THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016

News of President Sirleaf’s congratulatory message to the President-elect of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump, the Liberia Petroleum and Refining Company US$21 million agreement with LUTECH Engineering and Project Management Consultants, an Israeli firm, and President Sirleaf’s assertion that climate change poses enormous threats to humankind and nature are among stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Ellen Congratulates Donald Trump 

The INQUIRER newspaper reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has sent a warm congratulatory message to the President-elect of the United States of America, Mr. Donald J. Trump. Quoting a Foreign Ministry release, the local daily said President Sirleaf emphasized that there is a lot that Liberia can learn from the United States elections as the country gear up for a historic presidential election in 2017 which ends her term in office. She further stressed that as Liberia’s closest and most traditional ally, Government no doubt looks forward to the continuation of the timeless strong bond of friendship and cooperation with the United States under President Trump’s leadership.

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Applauds Donald Trump, U.S. President Elect (FOCUS), Ellen Salutes Trump (FrontPage Africa), and Ellen Congratulates U.S. President-Elect Trump (Heritage), President Sirleaf Congratulates Donald Trump(Daily Observer)  

US$21m Facelift for LPRC - Signs Petroleum Storage Terminal Rehabilitation Contract

The Liberia Petroleum and Refining Company (LPRC) and an Israeli firm, LUTECH Engineering and Project Management Consultants, have sealed a US$21 million deal for the modernization and expansion of the Petroleum Storage Terminal (PST) on Bushrod Island. According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, under the deal, LUTECH Engineering and Project Management Consultants among other things would construct a two tons truck weight bridges and a new semi-automation system and safety solution. The Israeli firm is also expected to construct a central control room, new operations building and increased storage capacity and as well expand loading gantry fitted for nine loading areas.  LPRC Managing Director Sumo Kupee said the rehabilitation of the Petroleum Storage Terminal is necessary because the current facility has outlived its usefulness. For his part, LUTECH Managing Director Vijay Anand Krishana expressed his company’s ability to deliver.

Related Captions: LPRC Turns Over US$21M Contract To Lutech Engineering (Daily Observer), LPRC To Get New Terminal Soon (The INQUIRER) 

“Climate Change Poses Enormous Threats to Mankind, Nature”…Ellen Cautions COP22

According to the Heritage newspaper, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf says climate change poses enormous threats to humankind and nature as well as threatens human health and the wellbeing of mankind. According to a dispatch from Marrakech, Morocco, President Sirleaf made the remarks on Tuesday, November 15, 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco - when she addressed the Twenty Second Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 22), The Liberian leader said: “If nothing is done to mitigate the negative impact and its vulnerability, the gains made by mankind could be seriously undermined if not reversed”. Liberia, she said continues to experience severe impacts of climate change due to erratic rainfall, flooding and sea erosion. She told the gathering that more than 70% of Liberia’s population relies on agriculture for subsistence livelihood while the sector also contributes almost 39% to the country’s GDP.  Recent predictions – she noted indicate that the sector will be heavily impacted thus posing a risk to the economy and livelihood of the population. 

Related Captions: “Climate Change Poses Enormous Threats To Mankind, Nature” - Liberian Leader Cautions COP22(FOCUS), Liberia’s Economy Under Threat…As Climate Change Devastation Looms (In Profile Daily), Ellen Cautions Climate Change Threats to Mankind at COP22 (FrontPage Africa) and Climate Change Poses Enormous Threats to Mankind, Nature (New Dawn)

CBL Takes New Bank Notes To Local Markets

According to the Heritage newspaper, Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), Wednesday, November 16, 2016, began a one-week exercise targeting various markets around Monrovia and its environs to exchange mutilated (tear-tear) Liberian dollar banknotes for the recently issued new and enhanced banknotes. Markets covered under the exercise were Rally Time, Waterside, Duala, Red-light and Gorbachop in Paynesville. Tellers from the Central Bank of Liberia have been stationed at the various market sites to exchange mutilated. The Director of Banking at the CBL, Mr. Richard H. Walker, speaking on behalf of CBL Executive Governor, Milton A. Weeks, said the exercise is intended to assist marketers, who are unable to go to the banks to exchange their mutilated notes for new banknotes. Mr. Walker explained that under the exercise, the CBL will exchange mutilated notes for new notes at a rate of one-to-one. 

