THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

NEWS SUMMARY FOR MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2015

The Bureau of Public Affairs today, December 7 subscribed to several local dailies and captured on their backs, front and inside  pages various articles including news ofPresident Johnson-Sirleaf’s assertion that  China’s pledge of $60billion to Africa will enable Liberia to access Chinese facilities and meet its requirement with the International Monetary Fund, the launching of the 2015 State of the World Population Report by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities and the arrival into the country of the General Manager of TRANSCO CLSG to launch the National Committee activities for the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plan and the Resettlement Action Plan.

DOMINANT STORIES

Ellen Projects Impact Of China’s $60Bn

According to theNew Dawn newspaper, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says China’s pledge of $60bn to Africa will enable Liberia to access Chinese facilities to continue “infrastructure work primarily” and yet meet its requirement with the International Monetary Fund or IMF. Addressing reporters on Sunday, 6 December at the Roberts International Airport in Margibi County from South Africa, Mrs. Sirleaf said the agreement means that Liberia can get some financing for roads, airports and industries in trying to diversify the economy to create jobs for the young people. “We were pleased that the President of China announced that the concessionary element of the facility will be increased that enable us to access loans for roads and other things and yet meet our requirement with the International Monetary Fund,” she said. The President said the Chinese allocation to Africa which increases from $30bn to $60bn covers the next five years, financing roads, airports and industries, among others. During the Second Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation or FOCAC in Johannesburg, South Africa, Madam Sirleaf said government took the opportunity to meet with some of the Chinese companies that will be working with Liberia to try to improve the airport, do some road works and fisheries here. “We had good meeting with them and I hope to see the results of it in a short period of time,” she said. The FOCAC platform is based on the principles of South-South cooperation and mutual and equal benefit, with a view to addressing various areas of concern for Africa’s socio-economic development and integration. These include deepening cooperation in the areas of infrastructure development, debt relief, industrialization, investment promotion, market access expansion, agriculture, science and technology, health, education, and people-to-people cultural exchanges, among others.

Related Captions: China Pledges $60bn To Develop Africa(Daily Observer), China Increases Aid To Africa…Pres. Sirleaf Expresses Delight(The INQUIRER), China Pledges $60bn To Develop Africa(Daily Observer)

UNFPA Launches World Population Report

The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has launched the 2015 State of the World Population Report in Monrovia. According to UNFPA, the report is based on survey conducted across countries of the world highlighting difficulties women and girls are faced with in societies. This year’s State of the World Population is on the theme “Shelter from the Storm.” It stresses that sexual and reproductive health services are critical to the health and survival of women and adolescent girls, noting that three- fifths of maternal deaths today occur in countries that are considered fragile because of conflict or disaster, while pregnancy and childbirth kill about 507 women everyday in these settings. Addressing officials of government, members of the Diplomatic Corps, African Union representatives and other stakeholders over the weekend during the official launch at the RLJ Resort along the Robertsfield highway in Margibi County, the Country Director for UNFPA in Liberia, Mr. Oluremi Sogunro, said more than 100 million people in the world are in need of humanitarian assistance more than at any time since the end of World War II. Mr. Sogunro narrated while remarkable progress has been made during the past decade to protect the health and rights of women and adolescent girls in humanitarian setting, the “growth in need has outstripped the growth in funding services.” The UNFPA Country Director noted that these services are of critical importance, especially for very young adolescent girls, who are the most vulnerable and least able to confront the many challenges they face even in stable times, reports the New Dawn newspaper.

Related Captions: Women Deathtrap UNFPA State Of The World Population Report 507 Deaths Yearly(FrontPage Africa), UNFPA Releases State Of World Population Report(The NEWS), 507 Women Die Daily-UN Report(Daily Observer)

