THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY,APRIL 15, 2015

The dominant stories in the summary of the local dailies are news of the discovery of a huge deposit of iron ore in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount Countyand UNICEF Liberia’s 15 motor bikes donation to the Ministry of Youth & Sports’ National Youth Service Programme.

The Incident Management System’s revelation of Liberia being left with only twenty-five day to be declared “Ebola Free”is also highlighted.

DOMINANT STORIES

100M Metric Tons Of Iron Ore Discovered In Cape Mount

According to the Daily Observer, an Australian mining company, Tawana Resources Incorporated, has announced the discovery of a huge deposit of iron ore in Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County. The company, which is operating under the Mofe Creek Mining Exploration license, was granted a permit by the Ministry of Lands Mines and Energy (MLM&E) on December 13, 2012, to carry out exploration to determine the existence, quantity and quality of ore in a designated area. The company’s general manager, Fredrick Van Haute, said a total of 100 million metric tons of direct shipping ore was discovered during the period of exploration.  Following the discovery, Mr. Haute said he would enter a mineral development agreement with the Government of Liberia after the period of exploration.

Related Caption: Iron Ore Discovered In Cape Mount(The Inquirer), In Sinje, Grand Cape Mount County: Huge Iron Ore Discovered(The New Republic)

Unicef Donates Motorbikes To Youth Program

UNICEF, a leading partner of the National Youth Service Programme (NYSP) at the Ministry of Youth and Sports has donated 15 motor bikes to the National Youth Service Programme to enhance the operations of the NYSP at the county levels. The motor bikes were turned over to the Ministry of Youth and Sports in March, 2015 as part of that UN body's logistical support to the National Youth Service Programme. The donation by UNICEF follows the recruitment in February of 11 monitoring and evaluation (M&E) field officers who were hired to support the M&E unit of the NYSP and the Ministry of Youth and Sports and its partners through development of a monitoring and evaluation plan and tools to ensure the collection of quantitative and qualitative baseline data. The M&E officers are to also ensure that all data relative child sensitive contact tracing collected in the field are collated and reported on time, reports the News newspaper.

Related Captions: UNICEF Donates Motorbikes…To Youth Service Program(In Profile Daily),UNICEF Donates 15 Motorbikes To MYS(Daily Observer)

OTHER STORIES

‘Liberia To Be Declared Ebola Free In 25 Days’

The Daily Observer reports that the Head of the Incident Management System and Deputy Minister-designate of the Ministry of Health, Tolbert G. Nyenswah, announced yesterday that Liberia will be declared Ebola free in 25 days if no new cases are reported.At the Ministry of Information regular press briefing yesterday in Monrovia, Minister Nyenswah explained that Liberia began a recount of the 42 day virus free period following the death of the last Ebola patient on March 27. “We have just completed 17 of the 42 days and we are left with 25 days to go. Liberia is making significant progress in all aspects of the fight against the deadly Ebola virus disease and we hope to continue until Liberia is declared an Ebola free nation,” said Nyenswah.He explained that all the family members and community dwellers listed for contacts during the crackdown of the last Ebola case have completed the 21 days surveillance and have been reunited with their families.

Related Caption: 25 Days To Ebola Freedom(New Democrat)

VP Boakai Promotes African Unity

The New Democrat newspaper reports that the Vice President of Liberia, Mr. Joseph Boakai says African continent could achieve a lot more through unity and collaboration. He said this in Accra, Ghana when 20 Rescue and Fire Fighting trainees from the Roberts International Airport of Liberia graduated from the Rescue and Fire Fighting School of the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Accra after an eight week training program. According to the daily, the Liberian Vice President who was the guest of honor at the ceremony, said: “We want to see more of this in Africa, where countries with capacity, collaborate with other countries for mutual gain and more capacity building”. He said the graduation of the 20 Liberians was a typical example of “what we can do together as a continent, if we put our minds to it”.

