The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018

Today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies highlights news of the signing of a new grant agreement totaling US$11.07 million for the Global Partnership for Education by the Government of Liberia and the World Bank, news of the additional nominations made by President George Manneh Weah in Government and Foreign Minister Milton Gbehzohngar Findley meeting with a high level visiting Chinese Business Delegation to Liberia.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Liberia, World Bank Sign US$11.07M Agreement 

The Government of Liberia and the World Bank have signed a new grant agreement, totaling US$11.07 million for the Global Partnership for Education-funded “Liberia Getting to Best in Education Project.” The signing ceremony took place Tuesday, 19 June at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia. Quoting a release from the Executive Mansion the New Dawn newspaper reads that Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah, signed on behalf of Government, while World Bank-Liberia Country Manager Madame Larisa Leshchenko signed on behalf of World Bank. “Liberia Getting to Best in Education Project” is a four-year initiative intended to improve equitable access to early childhood education, improve teacher quality in early childhood and primary education and support the government to strengthen national school accountability systems, the release says. The daily says the project will focus on six counties including Rivercess, Sinoe, Grand Kru, Maryland, River Gee and Bomi, with over 570 schools benefiting from school grants, nearly 1400 teachers and 1500 principals trained and a new School Quality Assessment tool implemented to improve education system monitoring and assessment.

Related Captions: World Bank Provides US$11.07 Million Grant For Early Childhood Education(The INQUIRER), Liberia, World Bank Sign US$11.07m Education Grant Agreement(Heritage), US$11M Grant for Education(In Profile Daily), World Bank Gives US$11.07m Grant For Early Childhood Education(Daily Observer)

More Appointed In Gov’t

President George Weah has made additional nominations in Government affecting the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), Civil Service Agency (CSA) the National Security Agency (NSA), the Liberia Agriculture Commodities Regulatory Agency (LACRA), the National Lotteries Authority, the Ministry of Information Culture Affairs & Tourism (MICAT), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Governance Commission, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as well as other agencies. Among those appointed are Saifuah Mai Gray, President/CEO, NOCAL; Cllr. Charles Gibson, Chairman, Board of Directors-NOCAL; Laurine Johnson, Director General, CSA and Reginald Nagbe, Director General National Lotteries Authority, among others. The INQUIRER newspaper reads that the nominations are subject to confirmation by the Honorable Liberian Senate where applicable.

Related Captions: As Weah Makes Fresh appointments in Gov’t: Several On Board(Heritage), Cllr. Gibson Resurfaces in Gov’t-Saifuah Mai-Gray goes to NOCAL, Moses Brown Grabs IMO(Daily Observer) and Weah Makes Additional Nominations(The New Dawn)

OTHER STORIES  

High Level Chinese Business Delegation Pays Courtesy Call On Foreign Minister 

Foreign Minister Milton Gbehzohngar Findley has told a high level visiting Chinese Business Delegation to Liberia that under his administration Liberia will work closely with the People’s Republic of China to cement the cordial ties and cooperation subsisting between both countries aimed at attracting investment opportunities for Liberians. According to the New Dawn newspaper, Minister Findley made the statement Monday, June 18, when the visiting Chinese Business Delegation paid a courtesy call on him at his Foreign Ministry Office. The Delegation is in Liberia on a fact-finding mission with the aim to invest in the country. While in the country, the delegation will hold business discussions with officials of the Liberian Government, the Liberian Business Association as well as other private companies. While recounting the cordial bilateral relationship with China, Minister Findley assured the visitors that his Ministry will work harder to strengthen the existing bilateral cooperation with the PRC for the mutual benefit of the two countries and peoples. For his part, Mr. Ge Yong, head of delegation, thanked Minister Findley for the warm reception accorded his delegation since their arrival. “This is not a political delegation but rather a business investment team that is here to explore investment opportunities in various sectors including energy, construction, education, trade and commerce.” He further told the Minister that two of the companies are ranked among the top 500 companies in the world. Mr. Ge also said they are interested in coming to buttress Liberia Government’s development agenda under a win-win approach that would lead to job creation for Liberians. At the same time, First Lady Clar Marie Weah has praised a visiting Chinese Henan Province Delegation for its willingness and readiness to partner with Liberia in supporting development initiatives of the country. Mrs. Weah also praised the swiftness of the Henan Province Business Community in travelling to Liberia as a result of her recent trip to China in May this year. The Liberian First Lady spoke Monday, June 18, 2018, when she received in audience a thirteen member Chinese business delegation at her offices on Capitol Hill, the In Profile Daily reads under the caption “First Lady Meets Visiting Chinese Business Delegation”.

