Daily Media Summary, 10-27-2014
THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Monrovia, Liberia.
NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2014
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma’s meeting with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, US Ambassador to the UN, Samatha Power’s criticisms of the level of International support so far to the three worst hit Ebola Countries, Chinese Ambassador ZangYue assurance that his country will build and manage ETUs in West Africa andFinance Ministers from affected Ebola region request for comprehensive support package including direct budget supports to fight the Ebola epidemicare among stories dominating our summary of today’s local dailies.
DOMINANT STORIES
AU Commission Chair Meets With President Sirleaf
The New Dawnnewspaper reports that the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. NkosazanaDlaminiZuma, has met with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Monrovia. During the meeting, Dr. Zuma expressed solidarity and extended sympathies to victims of the Ebola crisis. She commended Liberia for her fortitude and courage in facing the very difficult health situation, and added, “We hope that you will continue and sooner rather than later you will be successful in dealing with Ebola”. According to the Executive Mansion in Monrovia, the AU Commission Chairperson addressed a press stakeout in the Foyer of the Foreign Ministry following a closed door meeting with the Liberian leader on Thursday, 23 October 2014. Dr. Zuma said the regional organization is trying to mobilize more human resources from member states to contribute to the efforts of the international community to contain and eradicate the virus that is devastating the sub-region. She disclosed that the AU is also trying to mobilize the business community within the region to contribute to the fight against the Ebola virus disease as well as post-Ebola period. On lessons learnt, the AU Chairperson emphasized that health and education should be embedded in each country’s economic development plan. “If there is no health and skills, there can be no economic development,” she warned. Earlier, President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf heartedly welco
Related Captions: AU Chairperson Meets President Sirleaf(FOCUS), Robust Public Health System Needed-African Union Commission Chair Declares(Daily Observer), AU Mobilizing Human Resource To Contain Ebola(INSIGHT)
Visiting Envoy Samantha Power condemns Response
The US Ambassador to the UN has begun a visit to the three nations worst hit by the Ebola outbreak, criticizing the level of International support so far. Samatha Power has landed in Guinea and will visit Sierra Leone and Liberia. She told NBC some nations who offered backing “haven’t taken responsibility yet” in supplying aid and doctors,Heritage reports.
Related Captions: U.S. Envoy Condemns Ebola Response(INSIGHT), U.S. Envoy Condemns Ebola Response(The New Dawn), U.S. Envoy Visiting Ebola-Hit Africa Condemns World Response(New Democrat), Visiting Envoy Samantha Power Condemns Response(Daily Observer)
“We Are Here To Build And Maintain Treatment/Training Centers, Chinese Ambassador Declares As China Invests US$82M In Ebola Fight
Chinese Ambassador ZangYue has assured Liberia that China’s presence in the Ebola fight in West Africa signifies his country’s full commitment to build and manage ETUs and not leave them with Liberians alone to manage. Ambassador Zang made the statement at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) following the arrival of a 15-member medical team and huge consignments of anti-Ebola materials. He indicated that the ETUs expected to be built by China near the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex will be fully managed and operated by Chinese in collaboration with local health workers. Briefing journalists on the latest of four health packages China has provided, Ambassador Zang reiterated Chinese President Xi Jinping’s announcement on October 24 that China would provide nearly US$82 million assistance package to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and relevant international organizations fighting the Ebola virus. “The latest package is the fourth round of China’s assistance program for Ebola control in West Africa and comprises both cash and supplies. The Daily Observerreports that China will send more health experts and medical staff to help with Ebola control and treatment in West Africa and will also help build an Ebola Treatment Unit and equip it with about 100 beds,” he said. The Chinese diplomat disclosed that the advance 15-member medical team that arrived in Liberia on October 25, comprises doctors, epidemiologists, designers, engineers and technicians, who he said will prepare for the construction of the ETU, exchange views with Liberian officials and experts and international partners.
