THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JULY 8, 2016

Today’s edition of the summary of the local dailies highlights among other stories news of President Sirleaf’s separate meetings with international representatives of UNICEF and the Carter Center, the three-year MOU signed between the Government of Liberia and the United Nations Development Program tohelp young people become self-employedand the Cabinet’s review of additional performance updates.

DOMINANT STORIES  

UNICEF, Carter Center Delegations Meet With President Sirleaf 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 held talks with two separate delegations from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) and Carter Center. Both delegations involved international representations. According to an Executive Mansion release, the UNICEF Delegation, which included representation from The Power of Nutrition through its Chief Executive Officer, Martin Short and Director of Investment, Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi briefed President Sirleaf about its $10 million United States Dollars Nutrition -Program in Liberia. The delegation was led by the Country Representative of UNICEF-Liberia, Sheldon Yett. The program represents the organization’s first intervention in West Africa and is aimed at countering mal-nutrition and stuntedness through education and other interventions. In another development, during a meeting with the delegation from the Carter Center led by a former UN Deputy SRSG and Vice President/Peace Program of the Center, Jordon D. Ryan discussed the 2017 and crisis/conflict prevention before, during and after the elections. The carter Center currently runs three programs namely, Access to Justice Program, Access to Information and a Mental Health Training Program, but is also keen on helping Liberia towards holding free, fair and violence-free elections. In remarks, President Sirleaf thanked Carter Center for its works in Liberia and welcomed the organization’s interest in the Liberian Electoral Process. She pointed out that the 2017 election will represent a history-making moment for the country because it will be the first time in many decades for a sitting President to transfer power to a democratically elected civilian President reports the WOMEN VOICESnewspaper.

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Receives Separate Delegations From UNICEF And Carter Center(The New Dawn), Ellen Receives UNICEF, Carter Center Delegations(In Profile Daily)

MOCI, UNDP Sign US$3.5M Project To Support Micro Enterprises

According to the Daily Observer, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have signed a three-year Business Opportunity Support Services project valued at US$3,528,000 to support micro enterprises. The project aims at promoting and building a nationwide culture of entrepreneurship by helping young people become self-employed. Commerce Minister Axel M. Addy said the project is to focus on several activities around entrepreneurship in some of the counties, starting with two or three government services centers. According to him the project is in partnership with the ministries of Finance and Development (MFDP) and Internal Affairs (MIA).

Related Captions: UNDP, Commerce Sign US$3M Agreement(The NEWS), UNDP MOCI Sign BOSS Agreement(The INQUIRER)

Cabinet Reviews Additional Performance Updates…Mandates Critical Decisions on Legislative Agenda, Others

The Cabinet, at its regular sitting on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, reviewed additional performance updates and accordingly mandated critical decisions covering the government’s Legislative Agenda, Executive Orders, the Energy Sector, Public Procurement, the Economy, the 2016/2017 Budget, LRA Revenue-Generation and Real Estate Tax. According to an Executive Mansion release, Cabinet was updated on the status of Bills mentioned in the 2016 Annual Message and submitted to the Legislature, Bills previously submitted but recalled; Bills not mentioned in the Annual Message but submitted to the Legislature; new Bills under review, Bills passed into Law as well as Bills promised - received and are under review by the Office of the Legal Advisor to the President. The NEWS newspaper reports that the Cabinet took firm decisions regarding the performance of the country’s existing energy revitalization trend under the auspices of Manitoba Hydro International (MHI). Although Cabinet noted some progress with respect to the construction and completion of power plants as well as transmission and distribution infrastructure, but expressed serious concern over the pace of work with respect connection of customers due largely to the poor performance of Manitoba Hydro International (MHI), which manages the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) under a Management Contract with the Liberian Government. Cabinet has therefore mandated that mechanisms be instituted with adequate emphasis on connecting more customers and improving the provision of electricity services to the Liberian people. Cabinet emphasized that it will be constrained to initiate appropriate measures that will ensure sufficient progress is made in the government’s energy program.