Weah Resubmits Act for African Export-Import Bank

President George Manneh Weah has resubmitted to the House of Representatives for ratification a bill titled an Act Ratifying the Agreement for the establishment of the African Export-Import Bank. The Act was earlier submitted by Mr. Weah’s predecessor Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on 27 November 2017, referenced “EJS/MOS/RL/645 2017.” The AFREXIMBANK is a pan-African financial institution founded in October 1993 to accelerate the growth of trade in Africa. It has mandates to finance and promote intra and extra-African trade through credit (trade and project financing), risk bearing (guarantees and credit insurance) and trade information and advisory services. According to a communication sent to the House of Representatives by the president, the country stands to benefit from the bank’s support in development of financial markets, facilitation of trade beyond the extractive sector and attraction of foreign exchange among others, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Dr. Amos Sawyer: “Corruption Is A Monster, Let’s Fight It Together In Africa”

The Chairman of Liberia’s Governance Commission (GC), Dr. Amos C. Sawyer has called on all African nations to support the fight against corruption so as to ensure that the continent succeeds in overcoming the extreme state of poverty which still remains a nightmare haunting the continent’s population. “Corruption is a monster that can affect all of our institutions and processes of governance. It undermines economic development initiatives, perverts decision-making processes, shifts resources away from productive uses and contributes to the resilience of poverty and disease in our societies,” Dr. Sawyer said. Delivering his keynote speech at the conference on Corruption and the Challenge of Economic Transformation, held in Botswana, Southern Africa and the Consultative Meeting of National Anti-Corruption Institutions in Southern Africa on Monday, June 18, Dr. Sawyer said “weak institutions and processes of state governance produce perversities among which are corrupt acts.” He pointed out that the fight against corruption has to be seen as an enduring struggle to improve the quality of governance in all domains of governance and at all levels of governance, according to the Daily Observer.

OECD, ATAF Consolidate Ties to Improve Tax System in Africa

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) have reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together in addressing illicit financial flow and implement tax policies in Africa. A statement from ATAF’s office in Pretoria, South Africa, indicates that on June 19, 2018, the OECD and ATAF renewed their MoU until June, 2023, both agreeing to continue to work together in order to improve tax systems in Africa. According to the Daily Observer, the MoU also sets their co-operation towards the achievement of the common objective of promoting fair and efficient tax systems and administrations in Africa. The daily reads that OECD is an intergovernmental economic organization with 37 member countries funded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade and the ATAF is also an international and intergovernmental organization which provides a platform for cooperation among African tax authorities.

Related Caption: OECK, ATAF Sign MOU To Strengthen Tax Co-operation(In Profile Daily)

PUL Reacts To Gov’t Media Licenses Suspension

The Daily Observer reports that the leadership of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has disagreed with the Government of Liberia (GoL) on its suspension of some media houses’ operating licenses as a means to ensure that those media houses succeed in acquiring their licenses void of irregularities. In its disagreement note, the Union said it is shocked by the latest action of President George Weah’s Administration to suspend operating licenses of some media outlets, citing technical and administrative irregularities in the acquisition of their permits. The Liberian government in a release on June 18, announced the suspension of all media licenses issued between January 1 and June 18, 2018. A press release from the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) said that during the period, duplication of frequencies to radio and television operators, and incorrect designations and submissions occurred and due to this observation an immediate warranted revision of its regulatory regime has been instituted. “The Union welcomes the government’s attempt to clean up its own system, but disagrees with the arbitrary and targeted actions. There must be fixed timeline attached to the pronounced review and list of media outlets affected made public to determine what it is setting out to achieve,” PUL’s press statement, signed by its president Charles B. Coffey said.

Related Caption: PUL Reacts To Gov’t Suspension Of 2018 Radio Licenses(Heritage)

International Group Dedicates US$60K WASH Project In Paynesville City

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, a Swiss non-governmental organization, Bowier Trust Foundation Switzerland (BTFS) has dedicated a US$60,000 water project in the SD Cooper Community. The dedication of a water tower and faucet pump on Sunday, June 17, 2018 in Paynesville is expected to ease the community water problem. There are also plans to construct five more hand pumps in other communities within a short period, according to BTFS. These WASH projects, the Swiss-based NGO, says fall within its three pillars of contributions to the health, security and education sectors of Liberia and was funded by Rotary Club Switzerland. B. Elias Shoniyin, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described the project as “a great contribution to the Liberian Government’s quest to ensure better living condition for its citizens”.