Related Captions: China Boosts Liberia Ebola Fight…Several Medical Experts, Engineers, Others Arrive(Heritage). China Brings In More To Fight Ebola- To Send Doctors, Engineers Soon(The Inquirer)
Finance Ministers From Affected Ebola Region Want Aid Scale Up
The Finance Ministers of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone have issued a joint statement in which they urgently called on the international community to scale up their response to fight the Ebola epidemic with a comprehensive support package including direct budget supports. Following a joint discussion in Washington DC at the just ended Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank, Messrs Mohamed Diaré, Amara Konneh, and KaifalaMarah, governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, respectively said the support package should include major direct budget support to plug the gaps in "their heavily damaged public finances”. The Ministers said without direct budget supports, the three countries risk of not being able to re-open schools, secure the livelihoods of millions of farmers and market sellers who have lost an entire harvest or protect the orphans that this crisis is leaving behind, writes the New Dawn newspaper.
Related Captions: Finance Ministers Want Direct Budget Supports to Fight Ebola(The Analyst), MRU Finance Ministers Want Comprehensive Ebola Support(INSIGHT), Joint Statement By Messrs Mohamed Diare, Amara Konneh and KaifalaMarah, Governors of the WBG For Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Respectively(In Profile Daily), Liberia Sierra Leone, Guinea Want Budget Support(New Democrat)
LRA Collects U.S.$124.9 Million
The newly established Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has reported total revenue of US$124.9 Million for the first quarter of 2014/15. LRA Commissioner General Elfrieda Stewart Tamba, said the amount represents taxes collected for July, August and September 2014, against a total projection of US$2.6Million for the same period. Commissioner Tamba gave the first quarter revenue performance report on Friday, October 24th during a press conference hosted in Monrovia. Commissioner Tamba said the agency is committed to collecting all lawful taxes partnering with various stakeholders in straight compliance with the principle of "fairness, transparency and equitability”. She said the LRA is finalizing a MOU with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission that would provide for prosecution of tax evaders and other unscrupulous business practices. According tothe New Dawn newspaper, as part of ongoing reforms in the public sector, the Government of Liberia has transformed the revenue department at the former Ministry of Finance (now Ministry of Finance and Development Planning) into an autonomous agency. The LRA was legislated in September 2013 and commenced operation on July 1, 2014.
Related Captions: Robust Revenue Collection Underscored(In Profile Daily), LRA Up To A Good Start-Bu Seeks Citizens’ Ownership(The New Republic), LRA Books BHP, Golden Veroleum, Others (The Inquirer)
Liberia Gains PEN Center Status – Admitted Into International Writers’ Association
The 80th Congress of PEN International which has just ended in Bishkek, Kyrgystan has unanimously approved the PEN Liberian Center as its 149th member. Other centers approved are the Eritrean, Welsh and Honduras PEN center. This year’s congress with its theme “My language, my destiny, my freedom” focused on issues of linguistic rights and linguistic diversity in a multiethnic environment. Delegates from PEN centers in more than 100 countries discussed the problem of translation of small nation’s literature and themes of freedom of expression and rights of writers around the world. Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone delegates were not represented at this year’s congress because delegates were refused visa by the host country, Kyrgystan, due to fears of Ebola transmission. Message of solidarity were received from the PEN President, John Ralston Saul, PEN Vice President, Joanne Leedom Ackerman and PEN Director of International programs, RomanaCacchioli, the Analyst reports.
Related Captions: PEN Liberian Center Approved(In Profile Daily), PEN Liberia Goes International(Heritage), PEN Liberia Center Approved By Bishkek Congress(INSIGHT), PEN Liberia Center Approved By Bishkek Congress(FOCUS)
Nec Consulting Stakeholders Regarding Midterm Elections
The National Elections Commission (NEC) in collaboration with the UNDP and the International Foundation for Electoral systems (IFES) has begun conducting a series of consultations with stakeholders in the 15 counties of Liberia on the conduct of the 2014 Special Senatorial election. The consultations started Friday with traditional leaders, youths, media practitioners, civil society, and women representatives among others meeting in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County and Tubmanburg, Bomi County, respectively. During the Friday consultations stakeholders from Montserrado, Bomi, Grand Cape Mount and Gbapolu Counties converged in Tubmanburg, Bomi County, while stakeholders from Grand Bassa, Margibi, Sinoe and Rivercess counties met in Buchanan City to discuss the electoral process. The consultations will continue on Monday at two locations across the country. In Zwedru, Grand County, stakeholders from Maryland, Grand Kru, River Gee and Grand Gedeh Counties will discuss the election, while participants from Nimba, Bong and Lofa counties will meet in Gbarnga, Bong County. The consultations are aimed at finding a suitable date for the holding of the Special Senatorial Election in the wake of a Joint Resolution recently adopted by the National Legislature and to seek flexibility for the Special Election to be conducted in counties where the prevalence of Ebola is minimal. The Joint Resolution adopted by the Legislature on October 10, 2014 mandates the National Elections Commission to conduct the Special Senatorial Election no later than December 20 this year, reports FrontPage Africa newspaper.
