THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia.

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2016

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s proclamation declaring Monday, June 20, 2016, “World Refugee Day”, the turning over of a fleet of vehicles and 150 items of equipment and instruments to the Liberian Government by the Chinese Government and The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) commendation to the Swedish Government for support to the development of Liberia are among stories dominating today’s edition of the summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Today Is World Refugee Day

The New Dawnnewspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release as saying that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has by proclamation declared Monday, June 20, 2016, “World Refugee Day” and will be observed throughout the country as a working holiday. The official ceremony of the day under the theme, “We Stand Together With Refugees,” will be held at the Little Wlebo refugee camp, Maryland County and other sites, including the UNHCR Bahn refugee camp, Nimba County, PTP camp, Grand Gedeh County and Monrovia, Montserrado County. The release said the President’s proclamation stated that World Refugee Day is particularly commemorated to acknowledge the difficulties faced by refugees forced to cross international borders as well as those who remain within their countries as internally displaced persons (IDPs). This year’s celebration, the Liberian President said, will serve as a platform to raise awareness and promote solidarity with the refugees through social media and radio programs that will enable UNHCR to disseminate information on the plight of refugees as well as on the different durable solutions, notably voluntary repatriation and local integration.

Related Captions: Today Is ‘World Refugee Days’…Official Ceremony To Be Held In Wlebo Refugee Camp(FOCUS), World Refugee Day Observed Today Official Ceremony at Little Wlebo Refugee Camp, Others(Daily Observer)

Chinese Peacekeepers Leave Equipment To GOL

The Daily Observer reports that the Chinese peacekeeping contingent serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) over the weekend turned over a fleet of vehicles and 150 items of equipment and instruments to the Liberian Government for transportation, engineering, logistics and medical purposes. At the presentation ceremony last Friday, June 17, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yue announced that, “All working and living facilities and equipment in the Chinese peacekeeping contingents’ camp and barracks will be left on the ground in Liberia.” Ambassador Zhang disclosed that the Chinese Formed Police Unit (FPU) and part of the transportation and engineering contingents will stay until the end of the legislative and presidential elections in Liberia. The Ambassador maintained that China, being a good friend to Liberia, will continue to provide needed assistance to Liberia and that the equipment and instruments turned over to the government are not influenced by UN policy, but are a gesture of the Chinese government and people. Ambassador Zhang urged Liberians to see UNMIL’s drawdown as a good sign, indicating that the security situation in Liberia has improved and its ability enhanced.

Related Captions: Chinese Leave Behind Peacekeeping Equipment(New DEMOCRAT), Chinese Peacekeepers Turn Over Several Equipment To GoL(Heritage), Security Cooperation - China Turns Over Peacekeeping Gears To Liberia(FrontPage Africa), Take UNMIL Drawdown As Good Sign-Chinese Envoy(FOCUS)

LRA Haile Swedish Support To Liberia

The Liberia Revenue Authority or LRA, through its Commissioner-General, Mrs. Elfrieda Stewart Tamba, has applauded the contribution of the Swedish Government to the development of Liberia, especially the Liberia Revenue Authority. According to the New Democrat newspaper, Commissioner-General Tamba made the statement when she led an LRA delegation to the Swedish Embassy in Monrovia. The Commissioner-General acknowledged the Swedish Government’s goal to support poverty reduction and indicated that the more private sector trade is improved in the country, the better it will be for Liberia and Liberians. An LRA release said the Commissioner-General presented an official letter requesting technical support to enable the LRA to achieve its strategic objectives and outcomes, as well as to establish partnership with the Swedish Revenue Authority. The Swedish envoy indicated that her government intends to help people living in poverty better their lives because it is part of Human Rights.  

Related Captions: LRA Hails Sweden’s Support To Liberia(The New Dawn), LRA Commissioner General Haile Swedish Support To Liberia(In Profile Daily), LRA Seeks Technical Assistance From Swedish Government(FOCUS), LRA Commissioner General Hails Sweden’s Support To Liberia…Seeks Partnership & Technical Assistance(Heritage), LRA Hails Sweden’s Support, Seeks Technical Assistance(Daily Observer)

Liberia’s Police IG Applauds U.S. and Other Int’l Partners for Support to LNP

According to FOCUS newspaper, the Inspector-General of Liberia National Police (LNP), C. Clarence Massaquoi, has lauded the United States and other international partners for their support to the LNP and other security apparatus of Liberia. Inspector-General Massaquoi made the commendation on June 14, 2016, when he met with Alexander A. Arvizu, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcostics and Law Enforcement Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

Related Captions: Liberia’s Police Chief Extols U.S. And Other International Partners For Support To LNP(Heritage), Police Director Massaquoi Applauds U.S., International Partners Support To LNP(FrontPage Africa)

