BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

CAPITOL HILL, MONROVIA

NEWS SUMMARY, Wednesay, November 11, 2020

Dominating today’s newsstand are stories on Central Bank of Liberia printing of Liberian dollars to curb the shortage of the money on the market; the extension of licensing round 2020 by the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the request of the Liberia Council of Churches for the rescheduling of the December referendum.

Other stories include: President Weah inspection of ongoing projects, the boost of rice production in Liberia and Liberia Electricity Corporation warning against power theft among other stories.

DOMINANT STORIES  

LD7.5 Billion and Not LD75 Billion 

The Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) has clarified that in its Monday, November 9, 2020 Press Statement announcing that commercial banks are being infused with additional liquidity to address the reported shortage of Liberian dollars on the market, it inadvertently asserted that a request for the printing of “75 Billion” Liberia dollars was made to the National Legislature. According to MICAT, the actual figure meant to be communicated was 7.5 Billion LD, and Not “75 billion” LD.  MICAT stated that the error was only clerical and does not change the real substance of the message that was meant to communicated, which is that a request for Legislature to approve the printing of 7.5 billion Liberian dollars was made by the Central Bank of Liberia. The Legislature instead approved 4 billion, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Related Caption: Central Bank Takes Measure To Curb Shortage of Liberia Dollar in Circulation (Women Voices newspaper), and “CBL Requested LD7 Billion, Not LD75 Billion” MICAT Clarifies”(The Analyst newspaper)

Government Extend Licensing Round 2020

The Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRC), has announced an extension of the time frame for the Liberia License Round, 2020 affecting nine (9) blocks in the highly prospective Harper Basin. Launched in April 2020, the License round attracted interests from diverse players within the industries with expectation of closure by October2020. The Government previous announcement set the deadline for prequalification On October 31, 2020 with qualified candidate required to submit final bids by February 2021. However, due to the devastating impact of the COVID-19 and the drastic slump in oil prices over the designated period, the Government has announced an extension of the deadline for pre-qualification from the October 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021 while the new deadline for submission of bids by qualifies companies will now run from April 30, 2021, FrontPage Africa pens.

Related Caption:GoL Extends Licensing Round 2020 For Oil Blocks(Women Voices newspaper) and GOL extends licensing round, 2020 Incorporates New Flexible and Attractive Commercial Terms (New Dawn newspaper)

POSTPONE REFERENDUM TO 2023 Liberia Council Of Churches Says Significant Challenges Need To Be Addressed First

The Liberia Council of Churches (LCC), through its President, Bishop Kortu K. Brown, has called for the postponement of the December 8, 2020 National Referendum. According to the Front Page Africa newspaper, Authorities of the National Elections (NEC) have set aside December 8 for the conduct of the senatorial elections across Liberia, a national referendum, and two separate by-elections in Montserrado and Sinoe counties respectively. The by-elections were triggered as a result of the deaths of Representative Munah Pelhum-Youngblood and Jay Nagbe Sloh. The four propositions of the pending National Referendum include” the reductions of the term of the President from six to five years; Senator from nine to seven years, Representative from six to five years, and dual citizenship. These Propositions for amendment seek to affect Articles 45, 46, 47, 48, and 50 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, FrontPage Africa newspaper writes.

Related Caption: Reschedule Referendum Council of Churches cites Inadequate Voters Education (The Analyst newspaper) andLCC Wants National Referendum Rescheduled(Heritage newspaper)   

Orange Launches Biggest Money Zagga In History Millions In Cash To Be Given Away 

The Management of Orange Liberia has formally launched the 2020 Orange Money Christmas Zagga Reloaded, which the company says will be its biggest prize giveaway since the series was launched three years ago, a release has said. As was the case in previous years, it is expressed that there will be a new winner announced daily through Christmas as well as a weekly mega prize winner. The company says that more than five million Liberian dollars will be given away to lucky winners as part of the promotion. Formally launching the promotion on Monday at the company’s headquarters on Capital Bypass, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Mr. Julien Paquire said that the launch of the 2020 Orange Money Zagga Reloaded was geared at bringing excitement and joy to Liberians. According to the News newspaper, Mr. Isaac Muthama, Chief Sales Officer at Orange Liberia explained that the promotion was being implemented by Orange Money in collaboration with the Harbel Supermarket.

