THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2016

News of President Sirleaf’s acknowledgement to Liberian entrepreneurs for their perseverance and achievements towards the growth of the economy, the inauguration of the first transport aircraft specially designed to evacuate patients with infectious diseases to other locations and the election of a new leadership of the Press Union of Liberia are a stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Ellen Acknowledges Liberian Entrepreneurs’ Perseverance, Achievements 

According to In Profile Daily, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf officially has closed this year’s “Small Business Associations 2016,” Medium Scheme & Micro–Enterprise, Trade Fair while acknowledging the perseverance and achievements of Liberian entrepreneurs towards the growth of the economy. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf made the acknowledgement on Friday, November 18, 2016 at the Monrovia City at the end of the Annual Conference of Small Business Associations 2016 Medium Scheme & Micro-Enterprise, Trade Fair. She commended the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, sponsors and partners for identifying and highlighting the potentials involved with their contributions to the growth of Liberian economy. The Liberian leader was earlier taken on a guided tour by Commerce Minister Axel Addy, interacted and inspected different businesses, manufactured goods and services locally produced by Liberian entrepreneurs and displayed at the exhibition.

Related Captions: President Sirleaf Acknowledges Liberian Entrepreneurs’ Perseverance, Achievements(Focus), Ellen Acknowledges Liberian Entrepreneurs’ Perseverance, Achievements(Heritage), We Want To See You Grow’-President Sirleaf commends Liberian entrepreneurs at 2016 MSME trade fair(Daily Observer)

New Aircraft to Evacuate Patients with Infectious Disease Inaugurated

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has inaugurated the first Transport Aircraft specially designed to evacuate patients with infectious diseases to other locations where they can receive treatment and described it as: “First of its kind”. An Executive Mansion release said, President Sirleaf made the statement on arrival from Marrakech, Morocco early Friday morning at the Robert International Airport in Lower Margibi County where she had gone to participate in the United Nations Framework on Climate Change COP 22. President Sirleaf expressed delight over such medical facility capable of evacuating patients of infectious disease to where treatment is available especially in the aftermath of the fragilities exposed by the Ebola outbreak. She, however, thanked the generous donor for partnering with Liberia in such a magnificent way, according to the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Captions: President Sirleaf Inaugurates First Transport Aircraft(FOCUS), Ellen Inaugurates Aircraft to Lift Infectious Diseases Patients(Heritage)  

Coffey Camp Sweeps PUL Leadership In Ganta  

The Daily Observer reports that the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has a new leadership. The camp of Charles B. Coffey, Director of Television at the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), overwhelmingly defeated the administration of Kamara Abdullai Kamara at the PUL’s third elective congress held in Ganta, Nimba County over the weekend. Mr. Coffey defeated the incumbent Kamara, 152 to 100 votes, while his Vice Presidential candidate, Octavin Williams overwhelmed Jallah Grayfield by 109 to 90 votes, leaving Omecee Johnson, who also contested for the Vice Presidential post, with 46 votes. Daniel Nyankonah was elected unopposed as Secretary General of the union, while Dyrus Zinnah, ELBC reporter, defeated former Daily Observer and Frontpage Africa reporter David Kolleh and the News Director of Prime FM, Jutonu Kollie, with 105, 75 and 72 votes respectively. The Annual Congress brought together 254 out of 459 journalists.

Related Captions: PUL Elects New Officials(The INQUIRER), PUL Gets new leadership (Focus), Liberian Journalists’ Decision: Kamara Out, Coffey In(Heritage)

OTHER STORIES

Construction Of New RIA’s Terminal Kicks-Off Today

According to theNew Dawn newspaper, the construction of the nearly designed Roberts International Airport’s (RIA)’s passenger terminal is expected to kick-off today, November 21 following the ground breaking ceremony. The new terminal project is being finance by a US50 million loan agreement between the governments of Liberia and the Chinese Government through the China Exim Bank, with the CHINA HARBOUR ENGINEERING COMAPANY, as the contractor.The daily reports that the construction which includes the rehabilitation of Runway 04-22, will take 22 months.

Related Captions: Gov’t Breaks Ground For New RIA Terminal(The INQUIRER)

African Leaders Sign Marrakech Action Agreement

African leaders attending the COP22 conference in Morocco have said the continent’s climate is warming at an alarming and unprecedented rate and needs to respond urgently. In keeping with the need for urgent response, the African leaders welcomed the Paris Agreement adopted under the Convention, its rapid entry into force, with its ambitious goals. They affirmed their commitment to the full implementation of the agreement in the face of its inclusive nature, reflection of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances, the Heritage news paper reads.