Related Captions: NEC Begins Nationwide Consultations(Heritage), NEC Embarks On Consultations(New Democrat)
OTHER STORIES
Government Begins Study On Compensation Scheme
The Executive Branch of Government has begun a study that would lead to a more uniformed and equitable compensation scheme among state-owned-enterprises (SoEs) and Autonomous agencies. During the meeting, President Sireaf mandated the Civil Service Agency Director-General, Mr. George Kronisanyon Werner, in his capacity as the lead person in Government to drive public sector reforms, to work with all concerned to conduct the study that would lead to a compensation scheme and appropriate staffing levels among SoEs and autonomous agencies, FOCUS reports.
“Together We Will Beat Ebola”
“While Ebola is a very difficult problem, together we are going to beat it” Why am I so sure?, because I have seen how determining the Liberian people are to get on to a brighter future. When I visited Lofa and Bomi, I could see in their eyes and spitits how determining they are to stop this virus”, said Gary J. Volesky, incoming US Major General recently at a turning over ceremony, In Profile Daily reports.
Related Caption: “We’re Grateful For Liberians’ Spirit In Ebola’s Fight”-Says US Army As General Volesky Replaces Williams(Daily Observer)
ECOWAS Signs EPA with EU
Ghana President John Mahama and Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has revealed that they have finally signed into the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union. ECOWAS countries by this agreement would open up 70 percent of their markets to EU goods, while having one hundred percent access to the European market except for rice and sugar. The Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in July 2014 endorsed the Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU. Confirming the latest development at the opening of the UK-Ghana Trade and Investment Forum in London, President John Mahama said, “We have signed into an EPA which is going to create a more favorable trade condition between Europe and West Africa, the New Republic reports.
Media Group Proposed for Decentralization
The three-day workshop for the Validation of a Draft Communication and Awareness Strategy Document has ended in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, with media practitioners themselves to organizing what to be named and styled as “Media in Decentralization (MID)” group to help fast track the decentralization process. The participants, mainly media practitioners, pointed out that their decision after days of brainstorming was based on their belief that the media is an indispensable partner in selling the National Decentralization Policy to the citizenry. In a communiqué issued at the end of the exercise, the media practitioners said they have a deep appreciation for this national policy shift in favor of greater participation of the citizenry in the affairs of the governance of the country which has launched a National Decentralization program with the principal objective of ensuring participatory governance, the Inquirer writes.
USAID-IBEX Provides Technical Advice, Business Support To SMEs
According to the Daily Observer, Managing businesses in the Ebola crisis, the USAID sponsored-Liberia Investing for Business Expansion Program (IBEX) on Friday, October 24, provided technical advice and business support to small-and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) in the country.Addressing newsman in Monrovia at the end of the training, the Acting Chief of Party, Augustus J. Flomo, said the current business climate in Liberia, has posed a serious threat on small and medium-sized businesses and as such, “We need to provide them some technical [pieces of] advice and support that they will use to do their businesses in this Ebola crisis”. The workshop, according to Mr. Flomo was taken from a broader prospective looking at local businesses and the challenges and what IBEX can do to help them.He said IBEX is already working with SMEs providing them technical support in what they do.
Ebola Survivor Becomes Health Worker
A 35-year old Ebola survivor, Tejanic Golafale, who was certificated by the Bomi Community Care Center (CCC), has joined health workers in the county to save the lives of other Ebola patients. Golafale says he had contracted the disease from a family member who died in the Brewerville a suburb of Monrovia, In Profile Daily reports.
