THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY MONDAY, MAY 30, 2016

Today’s edition of the summary of the local dailies highlights stories including UNMIL’s SRSG, Farid Zarif, expression of confidence in Liberia to handle its security responsibilities, the launch by the National Elections Commissions of the countdown to the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections and news concerning the extension of the Press Union of Liberia awards ceremony.

DOMINANT STORIES

UNMIL Confident In Liberia Handling Security

According to the Daily Observer, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, Farid Zarif, says now that UNMIL have kept the peace in the country and trained more security officers over the years, they are confident that Liberia can handle its security responsibilities. Mr. Zarif made the statement at UNMIL headquarters on May 27 during a ceremony in observance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.

Related Captions: Liberia Marks International Day Of UN Peacekeepers (FOCUS), Honoring Peacekeepers Liberia Marks International Day Government Prepares To Assume Full Responsibility For Security On 30 June (FrontPage Africa), Liberia Marks Intl Peacekeeping Day (New Democrat)

498 Days To Elections…As NEC Launches Countdown To 2017

 According to the INQUIRER newspaper, the National Elections Commission (NEC) yesterday, May 29, 2016 launched the countdown to the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections. Addressing a major news conference in Monrovia, Acting Chairman of NEC, Cllr. Sarah J. Toe, disclosed that as of the launch day of the countdown, there were 499 days to the conduct of the 2017 elections. At the launch of the countdown, NEC also launched its refurbished website, new logo and the Facebook and Twitter pages to facilitate citizens’ access to information about the electoral process and upcoming elections.

Related Caption: NEC Introduces Countdown 2017 (New Democrat), Countdown To 2017 Begins Less Than 500 Days To Elections (Daily Observer)

PUL Extends 2016 Awards Call for entries and Sets new Date

The Press Union of Liberia announces Friday, July 1, 2016 as new date for its Annual Awards Night. The change of date is triggered by the slow deliverable of entries for the Awards Event. Every annual awards program is intended to identify and honor the work of journalists and media institutions that perform with distinction during the last period, the INSIGHT newspaper writes.

Related Captions: PUL Extends 2016 Awards Call For Entries (FOCUS), PUL Extends 2016 Awards (New Democrat)

OTHER STORIES

LEC Completes 18 Megawatt Power Plant

The Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), with funding from the government, has constructed 18 megawatt heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) power plant located at the entity’s Bushrod Island Compound. The Daily Observer quoting a release from the corporation said construction work on the plant began in 2014, but delays were experienced because of the Ebola outbreak in the country. In February this year, LEC commissioned the World Bank funded 10 megawatt HFO plant which is also located at the Bushrod Island Compound. The completion of the 18 megawatt HFO plant has increase the LEC power generation capacity to 28 megawatt,” the release said.

Great Priority For Liberia VP Boakai Trumpets Energy, Power Sector  Instanbul Program of Action

Liberia has reaffirmed its commitment to the protocols of the Istanbul Program of Action at the Midterm Review of the Istanbul Program of Action that convened in Antalya as Vice President Joseph Boakai who was the first Speaker at the Plenary Friday explained to the delegates the achievements of the Liberian Government through the Agenda for Transformation. Vice President Boakai told the conferees that the launch of the agenda for transformation, afforded Liberia the opportunity to dissect both the Istanbul Program of Action and the Agenda for Transformation.  The FrontPage Africa newspaper quotes a dispatch as saying that the Vice President mentioned the challenges face by the nation as a result of the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease and the decline in the prices of export commodities of, rubber and iron ore.

US$1.6M Bond Rejected

Barely six days after Criminal Court ‘C’ confirmed separate criminal appearance bonds for Senator Varney Sherman and House Speaker Alex Tyler, state persecutors Saturday rejected the defendants’ US$1.6M bail bond, saying, “it is defective and want them incarcerated at the Monrovia Central Prison as provided by law”. Both top government officials were indicted by government last Wednesday at Criminal Court ‘C’ on multiple offenses ranging from bribery and criminal conspiracy to Economic Sabotage, criminal solicitation and criminal facilitation, the New Democrat reports.

