The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

News of President Sirleaf’s issuance of Executive Order No. 82 waiving storage charges and customs duties on non-commercial containers imported by Liberians and the Monrovia City Court’s decision to charge an aspirant for the October presidential and legislative elections, Mr. Amos Siebo and two others with multiple crimes are stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

President Sirleaf Issues Executive Order No. 820-Waives Customs Duty and Storage Fees on Non-Commercial Containers, Road Construction Equipment

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued Executive Order No. 82 waiving storage charges and customs duties on non-commercial containers which contain non-commercial goods imported by Liberians that are aged over sixty days at the Freeport of Monrovia. The waiver is good until April 30, 2017. President Sirleaf has also waived customs duty on road construction equipment with HS Codes (8429 and 8430) for Liberian-owned businesses for a period of six months, ending August 31, 2017. According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf decided to waive customs duty and storage fees at the Freeport of Monrovia imported by Liberians in the interest of national reconstruction and development, according to the Daily Observer.

Related Captions: Pres. Sirleaf Issues Executive Order Waiving Taxes (The New Dawn), Ellen’s Executive Order No. 82 Provides Breathing Space-Waives Customs Duty And Storage Fees On Non-Commercial Containers, Road Construction Equipment (FOCUS), Gov’t Waives Charges On Non-Commercial Containers, Road Equipment (Heritage)

Aspirant, Wife, NEC Staff Charged With VR Fraud

An aspirant for the October presidential and legislative elections together with his wife and a staff of the National Elections Commission (NEC) were Wednesday forwarded to the Monrovia City Court, after the Liberia National Police (LNP) charged them with multiple crimes, including voter registration fraud. Amos Siebo, an employee of the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, his wife Margaret Siebo, and Melton Craig, who is Presiding Officer at the Goba Town Public School’s Voter Registration (VR) Center in Johnsonville, outside Monrovia, were charged with criminal conspiracy, theft of property, fraudulent registration and being in possession of multiple illegal voter registration’s cards. The Daily Observer says the charges were brought against the defendants by the LNP after they were arrested on February 26 with an unspecified number of election materials at the Siebos’ residence, where the suspects were conducting their own voters registration activities.

Related Captions: More Revelations In Johnsonville VR Scam (The New Dawn), Representative Aspirant, Wife Arrested For Voters Registration Fraud (FrontPage  Africa)

OTHER STORIES

President Sirleaf Tours Hawassa Industrial Park-In The Southern Region Of Ethiopia

The FOCUS newspaper reports that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has paid an official visit to the Hawassa Industrial Park in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Region of Ethiopia, which plays host to the largest Textiles and Apparel Park in Africa and one of the biggest in the world. The Industrial Park is home to 52 factories. According to a dispatch from the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region of Ethiopia, President Sirleaf said Ethiopia’s unique transformation and experiences will evidently benefit Liberia in the areas of fisheries and livestock, health and medical sciences, Vocational and Technical Education as well as obtaining industrial and commercial progress with a view to inspiring value addition. Earlier, Deputy President Melese Alemu said the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region of the Ethiopia was extremely happy to host the Liberian leader and guests and wished them a healthy stay. He recalled the historical ties between the two countries and stressed the need to foster closer cooperation of mutual interest.  

Gov’t To Get Foreign Private Sector Operator Commerce Ministry Official Discloses

The Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry, Stephen Marvie, Jr. has disclosed that the Government of Liberia is expecting a foreign-private trade transactions between sector operators so as to set up a traders single window platform as agencies. He said it will particularly reduce time in the process of trade transactions among government agencies. According to Marvie, this is to reduce the time and documents to import and export, as well as improve other horizontal processes such as immigration, labor permits and the general issuance of licenses overtime, the In Profile Daily newspaper observed.

Liberia Needs Skills To Reach Middle Income Status; Says VP

Vice President Joseph Boakai has opined that in order for Liberia to achieve middle-income status as conceived in its development plan, eh country’s young generation will have to acquire marketable skills. He said it will enable the young generation and the nation by extension to compete and feed on the opportunities created by the demographic sway. “To achieve this,” VP Boakai said, “Liberians from the national frameworks with the needs of the industries and other national consumers.”

Related Caption: Importation Of Skill Workers Worries VP Boakai-As BDOTC Graduates Over 200 (INSIGHT)

NOBEL Liberia, Ms Liberia Sign ‘New Brand Ambassador’ Partnership

NOBEL Liberia Ltd. one of Liberia’s reliable financial institutions as a way of its corporate social responsibility aimed at empowering young Liberian women and the youth in general recently signed a ‘New Brand Ambassador’ partnership with the 2017 Miss Liberia, Ms Wokie Dolo. According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the President of NOBEL Liberia, Mr. Jallah C. Kesselly and Ms. Wokie Dolo, 2017 Miss Liberia have attested their respective signatures to the document that gave birth to their new collaboration by conferring on the Liberian Queen as NOBEL Liberia ‘New Brand Ambassador’.  Ms Dolo promised to use her preferment in promoting the services of the institution and the youths of Liberia. For his part, the President of NOBEL Liberia, Mr. Jallah C. Kesselly thanked Ms Wokie Dolo for accepting the honor as his entity’s ‘New Brand Ambassador’, and further assured her of his institution’s support during the existence of the partnership.