Related Captions: Cabinet Frowns On LEC’s Poor Performance(The New Dawn), Cabinet Reviews Additional Performance(The INQUIRER)

Senate Debates Dual Currency

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Liberian Senate has begun debating whether or not, the country should continue using both currencies in the economy or maintain only the Liberian Dollar. The Senate through its Banking and Currency Committee headed by Grand Gedeh County Senator A. Marshall Dennis has submitted a report, indicating some reasons for the high-speed depreciation of the Liberian Dollars against the United States Dollars. According to the daily, due to the seriousness attached to the report, the Senate plenary during its Thursday’s sitting in Chambers, voted overwhelmingly to summon the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia, Milton Weeks, and the Minister of Finance and Development Planning Boima Kamara, to appear next week to provide expert opinions on the way forward in strengthening the local currency.

Related Captions: Currency Conundrum-Senate Seeks CBL, MFDP Intervention over single currency decision(Daily Observer), Liberia’s Single Currency Debate - Senate Banking, Currency Committee Wants Single Currency Act Passed(FrontPage Africa), House Troubled Over Currency Depreciation-Calls For Urgent Probe (WOMEN VOICES)

Investigational Drug Could Prove Helpful For Ebola Survivors

The Co-Principal Investigator for the Persistent Ebola Virus Study (PREVAIL IV), Dr. Dehkontee Gayedyu-Dennis, said because the Ebola virus may stay hidden in certain parts of the body and bodily fluids, such as semen, even after a person recovers from Ebola, scientists are working hard to develop drugs to tackle the virus. Dr. Dennis said the virus can persist because the body’s immune system cannot easily reach and fight off the virus hiding in these protected places. She said as a result, the PREVAIL IV study was developed. According to her, the study is particularly designed to find out if an investigational drug called GS-5734 can safely get rid of or reduce the amount of Ebola virus that may persist in the semen of some male Ebola survivors.

Dr. Dennis, who is also the site physician for the PREVAIL Natural History Study at the Duport Road Health Center, further disclosed that the drug has been used before in the United States and in Guinea. The drug is manufactured by the U.S. biopharmaceutical company, Gilead Sciences, based in California, reports the INQUIRERnewspaper.

Related Captions: Investigational Drugs Could Prove Helpful…For Ebola Survivals(The NEWS), New Study For Male Ebola Survivors Commences-PREVAIL Discloses(In Profile Daily), GS-5734 Drug Could Prove Helpful For Ebola Survivors(Daily Observer), Ebola Virus Still Visible Among Male Survivors - Study Reveals(FrontPage Africa)

9 Die In Fatal Crash-Several Others In Critical Condition

A fatal crash involving a cargo truck with registration number RL C50511 left at least nine people dead, with several others including the driver critically injured early Thursday morning July 7, 2016 on the infamous Gbarkor Hill adjacent Frehla, a town in Salala District, Bong County. According to report, the vehicle took off from Nimba County, and was headed for Monrovia when the driver lost control of his steering on top of the curvy hill, forcing the vehicle to slide off the road and summersault in the valley at about 4 a.m. The New Dawn newspaper quotes eyewitnesses as saying that there were about 17 passengers onboard the truck along with bags of assorted food items including pepper and bitter ball, plantains and other food items meant for sale including materials.

Related Captions:  9 Killed, Several Injured In Gbarnga-Kakata Road Accident 2-week old baby, 4-year old boy survive(Daily Observer), Fatal Accident On Gbarnga-Monrovia Highway—Nine Persons Reportedly Feared Dead(WOMEN VOICES)

OTHER STORIES

GOL, Nimba Corp Sign 30-yr Agreement…For Rubber & Its Products

The Government of Liberia (GOL) and Nimba Rubber Incorporated (NRI) on Thursday signed a thirty-year Concession Agreement with the possibility of extension for the development of 4,800 hectares of land in Nimba County. The INQUIRER newspaper reports that during the first 15 years of the agreement, NRI will make an investment of no less than US$9,800,000 with a submission of a rolling five-year development plan on or before June 1, of each calendar year during the term beginning 2031. In addition, the NRI will contribute to the sustainable development of Liberia’s agriculture sector, including the development of the community and social infrastructure services. The agreement was signed by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Boima Kamara; the Minister of Agriculture, Moses Zinnah; and NRI’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Solomon S. W. Gaigaie and witnessed by the Chairperson of the National Investment Commission (NIC), Etmonia D. Tarpeh.

