THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia  

NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 

News concerning President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s rejection of the Financial Autonomy Act passed by both Houses of the Liberian Legislature, the signing of a US$15.8M financing agreement by the World Bank and the Government of Liberia and the National Elections Commission’s deliberations on its preparedness for the holding of the 2017 presidential and legislative elections are among stories highlighted in today’s edition of the summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

Ellen Vetoes Financial Autonomy Act

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has vetoed the much trumpeted 4G Financial Autonomy Act passed by the both Houses of the Liberian Legislature citing lack of financial management system on Capitol Hill. In her letter dated September 14, 2016, President Sirleaf said given the volume of the financial transactions conducted even now, the Legislature still has not established an appropriate financial management control system to show financial and managerial accountability. Moreover, President Sirleaf indirectly questioned the need for an additional financial autonomy when the Legislature already enjoys a certain degree of autonomy saying “because funds are transferred periodically to it.” According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Plenary of the House of Representatives has forwarded the communication to the house’s Committees on Ways, Means, Finance and Development Planning and Judiciary to report on Thursday, September 22, 2016. The bill sponsored, by Bong County Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, seeks to ensure that funds allotted to the Liberian Legislature in the national budget are in each fiscal year deposited quarterly into the account of the Legislature at the Central Bank of Liberia.

Related Captions: Ellen Rejects Financial Autonomy Bill…Says Lawmakers Failed To Show Accountability(The NEWS), Ellen ‘Snubs’ Legislature’s Financial Autonomy Bill (FOCUS), Legislators Lack Financial Control-President Sirleaf(New DEMOCRAT), No Legislative Financial Autonomy-President Sirleaf Vetoes Two Bills(FrontPage Africa)

World Bank, Government of Liberia Sign US$15.8M Agreement

The World Bank and the Government of Liberia on Monday September signed a US$15.8M financing agreement for the project title “Liberia Social Safety Nets”. Larisa Leshchenko World Bank Liberia Country Manager signed for the bank, while Minister Boima Kamara of Finance and Development Planning signed for the Government of Liberia. The Liberia Social Safety Nets project, according to the Bank, will benefit extremely poor and food insecure households in the country. Madam Larisa Leshchenko said Liberia Social Safety Nets Project is being financed through a US$10M credit from the World Bank. For his part, Minister of Finance and Development Planning Boima Kamara said the signing of the agreement was a significant step in addressing social protection that went to the heart of how the incidents of poverty and hunger were being addressed. The project implementation will be carried out by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in collaboration with the ministries of Health and Agriculture as well as district officials, according to the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Related Captions: World Bank, GOL Signed US15.8M Agreement(The NEWS), Liberia Gets US$16m For The Poor(New DEMOCRAT)

U.S. Delegation Visits NEC

A four member delegation from the United States Embassy headed by Deputy Chief of Mission, Samuel R. Watson III, paid a courtesy call on the National Elections Commission Monday September 19.  As part of its visit the delegation inquired about the level of preparation being made by NEC towards the conduct of free and fair elections in 2017 including funding, Civic /Voter Education, logistics, among others. During their visit NEC Chairman, Cllr. Jerome George Koroya, disclosed plans by the Commission to increase the number of polling centers in the country for the 2017 General Elections, the New Dawn reports.

Related Captions: US Delegation Visits NEC(New DEMOCRAT), Chairman Korkoya Updates US Embassy Delegation On Preparations For 2017 Elections(Heritage)

Undercover Operation Nabs Two LRA Tax Auditors Receiving Bribe

The LRA in a joint sting operation in collaboration with the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) busted two of its employees for soliciting and receiving bribe and also compromising a tax audit bill. The two LRA Tax –Auditors, Mr. Isaac Tamba and Madam Rose Dahn of the Medium Tax Audit Section of the Domestic Tax Department, were arrested on Friday, September 16, 2016 by undercover revenue protection agent and security agents of the LRA and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC). The two tax auditors were arrested for receiving a bribe of US$3.000.00 bribe was a 50% partial payment of a compromise of US$6,000.00 which they requested from the business man in order to compromise and reduce a tax audit liability prepared by them from an amount of several thousand United States Dollars to US$4000.00 (four thousand dollars), the New DEMOCRAT newspaper reports.