Related Caption: NOBEL Liberia, Miss Liberia Sign ‘New Brand Ambassador’ Partnership (In Profile Daily)

Over 1 Million Liberians Registered to Vote thus Far…Korkoya

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has disclosed that 1,046,888 eligible Liberians have registered since the launch of the 2017 voter registration exercise on February 1. This figure is part of a total of 2,552,000 forms deployed at the 19 magisterial offices across the country. This, according to NEC Chairman, Jerome Korkoya, means that 1,505,112 forms are still being processed in the field. “We currently have a buffer of 1,300,000 forms packed to be deployed if and when the demand arises,” he said. He told a news conference at the commission’s headquarters in the Monrovia suburb of Sinkor Monday that the forms returned to headquarter are being scanned to be placed in the Commission’s database, the INSIGHT newspaper said.

Low Turnout of Women at VR Center says NEC

“Women are not turning out to register as we expect,” National Elections Commission (NEC) Chairman Jerome G. Korkoyo has disclosed. He made the disclosure based upon a report from the Commission’s data center where forms that are being scanned showed that women are not turning out in their numbers to register since the start of the voter registration exercise nearly a month ago. Korkoya was giving an update on the ongoing voter registration exercise during a press conference at the NEC headquarters in Monrovia Monday, the INSIGHT newspaper reads.

Related Caption: NEC Boss: Poor Women Turn Out At VR Centers (Heritage)

CEMENCO Donates to Needed School

The Liberia Cement Corporation (CEMENCO), as part of its social corporate responsibility and in collaboration with the Smythe Foundation, has provided about 400 printed physical Education T-Shirts to the “More Than Me Public School” in the Fofee Town Community, situation in Montserrado County. The donation came in the wake of an appeal made by the Smyth Foundation, which is headed by Mr. John H. Smythe, former Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) on behalf of parents of community school the Smythe Foundation is non-profit organization founded in 2015 to cater to the needs of the less fortunate and underprivileged children within the District #1, Montserrado County, the Heritage newspaper writes.

CHAL Ends Workshop for Health Workers, Community Members

The Christian Health Association of Liberia (CHAL) has ended a two-day capacity building workshop for health workers and community members in Ganta, Nimba County. The training brought together over 50 health workers and community dwellers from communities benefiting from CHAL’s Community Support Project at the weekend. Community support Project at the weekend. Communities from which participants were drawn, according to CHAL Nimba County Field Officer Nelson Diakpo, include United Pentecostal Clinic in Camp 4, Yarmin District, St. Mary’s Hospital in Sanniquillie, Garplay Clinic in Garplay Town and Ganta United Methodist Hospital in Ganta City, the Heritage newspaper reads.

Related Caption: CHAL Ends Workshop For Health Workers, Community Members (INSIGHT)

Gov’t, LRCC Launch over US$100K Drainage Project

The Government of Liberia in concert with the Liberian Renaissance Construction Company (LRCC) Wednesday launched the Monrovia Drainage Cleaning Project valued at over US$100,000. The project, which will last for three months, will be implemented in 14 communities in Paynesville and Bushrod Island, hiring 400 to carry out the cleaning. Speaking at the launch of the project, the Chief Executive Officer of LRCC, G. Delino Bryant, said the project constitutes two of three lots awarded by government through the Ministry of Public Works to local contractors, the Heritage news daily asserts.

LACC Reviews Whistleblower Bill

The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) says it has invited key stakeholders here including the Ministry of Justice, Law Reform Commission, Liberia National Bar Association and the Liberia National Police to a workshop to review a document that is seeking to protect whistleblowers. LACC Chairperson Cllr. James Verdier told Coffee Break on UNMIL Radio Wednesday, 1 March that the Commission seeks to have a Whistleblower and Witness Protection Bill for an onward submission to the Legislature. Cllr. Verdier expressed optimism that at the end of the workshop which was called on Wednesday, 1 March, stakeholders would come up with an instrument that will be used for the protection of whistleblowers and witnesses that will cooperate with the LACC in providing information concerning corrupt deeds, according to the New Dawn newspaper.

‘ECOWAS Needs Intra-Regional Trade To Unlock Agro, Industrial Potentials’-Deputy Commerce Minister Asserts

The Deputy Minister for Trade at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), Stephen Marvie, Jr., has said that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) needs intra-regional trade to unlock agricultural and industrial potential in the region. Minister Marvie made the assertion Wednesday at the kickoff of a 3-day sensitization and training on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS) and ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) held in Monrovia. Minister Marvie said he was pleased to see that Liberia finally joined other ECOWAS states to implement the ETLS, which will now facilitate the regional trade advocated for long ago as a region. He lauded ECOWAS for the level of support given Liberia to train its technicians and policy makers on specific provisions of the ETLS and CET to ensure that decision makers understand the key aspects of the regional instrument meant to promote regional trade, integration and development. Daily Observer

Related Caption: "Regional Trade Key to Unlocking West Africa Potential" (FrontPage Africa)

550 Young Liberians Troop For Job Training

Along with Mercy Corps and other supporters including Coca Cola Africa Foundation, the Youth Empowerment Service (YES) Liberia is implementing a two-day job training initiative launched Wednesday, 1 March at the Paynesville City Hall by Assistant Youth and Sports Minister Kula Fofana. In an overview, Mercy Corps representative Mr. Harry G. Doblah said YES Liberia is seeking to empower young people in African countries including Kenya, Uganda and Liberia, and the first job fair in Liberia is being funded by Liberia Coca Cola Bottling Company or LCCBC. Keynote Speaker Minister Kulah Fofana, who proxy for Youth and Sports Minister Mr. Saah N’Tow, had said youth​ ​empowerment and employment remain major​ ​challenges​ ​in​ ​Liberia,​ ​despite all of​ ​government’s​ ​effort.​ She said her Boss, Mr. N’Tow was very​ ​excited​ ​by​ ​the​ ​initiative​ ​that​ ​brought together young people between​ ​800​ ​to​ ​a​ ​thousand​  ​to​ be trained ​in​ ​various​ areas, reports the New Dawn newspaper.