Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2015

News of the Liberia Revenue Authority’s commencement of the collection of real property taxes from commercial property owners in Monrovia and its environs, the holding of a one-day technical session by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on fiscal decentralization in Liberia and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission’s one-day workshop to validate a risks assessment report of corruption in the water sector are stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

LRA Intensifies Enforcement Of The Collection of Real Property Taxes – Several Doors Shut

The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has commenced the vigorous enforcement of the collection of real property taxes from delinquent commercial property owners in Monrovia and its environs for their failure to pay legitimate taxes they owe the Liberian Government. LRA Chief Legal Counsel Max T. Ducan said all legal processes de were afforded each taxpayer and the legal procedures called for under the statute were exhausted leading to the enforcement of the closure orders, the Inquirer newspaper writes.

Related Captions: LRA Shut Down Several Businesses…Intensifies Collection Of Real Property Taxes (The News), LRA Intensifies Enforcement Of The Collection Of Real Property Taxes (FOCUS), LRA Enforces Tax Collection (New Democrat), LRA Intensifies Enforcement Of The Collection Of Real Property Taxes…Several Doors Shut (Heritage), LRA Gets Tough-Shutdown Several Businesses In Monrovia, More To Follow (INSIGHT)

MFDP Conducts Fiscal Decentralization Training

The Fiscal Decentralization Unit of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) has conducted a one-day technical session on fiscal decentralization in Liberia. The exercise is aimed at developing a workable fiscal decentralization, financial management and local governance teaching module that would enhance understanding of fiscal thoughts in local governance process.  The one day session brought together 35 participants, including officials of Government Line Ministries and Agencies, University Professors, Public Administrators, and Public Financial Experts, among other stakeholders. The primary objectives of the technical session are to develop a module that will be teachable and knowledgeable for the upliftment of Liberia. According to the New Dawn newspaper, President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson launched the local governance and decentralization policy in January 2012 as a way of decentralizing power.

Related Captions: MFDP Forms Fiscal Decentralization Financial Teaching Module (FrontPage Africa), MFDP, Higher Institutions Of Learning Brainstorm On Creating Training Module (Heritage)

LACC Conducts Validation W’shop For Water Sector

The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) on Wednesday, August 12, 2015, conducted a one day workshop to validate a risks assessment report of corruption in the water sector. The primary objective of the study which was conducted by a Liberian consultant, Mr. Varney Yengbeh, Jr. was assess corruption risks in the water sector in Liberia with emphasis on the lows of public financing from the central government aimed at improving water supply and sanitation services in the country, the Inquirer newspaper reports.

Related Captions: LACC Conducts Validation W’shop For Corruption Risk (The News), LACC Conducts Validation Workshop For Corruption Risk Assessment Report In Water Sector (Heritage)

OTHER STORIES

Farid Zarif Is New SRSG For Liberia

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday announced the appointment of Farid Zarif of Afghanistan as his Special Representative for Liberia and Head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL). He will succeed Karin Landgren of Sweden, who completed her assignment in July 2015. The Secretary-General is grateful for Ms. Landgren’s service, including during the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease. Mr. Zarif is currently the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Kosovo and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), according to the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Caption: UNMIL Gets New Boss (The Inquirer)

MRU Countries Discuss Crisis Project..On Post Ebola Performance

Countries of the Mano River Union (MRU) have begun a two-day sub regional discussion on project crisis to review its performance and respond to the fight against Ebola. The US$40 million Ebola project funded by the African Development Bank (AFDB) is jointly being review and implemented by MRU countries of Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cote D’ Ivoire for post Ebola recovery. Delivering the Keynote Address at the start of the crisis discussion, the Deputy Minister of Economic Management at the Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Dr. Mounir Siaplay, said the two days’ event is part of the international community’s resolve to fight against the deadly Ebola virus, In Profile Daily reports.

Related Caption: Finance Minister Urges MRU States To Assess Ebola Response (Heritage)

Save The Children Dedicates US$120k School In Kakata

Save the Children International (SCI) over the weekend dedicated an eight classroom Al Girls School in Kakata, Margibi County. The construction cost of the school is estimated US$120,00 (one hundred twenty thousand United States Dollars).  The dedicatory ceremony coincided with the closing of the school, which brought together the County Chief Education officer, Gormah Minie and the Assistant Education Minister for Early Childhood Education (ECD), Youkhiko Amnon as well several other executives of SCI, among others, In Profile Daily reports.

Related Caption: SCI Dedicates US$120K Girls School In Kakata (FOCUS)

ACDI/VOCA Funds Ebola Recovery Program…In Bong, Nimba Counties

The In Profile Daily says over 10 thousand households in Bong and Nimba Counties are expected to benefit from Ebola funds provided by ACDI/VOCA, Emmanuel Mugabi, four electoral districts in Bong County and six electoral districts in Nimba County are expected to benefit from the project currently ongoing in the two counties…we are looking at Ebola affected communities: this project is focusing on communities that were hardly hit during the height of the Ebola crisis, he noted.

Hygiene Protocols Keep Classrooms In Hard-hit West Africa Free Of Ebola And Other Infections – UNICEF

United Nations supported measures put in place to protect them from the Ebola virus have helped keep classrooms free from any infections in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday. “The massive effort that went into making schools as safe from Ebola transmission as possible appears to have paid off”, said Geoff Wiffin, UNICEF Representative in Sierra Leone. “Children learned in school how to protect themselves and others from Ebola, and they passed on those messages to their parents and their communities. This placed an important role in the battle against epidemic”, New Democrat newspaper reports.

Gov’t Slates Memorial Service For Maj./Gen. Abdurrahman Friday

The Government of Liberia through the Ministry of national Defense will Friday, August 14, hold a memorial service for the late Major General SurajAlao Abdurrahman who passed away on February 28, 2015. Disclosing this to the Liberia Agency (LINA) Wednesday, Assistant Defense Minister for Public Affairs David K. Dahn said this is in appreciation of the services the late Major Gen. Abdurrahman rendered the people of Liberia, especially in the building of the AFL.  The memorial service is to be held at the Monrovia City Hall, according to Dahn. He disclosed that the memorial service will be followed by the dedication of a water plant in Camp Sandee Ware in Careysburg in memory of the late Major/Gen. Abdurrahman, the Heritage newspaper writes.

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