Related Caption: GOL, NRI Sign Nimba Rubber Concession Agreement(Daily Observer)

Gas, Diesel Prices Up 8, 10 U.S. Cents Respectively

The Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry have announced an increase in the prices of gasoline. The new petroleum price ceiling, which was jointly signed by the LPRC Managing Director Sumo G. Kupee and the Commerce and Industry Minister Axel Addy, took effect July 5. Petroleum price circular issued Thursday by LPRC indicates that the retail pump price for a gallon of gasoline has increased from US$2.98 to US$3.06 (representing a US$0.08 increment) or its Liberian dollar equivalent of L$290, while the retail pump price for a gallon of diesel has also increased from US$2.96 to US$3.06 (representing a US$0.10 increment) or its Liberian dollar equivalent of L$290. The decision to increase the prices of petroleum products, according to LPRC statement, is a result of an upward shift in the perimeter that is usually used to determine the prices of products in the country, reports the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: Petroleum Prices Increase(In Profile Daily)

Swiss, US Lawyers To Retrieve Stolen Assets

Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, head of the Special Presidential Taskforce (SPTF) investigating the Global Witness Sable Mining bribery allegations on senior Liberian government officials and others, has disclosed that the Force has put together a team of Swiss, US and Liberian lawyers for the recovery of stolen assets. Addressing the Tuesday, July 5, Ministry of Information press briefing, Cllr. Koffa stated that the team of lawyers will put together a framework for the recovery of stolen assets not found in Liberia. He further disclosed that by the end of this July, the SPTF and the lawyers would have initiated their first action that would lead to either a lawsuit or request for assets by September of this year, asserts the Daily Observer.

Jurors Sent to Jail For ‘Bribery’

Shocked by news of jury tampering, many party litigants who were present at the Civil Law Court “B” at the Temple of Justice Thursday afternoon stood speechless when nine jurors, suspected of receiving bribes were ordered arrested and detained at the Monrovia Central Prison. According to court sources, in the current case the jurors’ arrest stemmed from the Wednesday July 6 verdict rendered in favor of the Ecobank in a case for damages in the tune of US$1.3m filed against the bank by Austin Clarke, reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Captions:  Nine Jurors Sent To Jail…For Allegedly Taking Bribes(The NEWS)

Ellen Reaffirms Support To VP Boakai-Called on partisans to be committed

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has reaffirmed her commitment to the presidential ambitions of Vice President Boakai, adding that she will do all she can to ensure that he is elected come 2017. President Sirleaf told the 425 delegates, who have hailed from every part of the country, at the Unity Party’s national convention in Gbarnga, Bong County, that she gives her “unflinching” support to the Vice President because she wants the party to become the bridge of continuity, unity and development in Liberian history. The President cautioned partisans not to take anything for granted, going as far as advising them to make alliances with other political parties if the Unity Party is to win the pending presidential elections, writes the Daily Observer.

Related Caption: Presumptive Flag Bearer…Boakai Gets Ellen’s Endorsement Again(The NEWS)

VP Boakai Launches Co-Investment Fund For Farmers-Highlights Private Sector Contributions

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has officially launched the Co-Investment Fund (CIF) to buttress farmers’ efforts across the country. The CIF will help improve agriculture in the country and is a US$3 million grant matching scheme that sets aside 30 percent of its investment for women owned businesses. At the launching ceremony on Tuesday in Gbarnga, Mr. Boakai also opened the Bong County office of the Liberia Agribusiness Development Activity (LADA) and the Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA). VP Boakai commended USAID, FTF and the CNFA for the initiative, reports the Daily Observer.