Related Captions: Tax Auditors Nabbed—For Allegedly Receiving Bribe(The NEWS), Undercover Operation Nabs Two PRA Tax Auditors Receiving Bribe(FrontPage Africa)

OTHER STORIES

Ellen to Address UN General Assembly Thursday

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf will Thursday, September 22, address the 71^st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. President Sirleaf’s deliberation at the UNGA session will follow her participation in high-level meetings and bilateral engagements with foreign leaders and partners on the fringes of the assembly. This theme of the general debate of the 71^st Session is: “The Sustainable Development Goals: A universal push to transform our world”. According to a Foreign Ministry release issued Sunday, the general debate, which begins on Tuesday, September 20, will last up to Monday, September 26. The release said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will make his final report on the work of the Organization to the General Assembly has he steps down on December 31, having served two successive terms, the Heritage newspaper reads.

VP Boakai: Transparency, Accountability make Strong, Efficient Governance

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has observed that upholding transparency and accountability by government officials will ensure efficient and transparent governance. VP Boakai observed that access to information is one of those requirements that are crucial to the running of an efficient and transparent Government. Vice President Boakai made the observation Monday at the Independent Information Commission headquarters in Sinkor, Monday During a visit to familiarize himself with activities of the commission, the Heritage reads.

USAID FED Stresses Collaboration Among Farmers

The Chief of Party of USAID Food and Enterprise Development (USAID FED), Lee Rosner, has called on Liberian farmers to consolidate activities in the agriculture sector beyond the FED-funded project. Rosner made the call recently at the end of a two-day Agribusiness Exposition organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and USAID FED held at the Monrovia City hall in Sinkor. The USAID FED project which began September 2012 should have ended in September 2016, but has been extended to December 2016. The U.S. President’s “Feed the Future” initiative built 19 rice processing facilities in Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Margibi and Montserrado counties, New DEMOCRAT says.

Oasis Hosts Transformation Confab

The Oasis, a synergy of Kingdom Initiatives on Monday began the 8^th edition of an inspirational conference dubbed ‘Alignment 2016’ at the Monrovia City Hall. The seven day enlightenment and transformation conference is being held under the theme “Manifestation of the Sons of God”. Rev. Foday Emmett Karpeh, Senior Pastor of the Life Center Church said the conference is intended to build leaders and inspire young people. He said young people who would attend the conference will be empowered to play their role as designed for them by God, the INQUIRER reports.

Veep Boakai Visits IIC

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai says to have an efficient Government; those who work in it must abide by those systems that show transparency and accountability. Vice President Boakai was speaking Monday at the Independent Information Commission during a visit to familiarize himself with activities there, the INQUIRER newspaper asserts.

Liberia Malaria Indicator Survey Launched

Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and the Ministry of Health of Liberia have launched the 2016 Malaria Indicator Survey (MIS) in Monrovia. MIS is a population based survey that is conducted every two years to measure the performance of the national Malaria control program interventions in Liberia; the MIS was last conducted in 2011.  The MIS will help MOH to know the number of households that owns and sleep under mosquitos’ nets, the number of pregnant women who get protected from malaria during the clinic attendance and how children with malaria are treated with the number of malaria medicines in Liberia. Speaking at the program, Deputy Minister for Disease Control at the Ministry of Health Minister Tolbert Nyenswah said Liberia is now about to fight malaria, the NEWS newspaper reports.

Pregnant Woman ‘Drowns Baby

Police in Bong Mines, Lower Bong County have investigated a 26-year-old pregnant woman for allegedly throwing into a well, her three-year-old daughter. The suspect, Karmah Harris, told police investigators that her action was based on the refusal of her husband to “show her love and concern”, FOCUS says.

Bong County Inspector Fired

The dismissal letter dated September 15 stated that Kollie engaged in acts which contravene policies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, thereby undermining the peace and cultural values of the people of Bong County and Liberia as a whole. The letter further mandates Mr. Kollie to turn over all government properties in his possession to the Superintendent of the county.  At a short turning over ceremony held Monday at the Gbarnga Administration Building, Kollie thanked President Sirleaf for affording him the opportunity to serve his people in her government, FOCUS reports.