Related Captions: CBL Begins 7-Day Drive To Exchange Tear-Tear Money (Daily Observer), Central Bank of Liberia Takes ‘New Money’ To Local Markets (FrontPage Africa), CBL On Change “Tear-Tear Money” Campaign (The INQUIRER) and CBL Takes ‘New Money’ To Markets (New Dawn)

OTHER STORIES

VP Boakai Leads GOL Officials to Sign Book of Condolence for Fallen ASEOWA Major General Julius Oketta 

Vice President, Dr. Joseph Nyumah Boakai on Wednesday, November 16, led an array of government officials, including the Coordinator of the Cabinet, Justice Minister, Cllr. Frederick Cherue, to sign the Book of Condolence in honor of the late Head of Mission to the African Union Support to Ebola Outbreak in West Africa (ASEOWA), Major-General Dr. Julius Facki Oketta. Dr. Oketta, in his 6oth year passed away in Kampala, Uganda following a heart attack on Saturday, November 5, 2016. He has since been buried. According to a Foreign Ministry release, paying a tribute following the signing of the Book of Condolence, Vice President Boakai described the late Major General Oketta as a “hero”. He added that Dr. Oketta’s death is a loss not only for the African Union (AU) alone but Liberia, too, as a member of the AU, reports the FOCUS newspaper.

Related Caption: VP Boakai Leads GoL Officials to Sign Book of Condolence For Fallen ASEOWA Major General Julius Oketta (FrontpageAfrica)

LIMAF Meets Liberian Ambassador Allen

Executives of the Liberian Mandingo Association in France have praised Liberia’s Ambassador to France, Ambassador C. William Allen for the level of unity, cooperation and support given to the Liberian Community over the years. The organization said Ambassador Allen has brought renewed hope and understanding as well as the promotion of cultural values and unity that has spew growth and oneness in the community where brotherly love and institutional development thas improved. Speaking when executives of the Liberian Mandingo Association in France paid a courtesy visit on Ambassador Allen, the group’s Chairman Layee Bamba said members of the Liberian community were happy that the embasy was in total support of their programs and has demonstrated love and support for their future activities, both in France and Liberia, the In Profile Daily reads.

MIA, Media Pros Discuss Gov’t Devolution

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) Wednesday began a three-day forum with journalists in Gbarnga, Bong County, to discuss the role of the media in promoting government’s decentralization initiative through the establishment of County Service Centers. The forum brought together 70 journalists from across the country, including publishers, community radio announcers, partners, and representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). According to the Daily Observer, the media forum is meant to increase journalists’ understanding of the benefits of the County Service Centers and to form a strong partnership with the media as an integral part of government’s overall development agenda.

MOE Accredits STTI

The Daily Observer reports that the Standard Teacher Training Institute (STTI) has finally been accredited by the Ministry of Education to operate as a teacher training institute in the country.

The Certificate of Accreditation signed by Adventus Grea Wright, Assistant Minister for Teacher Education, stated that “having met the minimum requirements set by the Bureau of Teacher Education, STTI was granted the clearance to operate as a teacher training at ‘C’ certificate level.” The certification is valid for two years.

Sharks CEO to Speak At MSME Confab Today

According to the Daily Observer, Mrs. Eyvonne Harding-Bright, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sharks Entertainment Incorporated, a Liberian-owned business, delivered the keynote address at the opening of the 2016 Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSME) conference, organized by the Small Business Administration (SBA) of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in Monrovia. The conference, according to Commerce Minister Axel Addy, will address over 500 business people, local and international partners, youths and a cross-section of people, among them officials of the Ministry and partners. Until her selection as keynote speaker for program, Harding has been in the vanguard to uphold an embattled "Liberianization Policy," which assigns 16 specific businesses to Liberians and protects them from foreign competition. 