Related Caption: VP Boakai Stresses African Unity(FOCUS)

Ellen, Koroma, CondeTo Meet Obama

According the New Republic newspaper, no doubt that the three West African nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea that suffered huge brunt of the viciousness of the Ebola virus disease are still reeling from the ravage caused by the virus to the extent that their leaders are on the move, finding ways that respond to what is needed to keep the post-Ebola era buoyant. It is against the backdrop that Presidents Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia, Ernest BaiKoroma, Sierra Leone and Alpha Conde, Guinea, are in the United States to inform part of series of discussions with donors such as the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for post Ebola recovery.

GAC, Tanzania’s Audit Offices Sign MOU

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the General Auditing Commission of Liberia (GAC) and the National Audit Office of the United Republic of Tanzania (NAOT).The MOU was signed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on March 31, 2015 during an official visit by a GAC delegation headed by Auditor General Yusador S. Gaye on March 22 at the invitation of the Comptroller and Auditor General of the Republic of Tanzania, Professor MussaJuma Assad, in a spirit of collaboration as members of the African Organization of Supreme Auditing Institutions in English- Speaking Countries.The New Dawn newspaper quotes a statement issued by the GAC as saying that the MOU is aimed at promoting cooperation between the two Supreme Audit Institutions to develop, strengthen and facilitate their institutional capacities to conduct their various national audit mandates in line with the standards and procedures of the International Organization of Supreme Auditing Institutions (INTOSAI), the African Organization of Supreme Auditing Institutions in English- Speaking Countries (AFROSAI-E) and their respective regulatory frameworks.

West Africa Venture Fund Boosts Recovery In Liberia

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announces the launch of a local rice milling plant and a modern bakery that will promote food security, economic recovery and job creation in Liberia following the protracted Ebola crisis.President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf presided over the launch of both facilities. The FABRAR Liberia Inc. rice mill in Margibi County will purchase rice from local growers, parboil and mill it for sale on the local market. The financing from West Africa Ventures Fund (WAVF) enabled the mill to increase its capacity from one ton to 30 tons per day. The Hope Bakery Liberia in Paynesville is a facility that provides bread and other confectionaries to consumers at affordable prices. The bakery recently moved to a new facility, which features modern equipment in a standardized set up.According to a press release, IFC is supporting these two initiatives through a $13.5 million investment in the Fund developed under the SME Ventures Program for investments in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The fund targets small and medium enterprise equity investments, and aims for commercial returns.  WAVF owns 49 percent of the rice milling plant and 65 percent of the bakery. The SME Ventures Program is an IFC initiative targeting small and medium enterprises in eight countries globally, including Liberia. IFC invested $13.5 million in WAVF to provide direct equity investment to SMEs in Liberia and Sierra Leone. With CORDAID, a Netherlands-based investment fund also contributing $4.5 million in October 2014 to WAVF, the total funds under management amount to $18 million.“New projects created through funding by the West Africa Venture Fund demonstrate the positive impact of IFC’s support for entrepreneurs, and our commitment to Liberia throughout the Ebola crisis,” said Saran Kebet-Koulibaly, IFC Director for West and Central Africa. “By promoting the growth of local businesses and entrepreneurs, these projects will stimulate private sector activity and job creation”.  IFC’s strategy in Liberia, the release said, is to support investment climate improvements and small business growth, and to encourage investment in infrastructure, and help strengthen the financial sector. As part of innovative advisory programs in the country, IFC has helped Liberia establish a modern Commercial Code and Court, design a policy to support micro and small and medium enterprises, and has launched its Business Edge training programs to support small business growth, writes the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: Venture Fund Will Promote Economic Recovery(The News)

World Bank Projects Drop In Economic Growth Rates In Sub-Saharan Africa-Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea stand to Lose Portion of GDP

According to the Daily Observer, the World Bank on Monday projected a drop in the economic growth rate of Sub-Saharan Africa from 4.5 percent in 2014 to 4.0 percent in 2015 with even slower rates for Liberia with 3.0 and -0.2 for Sierra Leone and Guinea.The bank’s Chief Economist for Africa, Francisco Ferreira, made the disclosure during a live video conference to inaugurate `Africa Pulse’, a World Bank Group analysis on issues shaping Africa’s economic prospects. The conference was also monitored in Liberia at their World Bank Congo Town office.According to him, the downturn largely reflects the fall in the prices of oil and other commodities.“The 2015 forecast is below the 4.4 per cent average annual growth rate of the past two decades and well short of Africa’s peak growth rates of 6.4 per cent in 2002 to 2008.“Excluding South Africa, the average growth forecast for the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa is around 4.7 per cent”, Ferreira said.He indicated that an average decline, in terms of trade for Africa is about 18 percent; a development he said would lead to losses in purchasing power for the region.“The decline in oil and commodity prices was among the challenges undermining the developmental gains made in the Sub-Saharan African,” Mr. Ferreira added.

