The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 2017

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights news of World Bank Group pronouncement of a record $57 billion in financing for Sub-Saharan African countries over the next three fiscal years, four local non-governmental organizations acquiring of US$290,170 in grants from the Japanese Government and the decision  by the Liberia National Police to hold two separate dialogues as part of its nonviolence campaign ahead of the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections among others.

World Bank Group Announces Record $57 Billion

A back page story of the INSIGHT newspaper reads that following a meeting with G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim has announced a record $57 billion in financing for Sub-Saharan African countries over the next three fiscal years. Kim then left on a trip to Rwanda and Tanzania to emphasize the Bank Group’s support for the entire region. The bulk of the financing $45 billion-will come from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Band Group’s fund for the poorest countries. The financing for Sub-Saharan Africa also will include an estimated $8 billion in private sector investments from the International Finance Corporation, a private sector arm of the Bank Group, and $4 billion in financing from International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, its non-concessional public sector arm.

Related Captions: Sub-Saharan Africa to benefit US$57 Billion(The New Dawn)

4 Local NGOs Receive US$290K Japanese Grant

The Daily Observerreports that four local non-governmental organizations, namely: Africa 2000 Network Liberia, Kids Educational Engagement Project, Development Education Network-Liberia and Youth Crime Watch of Liberia have received US$290,170 in grants from the Japanese Government. The grant was signed on March 15 between the four NGOs on the one hand and the Government of Japan, represented by Ambassador Kaoru Yoshimura, on the other. The grant, according to Ambassador Yoshimura, is meant for development projects in four communities. Amb. Yoshimura expressed hope that the four projects will not only contribute to the betterment of the country, but will further maintain the cordial bilateral relationship between Liberia and Japan.

Liberia Police, Political Parties, Civil Society Dialogue Ahead of 2017 Elections

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Liberia National Police (LNP) will this week hold two separate dialogues with various political parties, Youth Groups and civil Society Organizations as part of its nonviolence campaign ahead of the 2017 Presidential  and Representatives Elections. A statement from the LNP says the forum will seek to identify critical challenges, gaps and progress, as well as to constitute explicit measure towards the elections process and enhance a full level of inclusiveness in the electoral management cycle for a smooth democratic transition comes October 2017. It also said the forum will provide opportunity for elections stakeholders to discuss   matters surrounding the smooth handling of the pending elections and to advance means that will discourage violence.

Sirleaf Market Fund Transformed To Liberian Organization

According to the New Dawn newspaper, the Sirelaf Market Women’s Fund has transitioned into a new Liberian organization thereby being named as the Sustainable Market Women’s Fund (SMWF). The transformation of the initiative into an organization was announced at the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York thereby taking effective action as of April. The new Executive Director of the organization,Lusu Sloan takes over the new Liberian organization with a mission which states, ‘Organization is education, entrepreneurship, health and agriculture’. The SMWF formerly the Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund was named in honor of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf whose grandmother was believed to be a market woman. The organization while named and styled the Sirleaf Market Women’s Fund grew out of the UN Women Fund for Gender Equality Grant, reads the New Dawn newspaper.

Governor Weeks Recommends Prescriptions To Revise Economy

The Executive Governor and Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Central Bank of Liberia Mr. Milton A. Weeks says in order to revise the economy of Liberia, a more concerted effort with greater emphasis on value addition in domestic production, especially in the agriculture and manufacturing sector cannot be over emphasized. Governor Weeks stressed a need for appropriate macroeconomic management tools to promote diversification for more inclusive growth and development here, adding that the Central Bank of Liberia, through enhanced policy coordination and harmonization, with the Ministry of Finance & Development Planning, has been working along with other stakeholders to institute key economic policies to recuperate the economy from the various shocks. The New Dawnnewspaper reports that Governor Weeks gave the emphasis in an address delivered on Monday, March 20, 2017at the opening of a five-day National Workshop on Economic & Financial Analysis for Media Practitioners and Legislative Budget Officers in Monrovia, which is being held in collaboration with the West African Institute for Financial and Economic Management or WAIFEM.

Liberia Joins Global Community on Zero Discrimination

The National AIDS Commission of Liberia, in collaboration with civil society and human rights organizations in the country on March 1 joined the United Nations, partners and the world at large to commemorate “Zero Discrimination Day.” Discriminating against people on the basis of race, gender, among others, causes individuals to suffer and weakens social cohesion,” said Mitchel Sidebe, Executive Director of UNQAIDS. “Discrimination limits girls’ and young women’s access to education, and not only harms individuals, but prevents societies from benefiting from a deeper pool of talents.” According to him, discrimination is a violation of human rights and must not go unchallenged, noting that everyone has the right to live with respect and dignity, the Daily Observer newspaper reads.

Liberian Expatriates in South Sudan Donate 110 Chairs to Two Public Schools

Liberian Association in South Sudan has donated about 110 Chairs to two Public schools in Montserrado and Margibi counties. The schools that benefited from the donation were the Gbengbar Town Public School and the Duazon Public school. Presenting a sample of the chairs to the administrations of both schools, an official of the association, who is also Co-Chairman for Protect, Chidi G. Enechuku, said the donation has been made as a result of recent assessment visits made to the two public schools by the association, the INSIGHT newspaper reads.

Mercy Corps Trains Liberian Youths in Renewable Energy

Mercy Corps, a non-governmental organization operating in Liberia, has begun a 36-month training program for Liberian youth in renewable energy with the aim of building the capacities of those interested in working in the energy sector in rural areas. “In order to achieve this goal, we are in the business of providing training for technicians and would-be technicians so as to build their capacities to work in rural areas to enable people there have access to clean renewable energy services,” said Mercy Corps Energy Specialist, Mr. Cephas Tetteh. The Training, Mr. Tetteh said, which targets 50 participants at a time, including ten females is funded by the European Union (EU) not only to provide renewable energy, but to enable interested participants to have access to finance to build their livelihoods, reports the Daily Observer.