‘The Whole Country Is Depending on Us’ LRA Boss Charges Employees To Meet 2015/16 Revenue Target

According to the FrontPage Africa newspaper, the Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Elfreda Stewart Tamba has challenged employees and staff of the Authority to exert all efforts in their respective roles to ensure that the revised revenue forecast for 2015/2016 is met.  Addressing employees and providing updates on revenue performance, Commissioner General Tamba said the LRA has as at April 30 collected US$453 million which is 81% of the revised target. Domestic Revenue accounts for US$356 million or 79% of the total revenue collected while external resources accounts for 75.1 million or 16%. Consolidated cash brought forward accounts for US$22 million or 5%.

Govt. On Dispute Resolution Program In 4 Counties

The FOCUS newspaper writes that the Government of Liberia is piloting a three—year Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Program in Grand Bassa, Nimba, Bong and Montserrado counties aimed at increasing access to justice and reducing case backlogs on court dockets. The program, according ADR Program Manager is a World Bank funded project designed to support Government’s justice system.

Sanniquelle To Get Pipe Born Water

Residents of Sanniquelle City, Nimba County are expected to begin using pipe borne water in their city soon as the Government of Liberia and the United States Agency for Interantional Development (USAID) have broken ground for the rehabilitation of the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). The ground breaking ceremony for the restoration of pipe borne water in Sanniquelle was held on Friday, May 27, 2016 by official of USAID, the Government of Liberia and Superintendents of Nimba, Grand Cape Mount and Lofa Counties, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.

Anxious To Bridge Gap Liberia’s Health Sector Strengthening Partnership With Media

The Acting Assistant Minister for Preventive Services at the Ministry of Health (MoH), Dr. Samson Arzoacquoi says though there were graved mistakes made in the past by ignoring the role of the media in Liberia’s public health plan, there have been significant corrections made.  He realized that there is gap and said they are anxious to bridge the gap. Dr. Arzoacquoi made the assertion when he spoke to over 50 Liberian journalists from Nimba, Lofa, Bong, Margibi and Grand Bassa Counties at a one day risk communication media training workshop held in Gbarnga, Bong County, asserts the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

GoL Obtains Data for 170,000 Local Farmers

Ministry of Agriculture has captured 170,000 farmers in its Electronic Registration program initiated in the country in March this year. The e-registration is the foundation for establishing linkages and a system of incentives between value chin actors for increased business activity with Nimba, Bong, Lofa, Margibi, and Bomi counties, the five top e-registered locations, the INSIGHT reports. 

Related Caption: GoL e-Registers 170,000 Farmers (FOCUS)

Liberia Moves to Rubber, Cocoa Production

Agriculture Minister, Dr. Moses Zinnah has disclosed that 70% of Liberia’s economic reliance had been on iron ore and rubber, but that the country will now move o rubber and cocoa. He noted, ‘for those of you who do not know cocoa is one commodity that is fast growing and is sold at US$3,000.00 per ton”. He noted that as part of the transformation, the ministry and partners have resolved to focus more on crops that create competitive advantage by concentrating on the value chains that are economically viable, the INSIGHT newspaper reads.

Police Director Departs For Chiefs Of Police Summit

The INQUIRER newspaper pens that the Director of Police, Col. Clarence Massaquoi, left the country last Friday as head of a 2-man Liberian Police delegation to attend a United Nations of Police Summit (UN COPS) at the UN Headquarters in New York, the first ever organized by the United Nations, where the Secretary-General will deliver the opening remarks. The summit will examine new perspectives on national policing challenges and the benefits for officers deploying to United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Related Caption: Police Director Attends United Nations Chief Of Police Summit (FrontPage Africa)