The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

Dominating today’s newsstand include stories on the renewal of Maritime Transport Agreement between Liberia and The people’s Republic of China and Ministry of Youth and Sports warning to Liberian football fans to stay off the playing pitch come Sunday, September 9, 2018 match between Liberia and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Other stories include news on President George Manneh Weah’s Congratulatory message to the Federative Republic of Brazil as well as Dialogue between the GOL and CSO on Social Development Funds among others.

DOMINANT STORIES  

Liberia and China Renew Agreement on Maritime Transport Dr. Kollie Wants Parties to Explore Other Opportunities 

The Governments of Liberia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), have renewed an Agreement on Maritime Transport. According to a dispatch from the Liberian Embassy near Beijing, the Commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA), Dr. James F. Kollie, signed on behalf of the Liberian Government while the Minister of Transport, Mr. Li Xiaopeng signed on behalf of the People’s Republic of China. The ceremony took place in the Ministry of Transport’s conference room in Bejing. Making remarks on behalf of the Liberian delegation, Dr. Kollie said the signing of the new agreement marked an historic day in Liberia-China relations as it signifies the strong ties that exist between the two countries, the Insight reports. Dr. Kollie noted that with the renewal of the agreement, the LiMA hopes to improve on the implementation using lessons learnt, Dr. Kollie said.

Related CaptionedLiberia and China Renew Maritime Transport Agreement Dr. Kollie Wants Parties to Explore other Opportunities to Strengthen the Agreement, (Daily Observer), Liberia, China Renew Agreement On Maritime Transport (In Profile Daily), Liberia, China Renew Agreement On Maritime Transport(Heritage)and Liberia, China Renew Maritime Agreement (New Dawn)

Liberians Warned Against Pitch Invasion

Liberians, particularly fans of football have been strongly cautioned against pitch invasion on Sunday, September 9, 2018. Already Liberia is said to be facing suspended suspension by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as any recurrence of the 2016 Episode will see a possible ban on football activities in Liberia, something the Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, G. Andy Quawie, does not want to see happened. According to Deputy Minister Quamie, all necessary professional and or technical/security measures are being worked out to ensure that only authorized personnel will be on the pitch. At the same time, Youth and Sports Minister, D. Zeogar Wilson, has called on Liberians to turn all out on Sunday to support the nation’s pride and joy, the Lone Star of Liberia to Victory against the Democratic Republic of Congo, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Related Caption: Liberians Warned Against Pitch Invasion(New Dawn), Liberian’s warned against pitch invasion(FrontPage Africa) andLiberians Warned Against Pitch Invasion(In Profile Daily)

Other Stories  

“Liberia-China Relations Will Reach New Levels,” Says President Weah  

Liberian President Dr. George Manneh Weah has pledged that the relations subsisting between Liberia and China will reach new levels under his administration, and that Liberia will take all necessary measures to enhance the already strong bilateral relations and cooperation with China as the two countries work together to achieve the mutual aspirations of their peoples, a dispatch from China has said. According to the dispatch, China, an emerging world economic power, is working to afford African nations greater and better opportunities to unlock developments in infrastructure, science, tourism, communication and a wide-range of areas of mutual interest. President Weah said Liberia was determined to work with China and other sisterly African countries to expand this win-win collaboration between Africa and China, and to defend the multi-literalism of the international order and the world free trade system. He also reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to the One-China Policy, and China-Africa joint collaboration under the “Belt and Road” initiatives, believing that these policies will strengthen the unity and cooperation, which already subsist between China and the developing countries of Africa, the Daily Observer news daily writes.

Weah Extols Brazil on 196^th Independence Observance

The Heritage newspaper quotes a Foreign Ministry release: The President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah has sent a message of congratulations to the Government and people of the Federative Republic of Brazil on the occasion commemorating the 196^th Independence Anniversary of that country. The Federative Republic of Brazil gained its independence on 7^th September 1822 from Portugal after a Treaty was signed constituting Brazil’s Independence Day. In the message to his Brazilian counterpart, President George Manneh Weah, on behalf of the Government and People of Liberia, and in his own name, extended profound congratulations and best wishes to His Excellency Michel Temer, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and through him, to the Government and People of Brazil, as they celebrate this historic milestone. The Liberian President further expressed confidence that as Brazil celebrates this joyous occasion, the historical and cordial ties of friendship subsisting between the two countries and Peoples will continue to flourish as both governments work together for the attainment of global peace and security, economic growth, and social development. President George Manneh Weah further assured his Brazilian counterpart of Liberia’s commitment to a renewed friendship and cooperation in anticipation of broadening the existing partnership in all spheres for the promotion of prosperity in both countries. The Liberian Leader then prayed that the Almighty God will endow President Temer with continued good health and happiness and for the People of Brazil peace, unity and enduring prosperity.

