The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017

Dominating today’s Media Summary is a story on Liberia Revenue Authority head, Commissioner General Elfreda Stewart Tamba calling for a concerted effort in combating tax frauds. Other stories include, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Submission of Bill for 2018 National Census to the Senate, US Ambassador Christine Elder serving as keynote speaker of the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute, the heading of the Mano River Union Secretariat by Atty. Medina Wesseh as well as the commencement of pavement on the Roberts International Airport runway

Dominant Stories  

LRA Calls For Concerted Effort in Combating Tax Frauds 

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Commissioner General Elfreda Stewart Tamba has called for a concerted effort among all stakeholders in combating tax frauds and ensuring revenues protection for the people. The Commissioner General noted that the trend via which US$50 to US$60 billion was leaving Africa annually through illicit financial flow must be immediately reversed. In 2015 former South African President Thabo Mbeki (when he headed the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa) reported that US$50 to US$60 billion was leaving Africa annually through illicit financial flow. “This trend must be reversed,” CG Tamba, also Chairperson of the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF), said Tuesday. The Commissioner General made the call Tuesday (Jan 17) when she spoke at the opening of a 3-day stakeholders training under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) at the Golden Gate Hotel in Paynesville.

Related Captions:LRA Boss Calls For Concerted Effort In Combating Tax Fraud (Daily Observer), LRA Boss Calls For Concerted Effort In Combating Tax Frauds(IN PROFILE Daily), LRA Boss Urges Concerted Effort To Combat Tax Frauds(Heritage) and Battle Against Tax Frauds Heats Up (FOCUS)

Gambia’s New President Sworn-in But Jammeh Refuses To Leave

According to the Daily Observer, Gambia’s President elect Adama Barrow was sworn in yesterday at the Gambia Embassy in neighboring Senegal, as longtime leader Yahya Jammeh refused to give up power. “This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in one’s lifetime,” Barrow said at the ceremony. “This is the first time since The Gambia became independent in 1965 that the country has changed its government through the ballot box,” the VOA has reported. The inauguration was initially meant to take place yesterday in the Gambia’s Capital Banjul, but Jammeh had remained defiant.

Related Captions: New Gambia Leader Sworn In Abroad(New Dawn),and Barrow Sworn-in In Senegal As Jammeh Stays (Heritage)

Other Stories  

Ellen Sends Bill for 2018 National Census To Senate 

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has submitted to the Senate for consideration a Bill titled “An Act Authorizing the Executive Branch of Government to Conduct the 2018 National Census.” The communication is in line with Article 39 of the 1986 Constitution, which empowers the Legislature to cause the census to be undertaken every 10 years. President Sirleaf in her communication dated January 16, recalled that since 1962, four successive population censuses have been conducted; with the population of the country at 1.1million in 1972, 1.5 million in 1974, 2.1 million in 1984, and 3.5 million in 2008. Following international period of inter-censual interval (10 years), President Sirleaf reminded the lawmakers that the next census of population and housing is expected to be held in 2018, reports the Daily Observer.

U.S. Ambassador To Address FSI Graduation

The United States Ambassador to Liberia, Christine Elder will serve as keynote speaker at the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute’ graduating ceremony today. The ceremony will be graced by Foreign Minister Marjon V. Kamara and senior staff of the Ministry, other high ranking officials of government, members of the diplomatic and consular corps accredited near Monrovia as well as friends and well-wisher. 28 emerging diplomats have successfully completed a nine-month intensive post-graduate diploma training in diplomacy and international relations, the Insight newspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release.

Medina Wesseh To Head MRU Secretariat

According to Heritage newspaper, Liberia’s veteran politician and managing partner of the International Law Group (ILG), Atty. Medina Wesseh, has been nominated to head the Secretariat of the Mano River Union (MRU). In pursuant of her quest to head the MRU Secretariat, Atty. Wesseh, along with Julia Duncan Cassell, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection and Dr. Sylvia Blyden, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Social Welfare, Gender and Children’s Affairs early this week paid a courtesy visit on the office of Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone. A State House press release dispatched from Sierra Leone stated that Dr. Blyden, who led the delegation, said the purpose of their visit was to officially present Atty. Wesseh as the incoming Secretary General of MRU of President Koroma.  

RIA Runway Pavement Begins 

The pavement of the 11 thousand ft. active runway has begun at the Roberts International Airport in Margibi County. The project being implemented by Sinohydro Corporation Limited began on January 14, 2017 and is forecast for completion in July 2017. The airport will remain active during the course of the project but as passengers take off and descend at RIA, new pavement works would be seen, as the airport moves on to a world class facility. The project focuses on runway 04-22 including Aeronautical Ground Lighting (AGL) System and the engineer of record is the Netherlands Airport Consults (NACO), reports the FrontPage Africa newspaper.  

MOH, Plan International Train Health Workers 

The New Dawn newspaper reports that the Ministry of Health along with her development partner is conducting training for 25 community health services supervisors (CHSS) from four districts in Nimba County. The training is intended to improve their capacities so that in return they can use the knowledge acquired to educate citizens in their various communities on how to make use of the very health facilities and how to combat minor diseases to avoid going to clinics often.  Some of the minor diseases include malaria, and running stomach among others.  

ADRA Liberia Donates Text Books Action Faith Institute 

The Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) Liberia has donated a set of textbooks to the Action Faith Institute (AFI), Philadelphia School System in Liberia. Presenting the textbooks recently, ADRA Liberia Country Director (CD) Anthony Aaron Zaizay said the donation of the book is part of the organization’s plans to help secondary and primary schools upgrade their reading skills. Mr. Zaizay added that the books would enable the students to do research works or their academic assignments. According to him, more than 20 secondary schools as well as community colleges and universities have benefited from the donation in the country, writes the Insight newspaper.  

Plan Int’l Liberia Turns Over 10 Teacher Housing Units To GOL- 

According to the In Profile Daily, Plan International Liberia has reaffirmed its commitment to support government’s efforts in achieving quality education in the country. The Technical Education Advisor at Plan International Liberia, Mr. Eugene Gray, speaking Friday, January 13, 2017 at programs marking the symbolic turnover of ten (10) teaching housing units in Fahn Seh Clan, Todee District, Montserrado County, said the organization constructed 23 schools in Bomi, Gbarpolu, Lofa and rural Montserrado between 2008 and 2010. The total cost of the housing units is around US$400,000.00, with each costing more than US$43,000.

2 LACC’s Staff Suspended For ‘Fraud’

The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has suspended for time indefinite, two of its staff for allegedly engaging in fraud involving assets declaration documents of the former Managing Director of LIBTELCO, Sebastian Muah. According to LACC press, the two staff are Messrs. Roosevelt Doe, Chief of Operations in the Commission’s Enforcement Division and Wlehlatue Sieh, Assistant Asset Declaration/Verification Officer at the LACC. Meanwhile, the two suspended LACC staff have been directed to turn over all properties of the Commission in their possession, reports the Heritage newspaper