CBL Launches Financial Sector Development Implementation Plan

The Central Bank of Liberia on Friday, November 18, 2016 launched Financial Sector Development Implementation plan. The plan is being launched in collaboration with the World Band and Financial Institutions Reform and Strengthening Trust (FIRST) Initiative. the Plan provides a national prioritized, sequenced and time-bound roadmap for implementing reforms in the financial sector including the banking insurance, credit information and payment systems, digital finance and pension funds, the FOCUS newspaper reads.

GoL Gives L$100K To LMA

The Government of Liberia (GoL) through the Ministry of Internal Affairs has presented a check of L$100,000 to the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA) as a contribution to the improvement of its current project. Deputy Internal Affairs Minister Varney Sirleaf, who served as the keynote speaker at the program marking the LMA’s 40th anniversary celebration and Headquarters rally held at the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS) recently, lauded the LMA for their many contributions to peace and tranquility that currently exists within the Association. He said as the operation of the LMA cuts across the 15 counties, such peaceful and stable operation of the state of affairs of the entity goes a long way in helping to maintain peace and stability in the country, reports the Daily Observer.

World Bank Approves US40M To Boost Liberia’s Economy

The World Bank on Thursday November 17, approved a grant of US40 million to boost Liberia’s economic transformation program, which is critical for achieving inclusive growth. According to the New Dawn newspaper, the amount which is in tune with the third Poverty Reduction Support Development Policy Operation (PRSDPO-III) is an International Development Association (IDA) grant and is intended to help address governance reforms and human capital development in the country. Expressing satisfaction for approval of the grant operation, World Bank Country Manager for Liberia Larisa Leshchenko said, “this support is coming at the time when Liberia’s low revenues are due to the decline in commodity prices and slump in growth. This Poverty Reduction Support Development Policy Operation will be critical in helping the government deliver on its medium-term development agenda and transform the economy to reduce poverty and promote shared growth.” The grant will also strengthen weak infrastructure critical for achieving inclusive growth.”

Related Captions: Bank Gives US$40M Grant To Liberia(The INQUIRER)

Morocco, FAO, Partners, Step Up Climate Action In Agric

The Morocco, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and other partners are stepping up climate action in agriculture with three new initiatives. A press release from Morocco named the initiatives as Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA), Global Framework on Water Scarcity and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. Launched at the Agriculture and Food Security Action Event during the UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech (COP22), the initiatives are designed to assist small-scale farmers in building their adaptive capacities, to help urban citizens in dealing with the impacts of climate change and to support countries in fulfilling their climate commitments, the Heritage newspaper reads.

Ellen Reaffirms Support To Boakai

Amidst reports that she is supporting another candidate in the ensuing 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has reaffirms Support to Vice President Joseph N. Boakai for the presidency. The Liberian leader, in a recent interview with the state-fun Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) rubbished insinuations that she pledge her support to another candidate in the pending elections. “I’m a Unity Party Partisan; I ran twice on the Unity Party ticket and will remain a United Party partisan,” said President Sirleaf her clarification, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.

Veep Stresses Importance Of Financial Sector

According to the INQUIRER newspaper, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai says Liberia’s financial sector is a major linchpin for growth and development because it plays a key role in promoting the five pillars of the Government’s agenda for transformation, especially the pillar on economic transformation. Vice President Boakai said inclusive financial sector that promotes access, use and availability of financial services to all, ensures the environment wherein people have jobs, bolsters economic transformation through enhanced agriculture production and food security.

WaterAid Launches Global Sanitation Findings…Reveals One Third Of Liberia’s Population Practices Open Defecation

As part of World Toilet Day 2016 (November 19) Celebration in Liberia, the British Charity WaterAid has release a staggering report on the status of sanitation globally. The finding by the British charity is contained in a report named and styled Overflowing cities - The State of the World’s Toilets 2016. The report has revealed that India, the third-biggest economy on Earth is the worst country in the world for numbers of urban dwellers without safe, private toilets and for open defecation, followed by China and Nigeria, writes the INQUIRER newspaper.

‘The Paradigm Of Oil Diplomacy’

A new instructive book title: the Paradigm of Oil Diplomacy in Africa: USA–China New Strategic Interest in Africa’s Oil and Energy; covering other wild – range or critical issues including the Tale of Violations against Liberia Journalists, the Impacts of African women in Global Politics, the Prospects and Challenges of Globalization in Africa and Problem and Challenges of Africa Diplomacy, is expected to be released in December, 2016, reports In Profile Daily.

Liberian Students in Morocco get Presidential Assurance

President Ellen Johnson has assured a cross-section of Liberian students in Marrakech, Morroco of government’s continued support to their educational pursuit on the margins of the COP22 held in that country. According to a dispatch, the Liberian Leader gave the assurance on November 17, 2016 in Marrakech, Morocco when she met a cross-section of students who presented a progress report regarding their educational sojourn outlining progress and challenges, the Heritage newspaper says.

Related Caption: Pres. Sirleaf Assures Students Of Gov’t Continuous(The New Dawn)