BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA

NEWS SUMMARY Thursday, 19 2019

Today’s edition of our daily News Summary highlights stories about H.E. President George Manneh Weah Consoling Families the September 18 Fire Disaster at an Islamic School in Red-light, thereby Promising to that the Government would thoroughly probe into cause of incident, Pres. Weah Signing Several Acts into Law Including UN Convention Against Illicit Narcotic Drugs as well as President Weah’s Efforts been Recognized As France Issue Visa In Liberia                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

DOMINANT STORY

Pres. Weah Consoles Families of Islamic School Fire Disaster Promises thorough probe into cause of incident 

According to the Daily Observer newspaper, President George Weah early Wednesday, September 18, 2019 visited the scene of a fire disaster that reportedly left at least 28 persons, including children, dead, with their charred bodies found at the scene, an Executive Mansion release has said. According to the release, the president also promised the Muslim community of government’s cooperation and provision of necessary resources to thoroughly investigate the cause of the fatal incident .“It is completely heartbreaking and unfortunate that we lost this high number of innocent citizens to fire.

Related caption: Fire Kills over 25 kids President Weah Expresses condolence. ( the News newspaper)Fire consumes 28 at Islamic school( New Dawn newspaper) Fire Kills 27 children As President Weah orders Probe( the New Democrat newspaper)September 18 Tragedy(  Hot Pepper newspaper)

Pres. Weah Signs Several Acts into Law Including UN Convention Against Illicit Narcotic Drugs 

 President George Weah has signed into law several Acts ratified by the Legislature, an Executive Mansion release has said. According to the release, the instruments signed on Tuesday, 17 September 2019, include the Act to Amend the Executive Law of Liberia to create a National Food and Feed Quality and Safety, the Financing Agreement Tree Crops Extension Project II (TCEP II) between Liberia and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Act to Establish the Liberia Fertilizer Regulatory Division and an Act to Establish Liberia Plant Pesticides Regulatory Services Bureau, pens the Daily Observer newspaper.

President Weah’s Efforts Recognized As France Issue Visa In Liberia     

The French government has announced a plan to begin issuing Schengen visas in Liberia by the end of September 2019. The French ambassador to Liberia, Terrance Wills, announced this when he delivered his message during the country’s 230th Bastille Day celebration on July 14 in Monrovia. A Schengen visa is a visa that allows travelers to visit a European country and also travel to 26 other European countries for up to 90 days for tourism or business. This means that Liberians will no longer need to pay hundreds of U.S. dollars to travel to Cote d’Ivoire to get issued a short-stay visa to France, pens the News newsapaper.

Liberia Begins National Strategy and Action Plan on FAO-Port “Agreement on Port State Measures”  

The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority of Liberia (NaFAA), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and local fisheries bodies on Monday, September 16, 2019, began a four-day workshop on the formulation of national strategy and action plan for compliance with 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (the PSMA) to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) Fishing, the Daily Observer newspaper writes.

Agricultural Innovation & Technology Hold Key to Poverty Reduction in Developing Countries, says World Bank Report 

Developing countries need to dramatically increase agricultural innovation and the use of technology by farmers, to eliminate poverty, meet the rising demand for food, and cope with the adverse effects of climate change, says a new World Bank report released today.  The relative stagnation in agricultural productivity in recent decades, particularly in South Asia and Africa where the vast majority of the poor live, underscores the need for new ideas to improve rural livelihoods, the Daily Observer Relates. 

Indian Gov’t Reiterates Commitment To Bali Island Project; Nyenpan

The Minister of Public works, Mobutu Vlah Nyenpan says the Government  to the Bali Island Projects, including the grant and loan’’ components that are expected to be undertaken shortly. Speaking in Monrovia on state radio ELBC recently, Minister Nyenpan said he construction od a bridge from Crown Hill to Battery Factory is expected to take place soo and will help citizens and the general public to move freely in the area. According to the News newspaper, the citizens will have an opportunity to descend from the bridge to enter Bali Island and the project is being done with funding from the Indian government,’’ Minister Nyenpan said.

WFP’s Representative Presents Letter of Credence

Madam Karla Hershey Representative and Country Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to Liberia yesterday presented her letter of credence from WFP’s Executive Director David Basely, to Acting  Foreign Affairs, Hon. Henry Fahnbulleh at the Foreign Ministry in Monrovia. In receiving the Letter Hon. Fahnbulleh extended warm welcome to Representative Hershey and Government’s full readiness to continue the fruitful and longstanding Liberia, the News newspaper relates.

IREDD launches justice, security campaign

The Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD) has embarked on a four-month social mobilization advocacy campaign to ensure equal and unhindered access to justice for all persons in Liberia, especially the poor, with funding from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, September 18, at IREDD office in Monrovia, Deacon Bob Johnson said key component of the project include monitoring performance of justice and security institutions’ actors; their investigative processes, actions and inactions particularly, magisterial and circuit courts and police stations in Lofa, Grand Gedeh and Montserrado counties, respectively, the New Dawn newspaper imply.

Liberia to benefit US$35 million, but…                                                                                                                    National Investment Commission of Liberia chair Moullela Gray says Capital Link Corporation, a proposed cement plant for Buchanan, Grand Bassa County will benefit Liberia at large. Appearing before the Senate Committee on Concession and Investment Wednesday, September 18, 2019 in the chambers of the Liberian Senate, Mr. Gray disclosed that the country stands to benefit US$35 million during 15 years of operation here. According to him, Capital Link presented to the NIC a proposal for the development of a cement plant, saying that they are currently in discussion with the Guinea to finalize an implementation agreement for the transshipment of Guinean iron ore through Liberia, and that the proposed plant for Buchanan would service the lower part of Guinea, pens the New Dawn newspaper.