Related Caption: “Remove Roadblock, Barriers Preventing Liberian Entrepreneurs”…CEO Bright Harding Warns(FOCUS)

Countries Agree to Partner on Paris Climate Accord At COP22

At the international climate negotiations in Marrakech, Morocco, developing and developed countries have launched a new partnership dedicated to deliver on the landmarks partnership dedicated to deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change and related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The partnership is a new coalition working together to ensure countries receive the technical and financial support they need to achieve ambitious climate and related sustainable development goals as fast and effectively as possible, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Commerce Boss Hail Women For Role In Economy

The New Dawn newspaper reports that the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Hon. Alex Addy, has emphasized Liberian women have played vital roles in the Liberian economy, something for which they must be applauded. He said women’s continued participation in the economy will actually help to move the country toward positive growth. Speaking Tuesday, 15 November at the 2016 SAB National MSME Conference in Monrovia, Minister Addy indicated that with over 49 percent of Liberia’s population, women make up nearly half of the society, noting that various studies have shown that they remain under-represented among the ranks of entrepreneurs and excluded from crucial economic activities. He said in order to promote women entrepreneurship and create more women-owned businesses here, training should be a paramount to help them continually in serving as strong driver in the economy, adding, “We will promote women entrepreneurship for Economic Empowerment.”

SDI Launches Report On Transparency And Accountability

Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) has released a new report, focusing on accountability and transparency or lack-of thereof, among companies exploiting Liberia’s natural resources, particularly in rural communities. The report is titled TIMBY or “This Is My Back Yard” and can be accessed online. SDI says the idea is to address issues surrounding government resources that are coming from the natural resources of Liberia. speaking Wednesday, 16 November at Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia during launch of the report, program leader Mr. James G. Otto said the story of Liberia needs to be told, stressing, “We need to document those stories which will be used for the public, so we are trying to use TIMBY as an online Act that will record videos on different stories about the country.”“Imagine if hundred bags of cement were left at the waterside by people to carry to other counties, and it got lost due to mismanagement, somebody needs to tell that story; the Liberian people need to know what happen to the rest of the cement that got missing; this is what this online report is all about - for citizens to tell their own story in every part of the country through this online Act,” pens the New Dawn newspaper.

LRA, Local Authorities Enter Into Mutual Tax Agreement

According to the Daily Observer, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has designed a motivating strategy that will drive citizens in Montserrado County to willingly comply with their tax obligation without discontent. The strategy among other objectives seeks to share revenue between local authorities or communities and the government, represented by the LRA, and to provide short term job opportunities for community dwellers. In the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between LRA and the Montserrado County local authorities, 80% of income from Real Estate Tax collection will go to the LRA while 20% goes to the townships, borough and cities wherein the taxes will be collected.

George Kailondo Homicide Case Moved To Margibi County

The Monrovia City Court at the Temple of Justice has ordered the transfer of the negligent homicide case involving renowned businessman George Kailondo to Kakata, Margibi County. Kailondo was charged by officers of the Liberia National Police in October 2016 with negligent homicide and forwarded to the lower court late October but was admitted to bail until trial.  Mr. Kailondo last week filed as motion asking the Magisterial Court to have the case transferred to Margibi County, a venue he says he preferred to Monrovia. The FrontPage Africa newspaper reports that Magistrate Kennedy Peabody in his ruling on the motion agreed to transfer the case to Margibi County indicating that though the lower court was competent to handle the case, he wondered why the police chose not to investigate the case in Margibi County where the act was committed. Businessman Kailondo was charged in connection with the death of the former manager of the GT Bank Dan Orugon who died during a boat ride with businessman Kailondo.