NEC Releases 2017 Timeline

The National Elections Commission or NEC has released key dates leading to the conduct of presidential and representative elections on Tuesday, 10 October 2017. NEC Chairman Cllr. Jerome George Kokorya told a news conference that, publication of voters’ registration regulations and Civil Society Organizations’ accreditation process begins today, Monday, 20 June and ends November 30, 2016, while regional consultation on civil voters’ education for voter’s registration starts is slated for November 15, 2016. Cllr. Kokorya said December 5, 2016 will be accreditation of political parties’ agents, media and observers for the voters’ registration process; December 29, 2016, list of registration centers will be published to be followed by the official launch of civil voters’ education for voter registration by January 4, 2017, and from February 1, 2017 to March 24, 2017 will be voter registration period for all qualified Liberians. The key dates track important schedules throughout the 2017 Election Cycle and set February 1 to March 24, 2017 as Period for Voter Registration while the Writs of Elections is scheduled to be issued on May 9, 2017. Other timelines include Exhibition of Provisional Registration Roll and Distribution of Voter ID Cards, from June 10 to 20, 2017; Candidates Nomination from July 2 to 24, 2017 and Presidential and Representative Campaign Period from August 8 to October 8, 2017. October 10, 2017 is Elections’ Day, while Announcement of Final Results of the Elections is scheduled for October 25, 2017. Chairman Korkoya said the release of Key Dates is an expression of the Commission’s preparedness to conduct free and fair elections in Liberia in 2017. According to the News Dawn newspaper, at least 22 registered political parties are expected to vie in the impending elections, which are open to all as incumbent President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf would not be contesting after serving two six-year terms.

Related Captions:  NEC Releases Key Dates(New DEMOCRAT), No Turning Back: NEC In Readiness To Conduct 2017 Elections(FOCUS), As NEC Releases Key Dates: 22 Political Parties Gearing Up For 2017(Heritage), 22 Parties Ready For 2017 Liberia Elections: NEC Releases Key Dates(FrontPage Africa), NEC Releases Key Dates To 2017 Elections(Daily Observer)

VP Boakai On Early Warning Signs

The New Democratnewspaper reports that Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to the realization of the early warning system in the ECOWAS countries. According to the daily, VP Boakai made the reaffirmation when he met with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Marcel Alain de Souza and delegation at his Capitol Hill in Monrovia. Vice President Boakai reiterated that Liberia will continue to maintain the peace it has attained over the years and that with over 320 million people in the ECOWAS region, the issue of peace and stability was paramount and crucial to the region’s economic growth and development. Earlier Mr. Alain de Souza thanked Liberia for its support to the ECOWAS efforts in these areas.

Related Captions: VP Boakai On Early Warning Signs(The New Dawn), VP Boakai Commits Liberia To Early Warning System(FOCUS), VP Boakai Commits Liberia To Early Warning System(Heritage)

OTHER STORIES

War-affected Youths Remain Most Vulnerable In Liberia  - Deputy Foreign Minister Asserts

The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. B. Elias Shoniyin, has stressed the need for youth empowerment throughout Liberia. He said war-affected youths of the Liberian civil war remained the most venerable elements of the society as such the best needs to be done to have them empowered. The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs disabused the minds of Liberian youths who think that getting job only depends on college education. Minister Shoniyin made these remarks when he served as Keynote speaker at the graduation exercises  of the Maryann Cheeseman School of Home Art and Cosmetology Accelerated Vocational Training Program under the Ministry of Education over the weekend, reports Focus newspaper.

Foreign Missions Endorse Vote Awareness Campaign

British Ambassador to Liberia David Belgrove has promised to support Accountability Lab-Liberia in its campaign to sensitize Liberians how to make proper decisions in the upcoming 2017 presidential and general elections. Accountability Lab-Liberia last Friday launched a music video titled, “Whom to Vote For,” which aims to reach Liberians in all parts of the country, sensitizing them about their right to vote and how to properly utilize their votes to reverse the poor representation and leadership they had experienced in the past, reports the Daily Observer.

Commerce, LRA Begin ‘National Single Window’ Program

The Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MOCI) and Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), have begun a two-day workshop for the public and private sector policy makers and high-level technicians to assist Liberia towards the establishment of a national single window system. A single window platform is meant to handle the exchange of trade information between traders and government agencies, and to particularly reduce the time it takes to process trade transactions between government agencies. Frantz Che Sawyer, acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, who was a proxy for Minister Addy at the workshop held in Monrovia said the two-day workshop is aimed at bringing to fruition benefits of Liberia’s accession to the World Trade Organization, which was ratified by the National Legislature two days ago, writes the Daily Observer. At the same time, the Liberian Revenue Authority (LRA) is set to introduce a new income tax pricing regulation aimed at reducing uncertainty for investors by July 1, this year. The new regulations will also help improve the collection of revenues in accordance with international good practice. The move followed a 5-day policy meeting co-hosted by the World Bank and the Liberian Revenue Authority (LRA) co-hosted policy meetings and a capacity building workshop on Liberia’s new transfer pricing regulations from June 13-17, under the Improved Business and Investment Climate in West Africa Project reports the New Dawn newspaper under the caption

“Liberia To Introduce New Income Tax Pricing Regulations”.