Related Caption:Orange Launches Biggest Orange Money Zagga In History Millions In Cash To Be Given Away(Hot Pepper newspaper)

OTHER STORIES  

As Dry Season Descends President Weah Steps Up Projects Inspection 

President George Manneh Weah has recommenced his usual sporadic inspection of infrastructure projects, as the rainy season, which usually stalls constructions works, fades out. On Tuesday, November 10, 2020, President Weah made rounds in Montserrado and Margibi Counties to see the status of a number of projects. He toured the Johnsonville road pavement project on the outskirt of Monrovia, and the Executive Mansion where renovation works and ongoing. The President also visited the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway that is being expanded into a dual carriage expressed highway. Acting Public Works Minister, Ruth Coker Collins assured the President that the road will be built with quality and better technology to meet the expectations of the President and the people of Liberia, according to the Heritage newspaper.  

AfCFTA Expects a Wave of ratifications following Angola 

The Heritage newspaper reports that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement expects several ratifications from member countries following Angola’s deposit of its ratification instrument with the African Union last week. Angola’s ratification makes it the 30^th country to become a State Party to the AfCFTA Agreement. The Angolan move comes less than two months before trading based on the AfCFTA Agreement is scheduled to start on January 1, 2020, thereby raising hopes that more countries will follow Angola’s lead before the end of the year. Angola’s ratification was greeted with excitement by the African Union Commission, where the Commission.

LEC Warns Residents Against Power Theft – Assure of Brand New Transformers Arriving Soon

The Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), Paschal Buckley, says community dwellers in Monrovia and nearby areas will have to desist from the act of power theft, as government works to expanding electricity supply. Recently, the Government of Liberia and the management of LEC signed an agreement intended to extend power supply to needy communities and others with damaged transformers. President George Weah has approved nearly US$2 million for the procurement  and subsequent importation of at least 80 pieces of transformers that are expected to be installed by LEC in communities across Monrovia and its environs, writes the Women Voices newspaper.

Group Distributes Food In Buchanan

A group under the banner,‘Gebeor Grand Children and Family Union’ over the weekend identified with several disable homes in Grand Bassa County distributing food items. The Gebeor’s Grand Children and Family Union was established nine years ago with the aim of uniting the Gebeor families and gave back to the needy. William F. Kotee, President of the group said “volunteering your time to support a cause you are passionate about is something you will never regret, adding that people with disabilities are part of society and need the help of everyone.” “Our family believes that helping your community is an opportunity for you to grow as a person and a family,” he stated. Kotee asserted that they normally celebrate with the needy during their anniversaries by contributing to the society positively. Today is our 9^th anniversary and so we have come to distribute rice and other food items to people living with disabilities in Buchanan as our own way of identifying with them,” he said.  The group distributed sever begs of 25kg rice, vegetable oil as well as other food items, says the News newspaper.

ALF Chief Staff On Grass Root Education

The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (ALF) Major General Prince Johnson has expressed fear over the forward match of the country if priority is not given to what he called gross root education. Stating reason for his statement, General Johnson said adult Liberians have developed anti-societal habits that are difficult to be transformed; as such, building the educational foundation of the kids of Liberia will brighten the future of the country. He spoke Sunday, November 8, 2020, when he served as the Chief Launcher for the groundbreaking ceremony of the New beginning Christian Academy established by Pastor Victor Doe, a Liberian clergyman. “It is time that we work together to ensure that we liberate our country through grassroot education for a better Liberia because our adults are treading on the wrong path…, “he said.  Giving reason for the establishment of the New Beginning Christian Academy earlier, Pastor Doe noted that the school will provide quality education for the underprivileged children in Liberia free of charge, attest the News newspaper.

LEC To Give US$ 20 Token To Legal Customers

The Management of Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has disclosed that it will be given one month free USD20 token to each customer operating legally from November 16, 2020. Addressing the Ministry of Information special press briefing on Monday, November 9, 2020, LEC Chief Executive Officer Paschal Buckley said the free token is intended to discourage others from engaging in power theft. CEO Buckley said the free token is a project funded by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. He indicated that the government token is exclusively to one meter only and cannot be used on other meter and it will be available at all LEC vendors and each customer may claim only US$20 free token. Mr. Buckley stressed that people should stop overflowing the transformers in their communities to avoid damaging them. He disclosed that the management of LEC will cancel flat rate, adding that customers are misusing the flat rate process and is causing problem for the system. Buckley said the arrest last week of one of its employee marks a change in LEC approach to power theft and is a results of intelligence action led by LEC Revenue Protection Unit supported by the Liberia National Police, writes the News newspaper.

