The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 2018

UK Government’s recommitment of Annual £70M to Liberia, the launch Agency Banking in Liberia by Ecobank, and the dedication of phase I of Somalia Drive are some of the selected stories for today’s media summary.

UK Gov’t Recommits Annual £70M to Liberia

The Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland says its partnership with Liberia towards democratic sustainability will continue to be a matter of priority; especially as Liberia strengthens democratic institutions while engendering shared prosperity, peace and stability. The Minister for State for Africa at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Harriet Baldwin said the UK Government is continuing its annual 70 million pounds  Development assistance to Liberia; emphasizing multilateral interventions- with the United Nations, World Bank, European, among others. Minister Baldwin responding to members of the legislative delegation from Liberia said ‘while the UK Government interventions may be badge under different multilateral players’ it still remains committed to its support of the democratic reforms and key developments aspirations of Liberia. Speaking about the extent and scope of UK Development assistance to Liberia- in a briefing session at The UK Parliament with members of a Liberian legislative delegation, Minister Baldwin recounted that the UK Development assistance to Liberia is focused towards Health Care, through Liberia’s Health Pool fund; as well as Infrastructural development, coordinated through the Liberia Infrastructure, reports the FrontPage Africanewspaper.  

EcoBank Launches Agency Banking in Liberia 

Pan-African bank – Ecobank Liberia Limited – has launched a new banking service in Liberia called Agency Banking which is intended to make banking easy for its clients in Liberia. The new service of the bank will offer deposit and withdrawal services through accredited agents to reach the most remote areas of the country, the bank Managing Director George Mensah-Asante said at the official launch in Monrovia. According to the World Bank, only 34 percent of adults in sub-Saharan Africa had a bank account in 2014 up to 24 percent in 2011 while the global system for mobile communication 2016 report revealed that at the end of 2016  there were 420 million Mobile subscribers in Sub –Saharan Africa. “With Ecobank’s banking services, we bring the bank closer to your door. This service expands Ecobank’s network and will allow our clients to deposit or withdraw funds from our accredited agents in their communities,” said Mr. Mensah-Asante. He noted that previously their customers had to visit their banking halls just to transact on their xpress account or generate etoken via the mobile app to withdraw money, but with the Agency Banking, they are now bringing banking closer to the doorsteps, pens the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

Govt. To Dedicate Somalia Drive Phase I

According to the New Dawn newspaper, Public Works Minister Mobutu Vlah Nyenpan says the Government of Liberia through its partner-Japan International Cooperation Agency of JICA will dedicate phase one of the Somalis Drive road on 30 May. Minister Nyenpan accompanied  by his deputies, group of both local and international engineers and the Japanese partners under huge police escort toured the road beginning from the Freeport of Monrovia to the Red-light Market in Paynesville city.

CARI To Develop Strategic Plan For Agriculture

The Director General at the Center of Agriculture Research Institute (CARI), Dr. Marcus Jones has assured citizens of a robust effort in developing a strategic plan in the agriculture sector of Liberia. Speaking in an interview with this paper recently, the CARI boss said the strategic plan for agricultural research will provide a framework for institution to clearly set the direction, priorities for research, capacity development and related activities to empower local farmers, report the New Dawn newspaper.  

Supreme Court Dedicates New Magisterial Court 

The Supreme Court of Liberia, on Friday, May 11, 2018, dedicated a new magisterial court in the Omega Tower Community in Paynesville, outside Monrovia. Associate Justice Kabineh M. Ja’neh performed the dedicatory rituals on behalf of Chief Justice Francis S. Kopkpor Sr., who was engaged with other national issues. In his remark, Justice Ja’neh warned magistrates to be careful with issuance writs. “Migrates should not be arresting people unnecessarily; and the function of a magistrate is a make peace,” he added. Justice Ja’neh said it will be preferable for more writs of summon to be issued instead of writs of arrest that will reduce the burden of imprisonment, pens the In Profile Daily.

Stakeholder’s Meeting On Geneva Convention Takes Place Today

According to the Heritage newspaper, the Liberia International Humanitarian Law Committee will hold a one-day Stakeholders Convention Act. Although Liberia is a state party, the instrument has not been domesticated. Thus, the Roundtable will review the draft, make inputs and discuss ways to lobby and ensure the enactment of the Geneva Convention Act which domesticates the instrument. The roundtable takes place today, Wednesday, May 16 in the Conference Room of the AFL Headquarters at the Barclay Training Center. Among stakeholders expected to the roundtable are the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice, LIS,LNP, AFL, EU, MRU and the AU. The Liberia International Humanitarian Law Committee is an inter-agency committee that is headed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-chaired by the Law Reform Commissions.