Friends of Our Times (FOOT),” has disclosed that it will today, Wednesday, July 5 hold the second in a series of Non-Violent Election civic engagement forums under the theme: “Our Vote, Our Country, Our Peace.”  Friends of Our Time noted that the event is the second of 12 public awareness campaigns to be held in Margibi and Montserrado Counties, which targets first time voters and youths of underprivileged communities. The INSIGHT newspaper quotes a release from FOOT as saying that former NEC Chairman and former Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission as well as former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Cllr. Frances Jonson Morris will serve as Chief Presenter, while NAYMOTE Executive Director, Eddie Jarwolo will serve as Chief Facilitator and NEC Executive Director, Larmin Lighe will deliver Special Opening Remarks.