Health Ministry Explains Doctors’ Transfer

Liberia’s chief medical officer and Deputy Minister of health Dr. Francis Kateh says government has no plan to withdraw doctors from the Phebe Hospital in Bong County, as being speculated in the public. Speaking to OK fm (99.5) on Tuesday in Monrovia Dr. Kateh said the Phebe Hospital is over 95% supported by the Government of Liberia, including salary for employees unlike other religious hospital like ELW Hospital in Paynesville. He explains due to shortage of doctors at Rennie Hospital in Kakata, Margibi County the Ministry of Health recently transferred two of the nine doctors from Pbebe hospital to Rennie to adequately serve the health needs of citizens in the county. According Dr. Kateh, one of three medical doctors at Rennie Hospital was recently suspended so the two doctors from Phebe are going to augment the strength of doctors there. Liberia has a doctor patient’s ratio of 1:1000, according to date of Health, making it one of the countries in West Africa with serious health challenges. Asked whether government is planning to recall all doctors from Phebe Hospital by December, he said such information is baseless, the New Dawn newspaper.

International Program Incorporated Dedicates National Headquarters In Kakata

An American Liberian non-for-profit organization, Children’s Healthcare International Program Incorporated (CHIP, INC), has dedicate its national headquarters and announced plan to embark on the construction of a women and children healthcare facility. Speaking at the dedicatory ceremony recently in Kakata, the Country Representative of CHIP-Liberia said since the establishment of the organization in Liberia in 2006, it has being involved with several programs in the area of agriculture, women empowerment, healthcare delivery, education, and providing livelihood support to unprivileged groups. Ton Kekula recounted that under CHIP-Liberia’s healthcare component of its programs: the organization created Coronavirus awareness and distributed food and anti-covid-19 materials to various vulnerable groups in Liberia, assert the FrontPage Africa.

Phil In Partnership With We Care Foundation Kicks Off Tranining For Key Stakeholders And Implementers Of Nurturing

Public Health Initiative Liberia (PHL) in partnership with We Care Foundation has kicked off a five-day training for stakeholders and key actors of its Nurturing Care project sponsored by the Open Society Initiative of Africa (OSIWA). According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, The Training began on Monday, November 9, 20202 at the head office of “We Care Foundation” on Sixteenth Street in Sinkor. It focuses on the Comprehensive Nurturing Care Model of Early Childhood Development (ECD). Serving as lead facilitators are two ECD specialists, Maive Whisnant Bombo, a consultant to the project and Gbima K. Bahtokpah, who is the Family Literacy Coordinator at “We Care Foundation”. About twenty (20) participants, including PHIL’s ECD Project officer, the organization’s Program manager, and three ECD Coordinators in Grand Bassa, Margibi counties are participating in the training.

National Civil Society Council Concerned About Security Issue In The Mano River Union Region

The National Civil Society council of Liberia is deeply worried about the growing wave of unprecedented human rights violations within the Mano River Union Basin. The right to life, dignity, security, affiliation and expression is not obtained through political appeasement but an inherent right guaranteed by the Constitution of the Liberia and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Council has monitored, and taken serious exception on the intervention strategy by the Government of Liberia in resolving and improving salary arrears owe to staffers of the Judiciary Branch of Government. The delay in practical administration of approved intervention plan by the government has exacerbated the aggrieved employees of Judiciary branch of our Government. This led to the resumption of protest, with the Lead Campaigner of the aggrieved Judiciary workers setting himself ablaze. We stand in support of unrestraint protestation and believed this is the unique constitutional and fundamental medium for citizens to express their concerns, FrontPage Africa newspaper reports.

Liberia, Others Must Ratify African Continental free trade Area ECOWAS Parliament Strongly Recommends

A recent meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament in Benin has called for Liberia, Benin and Nigeria to advocate at their respective national assemblies for the acceleration of the ratification of the African continental Free Trade Area (AFCTQA), a pact that creates the largest free trade area in the world measured by the number of countries participating. The pact connects 1.3 billion people across 55 countries with a combined gross domestic product (GDP) valued at US$3.4 trillion. According to The ANALYST newspaper, the Delocalized Meeting of the joint Committee on Trade, custom and Free Movement, Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research, Public Account, Administration, Finance and Budget, held in Benin from 3-7 November 2020, was co-chaired by Lofa County senator Steve Zargo, a member of the ECOWAS Parliament. Thematic discussions on the meeting focused on “African Continental Free Trade Area Prospects of its achievements within a context of cross border threats (Terrorism and Insecurity, Pandemic and Protectionism)”