TRANSCO CLSG Unveils National Committees In Liberia

The General Manager of TRANSCO CLSG Mohammed M. Sherif has arrived in Liberia on a high-level Mission to launch the National Committee activities for the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP); from the December 7 to 10 2015. The  FrontPage Africa newspaper quotes a release from the Ministry of Finance and Development planning as saying that  the National Committees are comprised of all the ministries and departments involved in the implementation of the CLSG (Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea). The project includes the Ministries of Energy, Finance and Development Planning, Foreign Affairs as well as Donor partners. TRANSCO CLSG is a regional transmission company established by an international Treaty, to bring affordable and reliable energy to the people of the CLSG. The TRANSCO CLSG mission is traveling to countries that constitute the CLSG (Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire) interconnection energy project. After Liberia, the Mission will travel to Guinea to conduct similar activities in that country from December 15-19, 2015. The Mission concludes in Cote d’Ivoire from January 11-13, 2016. As part of the implementation of its activities, and to effectively carry out the CLSG project, National Committees are set up in each of the CLSG countries to follow up on the implementation of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) of people affected by the project.

Related Captions: TRANSCO CLSG To Launch National Committees(The New Dawn), TRANSCO CLSG Launches National Committees In Liberia(In Profile Daily), TRANSCO CLSG Launches National Committees(Daily Observer)

other Stories

Last Ebola Patients Discharged as Liberia Begins another Countdown

The Liberian Government has commenced another Ebola countdown, the third this year, since September when the country was last declared free. The government said it started a third countdown to become free from the Ebola transmission Friday after the last known Ebola patients were released from a treatment center. On November 20, the government announced the resurgence of the disease after three known case were found one of the victims, a 15-year-old boy died on November 23. The boy was said to have been the country’s first Ebola victim since it was declared Ebola-free in September the NEWS newspaper details.

US Embassy Hosts Arts and Crafts Fair 2015

According to the NEWS newspaper, the United States Embassy in Liberia has concluded program marking the hosting of the 2015 Arts and Craft day with a call for support to Liberian artists. Arts and Crafts fair is a day set aside by the United States Embassy each year to provide opportunity to Liberians involved in art and crafts trade to exhibit their works. The event is usually characterized by the display and sale of quilts, dresses, shoulder bags made from lappa, blouses stitched from country cloth, woven baskets, beaded jewelry made from recycled glass and a detailed painting of life in Liberia among others.  

LACC, Others to Commemorate IACD 2015 

A back page story of the NEWS newspaper reports that the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) in collaboration with the National Integrity Forum (NIF) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) will on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 join the rest of the world in commemorating International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD). December 9 was designated by the General Assembly of the United Nations to serve as an opportunity for all organizations and individuals worldwide to create awareness about corruption and to promote anti-corruption activities. The global theme for this year’s commemoration is “Break the Corruption Chain”.  

‘Big Light’ 2017- Liberia’s Main Hydro Revamping On Course 

The FrontPage Africa newspaper reports that the Project Director of the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Project, Bill Hockins, has disclosed that the plan project completion is in 2017, while its first unit wills last four to five months beginning December 2016, noting that major improvement is ongoing at the site. “The first unit will be functional and producing electricity in December, 2016”, Hockins said. According to Hockins, six contracts are expected to be implemented by contractors through an implementing agency for the Liberia Electricity Corporation project unit. He named the projects as the construction of a campsite for 240 people that will be operating for two years and the Construction of sub-stations as well as overhead transmission line amongst others. He further revealed that the project is sponsored by funding from the Norwegian Government which is contributing 12%, German Development Plan and the Millennium Contract Corporation which came in of recent, while the European Development Bank is also contributing to the process.  “The total cost is estimated at 360 Million, which include design and construction,” he added.

Related Caption: 40% Of Work On Mt. Coffee Will Be Completed In Five Months(In Profile Daily)

Liberian Red Cross Appreciates Volunteers

The Liberia National Red Cross Society has acknowledged the selfless dedication and sacrifice of its volunteers and others who continue to devote themselves to assisting the most vulnerable people across the country. The Red Cross in a press release issued in observance of International Volunteer Day indicated that the desire for its volunteers to serve humanity is reflected in their selfless services and must not go unrecognized.  The Liberian Red Cross added that there is a need for greater recognition of the sizable contribution volunteers continue to make in a world increasingly confronted by challenges such as natural disasters, disease, war and other armed violence, poverty, hunger and climate change. International Volunteer Day is celebrated on December 5, every year since it was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as a chance for individual volunteers, communities and organizations to promote their contributions to development, the In Profile daily writes.