The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 2017

Stories on the signing of the Book of Condolence for former Chairperson of the Council of State, National Transitional Government of the Republic of Liberia, Finance Minister heading the official government of Liberian delegation to the 26th African Peer Review Mechanism or APRM Summit Meetings in Addis Ababa and celebration of International World Custom Day are among the dominant stories in today’s media summary.

Dominant Story  

Ellen Signs Book of Condolence For Late Ruth Perry 

President Sirleaf on Thursday, January 26, 2017 led an array of senior government officials, members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps and heads of international institutions including the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General to sign the Book of Condolence for the late Mrs. Ruth Sando Fahnbulleh Perry, former Chairperson of the Council of State, National Transitional Government of the Republic of Liberia. According to an Executive Mansion release, the mournful ceremony took place in the Foyer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Capitol Hill. Madam Perry died at the home of her son in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America early Sunday, January 8, 2017. The signing of the Book of Condolence by President Sirleaf and Cabinet was followed by Members of the Senate, the Lower House and the Supreme Court Bench. Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, heads of international organizations, Public Corporations, autonomous agencies, religious leaders, heads of political parties, civil society as well as other sympathizers were present to sign the Book of Condolence, reports the Heritage newspaper.

Related Caption: Ellen Signs Book of Condolence – Leads an Array Of Senior Government Officials (FOCUS)

FINANCE MINISTER HEADS LIBERIA’S DELEGATION TO APRM SUMMIT

According to the New Dawn newspaper Liberia’sFinance and Development Planning Minister Boima S. Kamara is leading an official government delegation to the 26th African Peer Review Mechanism or APRM Summit Meetings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Ministry of Finance says the delegation departed Liberia Wednesday, 25 January, adding that the summit will feature nomination and appointments of new members of the African Peer Review (APR) Panel of Eminent Persons, discussions, briefings, signing ceremonies and presentations of certificates. The event is expected to focus on the APRM administrative and financial issues and update on panel matters, including other side events. A press release issued on Thursday says the objective of this year’s forum is to discuss the reviewed reports for Djibouti, Chad, Senegal and Sudan along with the first-ever APRM second review, for Kenya, with Namibia scheduled to voluntarily accede at this Summit.

Related Captions: Finance Minister Heads Liberia’s Delegation(In Profile Daily),and Finance Heads Liberia’s Delegation To 26^th APRM Summit In Addis Ababa(Heritage)

LRA, Partners Observe World Custom Day- As Minister Addy Says Liberia Loses Millions Due To Bypassing Of Borders

According to In Profile Daily, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) in collaboration with its partners, on Thursday, January 26, 2017 celebrated International World Custom Day. International World Custom Day was instituted by the World Customs Organization (WCO), and set aside January 26 of each year as International Customs Day and currently has 179 countries as its members. Serving as Guest Speaker, Liberia’s Minister of Commerce & Industry, Axel Addy serving said Liberia as a country loses millions of dollars due to illegal bypasses of its borders. Minister Addy said due to the limited Custom Officers accredited at various borders and crossing points, the country is not generating the proper incomes from custom services. For her part, Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), Elfrieda Steward Tamba, said LRA as an institution, has decided to upgrade their institution by transforming the human capacity building needs of its employees, adopting a new behavior change toward the work they do, access to system and the most of all the protection of government, partners and Liberians including workers of the system. The program marking the celebration of the World Custom day was graced by custom officers, officers of the Liberia National Police, the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and the African Development Banks among others.

Related Caption:Liberia Losing Millions…Commerce and Industry Minister Asserts Over Outdated Custom System(Heritage)  

Chief Justice Meets New PUL Leadership 

The Chief Justice of Liberia, Francis S. Korkpor Sr., has met the new leadership of the Press Union of Liberia at the Temple of Justice and told the top media umbrella some of the functions of the Judiciary. Chief Justice Korkpor told the leadership that he has been a longtime friend of the Press. He used the opportunity to caution journalists to take advantage of the court and to have trust in the judicial system of the country. Among other things, the Chief Justice called on the new leadership of the PUL to be proactive for its members. The Justice noted that the Judiciary is independent, adding, “Nobody tells us what to do here,” writes the In Profile Daily.

Related Caption: Justice Korkpor Cautions Media On Telling The Truth(Heritage)

LTA Makes Recommendations On Three-Day Free Call Sage

The Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) has recommended to the House of Representatives that a transition period of three months from February 1, 2017 to April 30, 2017 be given to the GSM providers to allow adequate time to create awareness to the general public to enable the service providers adjust their billing systems. In a communication the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, it was stated that the tax will be collected from January 15 – 31, 2017 and that during the three months transition period, LTA and LRA will conduct a public awareness campaign that will include town hall public meetings in various counties. LTA recommended to the House that Lonestar be required to provide to each subscriber US$5 credit to be used for on-net call after the transition period, the Government would benefit from collection the 1 cent excise tax which is calculated in the amount of approximately US$433. 291 based on 2015 data collected by LTA and assuming an on-net charge of 15 cents per minute, reports the Inquirer newspaper.