GVL Begins Gbanken-Zoloken Road Works

The Daily Observer says Golden Veroleum Liberia is constructing a road in Grandcess/Wedabo Statutory District in Grand Kru County, which directly connects Gbanken to Zoloken and Ylatwen,  The 2.35km road is expected to benefit over 2,000 local residents and businesses in the area by providing easy access for community residents and promoting the free flow of goods and services.It will bring relief to over six communities that for several years have been using bush roads and walking through swamps. Upon completion, it will also serve Juduken and Ylatwen towns.Golden Veroleum Community Affairs Officer for Social Sustainability, BlanyonHimmie, indicated that the project is part of GVL’s ongoing efforts to coordinate development initiatives with local communities.“We envision ourselves as part of the local communities and GVL is committed to improving and providing road accessibility to communities in which we operate,” said Himmie. “We are committed to improving and developing our local communities by bringing long-term prosperity which we hope will help eradicate or minimize rural poverty in the Liberia”.

USAID Breaks Ground For US$2.1M Road Project

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on April 11 broke ground for a US$2.1m feeder road project covering about 21 kilometers connecting four communities in Nimba County.The 21km feeder road project commences at the junction leading to Tappita through Kpatuo,  Zuaplay, Doumpa, Gaopa, Garwompa and Yonkiayee in YarwinMensonnoh District in Nimba.According to the overview of the project read by David Wounuah, who spoke for the USAID Chief of Party for the construction, the feeder road is a pilot project under the US Presidential Agriculture Initiative, known as “Feed the Future”, according to the Daily Observer.

MOL Encourages Human Development To Ease Unemployment

The Ministry of Labour has emphasized the need to focus on human development as part of an effort to ease unemployment.Speaking at a one day validation of the Decent Work Country Program held in Monrovia, the Deputy Minister for Planning and Human Resource Development, J. Levi Demmah, said the validation of the document would support the meeting of major challenges facing the country.According to him, the document, which focuses on the Decent Work Country Program, was developed by former Labor Minister Samuel Kofi Woods and the current administration decided to re-introduce it because it is essential for the entire work force of Liberia.“Today, from our survey conducted in 2010, we realize that most of the people we consider as having jobs are within the informal sector, amounting to 68%. People riding bikes, washing cars and others are not considered part of the work force,” he said.Mr. Demmah said issues of health and safety at the work place are also important, including, pension and injury compensation.He, however, attributed the large number of people in the informal sector to limited education and said it is one of the reasons a framework is important, writes the Daily Observer.

WAANSA President Visits Liberia

The President of West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) Mr. BaffourAmoa has visited Liberia to lobby for full ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Speaking at the Civil Society Forum at Corina Hotel, last Friday in Monrovia, Mr. Amoa said his mission Liberia is to lobby with stakeholders, government officials, Civil Society Organizations, and State Actors to ratify ATT in the country. Mr. Amoa said he heard that the House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate have passed the Small Arms Treaty bill in the country hence he came to find out what is happening with the Small Arms Treaty, reports the Inquirer newspaper.

SCG, YMCA Initiative To Prevent Violence Against Children

The Daily Observerpens that Search For Common Ground (SFCG), in partnership with the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) of Liberia, has initiated a program aimed at preventing violence against children. At a one-day validation workshop in Monrovia, the two groups made presentations on the theme, "Engaging Children and Youth as Partners in Preventing Violence against children. In their separate presentations, the group with on accord expressed belief that many children were being dislocated from their parents as a result of child trafficking.