Cso, Gol Hold Daylong Dialogue On Social Development Funds

The FrontPage Africa newspaper reads that a daylong stakeholders and civil society dialogue on County Development Fund was on Wednesday September 5, held with a focus to discuss the passage of section 9 amendment to the 2018-2019budget law by the Liberian legislature, partners including USAID, believe the law was particularly important to the future of Liberia for starters , the amendment supports the Government of Liberia’s overall policy frameworks on decentralization, local government, and reconciliation through increased participation of rural citizens in decision-making around developments that affects their daily lives. The dialogue brought together several stakeholders from the government, civil society, local and International non-governmental organization. Under the amendments, citizens, civil society organizations and local government officials are expected to play a proactive role in managing County Development Fund, which supports the underlying principal of decentralization.    

Technology Threatens Human Health – EPA Boss Warns

According the New Dawn newspaper, to the Executive Director of Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Nathaniel T. Blama, Sr. has told a gathering of environmentalists in Geneva, Switzerland that the advancement in science, technology and industrialization is causing irreparable damage human health worldwide, especially in Africa. Addressing the 11^th meeting of the Basel Convention Open Ended Working Group in Geneva on Monday, September 3, 2018, Blama said “the global progression in science, technology and industrialization has resulted in the rise of activities which are hazardous and continue to cause harmful and sometimes irreparable damage on human health, marine life and the ecosystem.” The Basel Convention is an international treaty designed to reduce movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs).

EPA UNDP Holds SDGs Training in Nimba

An inside story of the Daily Observer newspaper reports that The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Liberia in collaboration with United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is expected to commence a two day training workshop on Friday, September 7, in Ganta, Nimba County for capacity-building and operation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Liberia. The training, which is being funded by the Green Climate Fund of the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), is held under UNDP’s NAPs Project, which supports government to advance its NAP process in climate sensitive sectors. According to a release from EPA’s Media Section, the UNDP’s NAPs project focuses on strengthening institutional frameworks and coordination for the implementation of the NAP process, expanding the knowledge based for scaling up adaptation, building capacity for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into planning, and budgeting processes and systems. The two day training, according the EPA, will focus on the SDGs that relate to environment, natural resource management, energy, gender and climate change.

‘Our Gov’t Remains Committed to Building a Vibrant Economy’ Says NHA Boss

The Managing Director of the National Housing Authority (NHA) Duannah Siryon has said that President George Weah government still remains committed to building a vibrant economy that is resilient and robust enough to grow the private sector to produce Liberian-owned multinational companies. He believes this will subsequently take Liberia from begging for aid and put the country in a situation of “Liberian beyond aid,” as the vision of the president is. “You know and have seen the good work of our government as we have worked and continue to work on the fundamentals of the economy because we believe that an improved macro-economy is a basic requirement for stimulating the investments we need for the rapid expansion and growth of the Liberian economy,” Siryon said, the Daily Observer news daily asserts.

Grand Bassa CSC Generates Over L$3M In Revenue

The Grand Bassa County Service Center, CSC has raised over L$3 million and US$70,000 over the last eight months in revenues due the Liberian government. The Coordinator of the Center, Mac Willie, said over 1,200 citizens utilized services provided at the center during the period January to August 2018. Willie attributed the huge revenue generation to the hard work of the 52 CSC staffs and the willingness by citizens to utilize services offered at the center. According to the Liberia News Agency, Willie pointed out that the county service center has offices for the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Health and Commerce and Industry, noting that the presence of these Ministries has facilitated the acquisition of traditional marriage and birth certificates, for children below 12 years as well as business registration, the Insight newspaper asserts.

386 Students To Benefit From CEFN Scholarship

According to the In Profile Daily newspaper, the Borough of New Kru Town based non-government organization, Community Organization for the Needy (CEFN), has launched a L$2,250,000 (two million two hundred fifty thousand Liberian dollars) scholarship fund drive which is to benefit 386 students in the Borough and its environs. Speaking during the launch of the program, the organization Executive Director, Robert B. Teah said the institution has been involved in providing learning opportunities to young underprivileged Liberians who are eager to acquire education. According to him, CEFN has identified with more than nine hundred students in and out of New Kru Town in secondary and vocational as well as technical schools through its financial program since its establishment. Teah asserted that the initiative has been sponsored over the years through his personal income, some of which he named as lobbying with partners and school authorities, stressing that the most important thing that any Liberian can do to leave a lifetime mark on another person’s life is to help him/her get education.