Related Caption: Restore Calm In Telecom Sector – LTA Recommends Ways To Address Rumpus (FOCUS)

MOE, Sightsaver Conclude Intensive Workshop in G/Gedeh County

The Division of Special and Inclusive Education at the Ministry of Education with support from Sightsaver, a United Kingdom-based organization has concluded awareness on sensitization workshop for two of its pilot school teachers in dealing with students with disabilities in Grand Gedeh County. The two-pilot schools Sightsaver is supporting in the county are Zwedru Cyrus Cooper and Zwedru Kindergarten. Speaking in an interview with In Profile reporter about the program, the MOE Director of Special and Inclusive Education, Mohamed Konneh, said the Grand Gedeh Inclusive Education Program about the program, the MOE Director of Special and Inclusive Education, Mohamed Konneh, said the Grand Gedeh Inclusive Education Program began with an awareness and sensitization workshop which was attended by District Education Officers, the Parent Teachers’ Association and relevant stakeholders in education in the county. Konneh noted that discussions during the workshop focused on teaching methods, students’ diverse learning styles, classroom management, inclusion and co-teaching, and components of capacity building in inclusive education, among others, reports the In Profile Daily.

EPA, UNECA Hold National Validation Workshop Today

The Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia (EPA) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) will today, Friday, January 27, 2017 convene a National Validation Workshop to validate Liberia’s Draft Climate Change Policy and Strategies at Golden Key Hotel, Paynesville, outside Monrovia. According to a press release, the workshop will begin at 9:00am and will be attended by relevant stakeholder including ministries, agencies, state owned enterprises, civil society, traditional leaders, academician and journalists. A special representative of the UNECA will also be in attendance. Meanwhile, during the Workshop, Liberia’s Draft Climate Change Policy and Response Strategies will be presented to the stakeholders to critically review and make valuable inputs into the draft Climate Change Policy Document, reports the Heritage newspaper.  

Veep Boakai in U.S. for 65^th Annual National Prayer Breakfast With The President of The United States 

According to the Inquirer newspaper, Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has arrived in the United States to participate in the 65^th Annual National Prayer Breakfast, a long standing event held on the first Thursday of February each year with over three thousand influential people from around the world including the President of the United States, members of Congress, leaders throughout the United States and the Diplomatic community from over one hundred and forty countries in attendance. According to the invitation extended Vice President Boakai, was invited by Members of the Congress of the United States of America at their 65^th Annual National Prayer Breakfast with the President of the United States and other national leaders in the Executive; Judicial and Legislative Branches of our Government.  

Business Entities Embraces Sirleaf’s Proposed Electricity Tariff Reduction 

According to the Focus newspaper, several business owners within the Monrovia metropolitan region have lauded President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson for the proposed electricity tariff reduction. Currently, Liberians pay one of the world’s highest electricity tariffs of 49 cents per kilowatt-hour, excluding tax. Sirleaf said recently that the cost of electricity will drop cents per kilowatt-hour in February. According to Sirleaf, the government has secure funding to complete the feasibility the study for a reservoir on the Via River, noting “Construction of the reservoir will ensure that the Mount coffee Hydro Plant has sufficient water to generate electricity throughout the year.”

Liberia, Guinea ‘Parliaments’ Solidify Tie

The 53^rd Legislature of Liberia and the National Assembly of the Republic of Guinea have developed a framework for the establishment of the Mano River Union (MRU) Parliament. Following days of consultations by the working group of both countries, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Atty. J. Emmanuel Nuquay; and the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Guinea, H.E. Claude Kory Kondiano, signed on behalf of their respective countries, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which sets the basis for the establishment of the MRU legislative body. The signing ceremony took place Wednesday, January 25, 2017, at the Boulevard Palace in Monrovia with several representatives from the two countries in attendance. The seven-count MOU calls for the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Guinea, and the Speaker of the Liberian House of Representative to immediately work with their respective Head of State and government to solicit support for the approval of the MRU assembly, reports the Insight newspaper.

Related Caption:Liberia, Guinea Sign MOU On MRU Parliament(Heritage)

Guinea Praise President Sirleaf For Preventing bloodshed in The Gambia

The President of the Guinean National Assembly, Mr. Claude Kory Kondiano, has praised President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is also Chairperson of the regional block ECOWAS, “for the leadership exercised in The Gambia situation which helped ensured peace and prevented bloodshed. “You are great and highly admired leader, Madam President. We were blessed to have witnessed the delivery of your Annual Message and look forward to a situation whereby our own President can be allowed to report to parliament in a similar way,” he noted, reports the Insight newspaper.

LIPA To Graduate 400 Today

The Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA) will today graduate over 400 candidates that have successfully completed capacity building training in several disciplines of the 2016 third circle, according to a press release from the institute. As a member of the West African Management Development Institutes Network, LIPA also offers interested candidates the opportunity to pursue a Master’s in Public Sector Management Program at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in Accra, Ghana, the release said. The 2016 third circle graduation activities will be held at the University of Liberia auditorium with the Minister of Youth & Sports and member of the Board of Directors of LIPA, Saa N’tow, serving as the keynote speaker, while LIPA’s Board Chair Michael Slawon will present certificates and diplomas to the graduates. Officials from ministries, agencies and commissions, the Legislature, Judiciary, diplomatic missions near Monrovia, and representatives from various management development networks, among others, are expected to attend the occasion. LIPA is a premier center of excellence in capacity building for sustained quality service delivery and was established by an Act of the Legislature in 1969, reports the Daily Observer.  

Liberia Ranks Globally At 90/176 

According to the Daily Observer, the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) said it is deeply concerned that Liberia continues to fail to address the entrenched culture of impunity, or to enforce existing laws and policies against it. At a press conference yesterday, the Acting Executive Director of CENTAL, Anderson Miamen, said Liberia is ranked globally at 90/176, with a Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score of 37. Mr. Miamen said Liberia’s CPI score has dropped from 41 in 2012 to 37 in 2015 and 2016, outperforming Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Guinea with scores of 34, 30 and 27 respectively. He said the fight against corruption cannot succeed through lip service and the shielding of officials who are implicated in scandals and misdeeds.