The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Stories dominating today’s newsstand include the peaceful gathering of Liberian business people at the Capitol Building to petition their Lawmakers and Liberty Party’s Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine assuring his supporters that under his presidency, he will stress reconciliation in Liberia.

Monrovia at a Standstill, But Speaker Appeals to protesters, Businesses

The city of Monrovia and its environs came to a standstill as marketers staged a peaceful protest demanding explanation from their government over the astronomical taxes and tariff being imposed on goods coming into the country. The marketers also complain of the high United States Dollars rate against the Liberian dollars something they said is affecting them as marketers. Presently, one US Dollar is being exchange with the Liberian Dollars at the rate of L$110. The high US rate against the Liberian Dollars has been of major concern in recent times something that has led to the high cost of living in the city and others parts of the country, the Inquirer reports. Meanwhile, the New Dawn newspaper reported their story this way: Marketers Shutdown Economy: Normal business activities were shut down on 31, January as stores and others major shopping centers were closed in response to high tariff imposed on imported goods and services here amidst rising inflation. The marketers are demanding among other things that high tax regime being imposed by the Liberian Revenue Authority LRA be reduced and that government tackles the nose diving of the Liberian Dollars or LRD against the United States Dollar or USD.

Related Captioned: Day 2: Businesses’ Hardship Protest Continues(Daily Observer), Harsh Economic Condition Troubling as Marketers Seek Legislative Redress Over ‘Declining’ Business Climate (Focus)

“I will Rekindle Reconciliation,” Brumskine Promises as Party Dedicates new Headquarters

The lead story of the Inquirer newspaper reads that it was barely three years when he publicly withdrew from the political limelight in Liberia but the Liberty Party political leader, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine, has reintroduced himself to the process thereby making big political promises again. This time, Cllr. Brumskine was careful in stating clearly that the party’s strength is drawn from youths and students instead of God as was politicized since his last participation in the Liberian politics, the paper says.

Related Captioned: Brumskine: ‘Time for Ellen, Joe to Retire’ (Daily Observer), Brumskine Vows to ‘Grab’ Presidency (Insight), Following Expiration of Ellen’s Tenure: Liberty Party Vows to Take over State Power (Heritage)

LEC to Test Second Generating Unit Today

Testing of the second generating unit of the Mt. Coffee Hydropower Plant in Harrisburg is set t begin today, Wednesday, February 1, a press release said yesterday. The completion of the second turbine, which has the capacity for 22 megawatts’, will increase the installed capacity of the Mt. Coffee Hydropower Plant to 44 megawatts, and the overall capacity of 82 megawatts. In preparation to place the second turbine online, there will be outages which will occur during the synchronization process of Unit 2, the release warned, the Daily Observer news daily says.

Related Caption: Protest Paralyzes Business Activities (Insight)

OTHER STORIES

Cummings Foundation Reimburses WAEC Fees for 28 Top Performing Liberian Schools

As part of its WAEC Fees Payment Project, the Cummings Africa Foundation has announced that it would underwrite the WAEC fees for 28 schools that took the May 2016 High School Certificate Exam. The schools were selected based on performance (98-100%) pass rate per class, highest percentage at the county level, and diversity. In a statement issued January 30, CAF said that it will also cover the cost of exam preparation for the students from the select number of schools identified prior to their sitting of the exams, as a means of bolstering their performance during the exams, the Daily Observer newspaper says.

Senate to Probe Protestors’ Concerns

The Capitol Building was yesterday a scene of protest when hundreds of protesting marketers, under the leadership of the “Patriotic Entrepreneurs of Liberia Incorporated” (PATEL), stormed the area with multiple concerns, including the demand to reduce the surging exchange rate between the United States dollar and the Liberian dollar. However, the situation came under control when the leadership of the Senate promised to set up a special team to receive the petition the protesters presented to that august body. The Senators, led by Pro Tempore Armah Jallah, also informed the protesters about their next course of action in the coming days relative to the rising foreign exchange rate. The Pro Temp told the protesters that the Senate will work along with the House of Representatives and the outcome of their action will be submitted to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for prompt action, the Daily Observer newspaper says.

30 Schools in 4 Counties to be Ready August

Construction works on 30 schools in four counties to benefit peer pressure youths are expected to be completed in August, the Executive Director of the Consolidated Youth for Peace and Development (COYPED), James Koryor, has said. The project kicked off in January 2016 under the auspices of COYPED to prevent alcohol and drug abuse among youths in Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa and Montserrado counties, respectively. Additionally, an Anti Drugs Coalition will be established in 20 communities in those counties with the training of 100 peer educators to serve as anti-drug ambassadors in their communities, the Insight newspaper says.

Voters’ Registration Begins Today

The National Elections Commission (NEC) has disclosed that all is now set for the commencement of the voters registration exercise beginning today. NEC said all measures are being put into place for the exercise throughout the country as important registration materials have been brought into the country for the smooth conduct of the process. He added that prior to the elections, a number of activities are being taken by the commission geared toward the free, fair and credible of the elections, the Inquirer newspaper says.

Related Captioned: NEC Calls on Media, others to Join Voter Registration Awareness (Insight)

Medical Center to Offer Pregnant Women Free Service

A newly-opened medical center in Ganta, Nimba County has announced it will offer free service to pregnant women beginning February 1. Making the disclosure to journalists in Ganta over the weekend, the Human Resource Manager of the Esther and Jeraldine Medical Center in Ganta, Victor Kpaiseh, said the center has a US$250,000 subsidy from central government in this year’s fiscal budget so the facility wishes to give back to the citizenry, the Focus newspaper says.

Related Caption: Medical Center to Offer Pregnant Women Free Service (Heritage)

UN, AU Honor Chair Sirleaf for ECOWAS Role in the Gambian Crisis

The African Union and the United Nations have bestowed honor and praises on the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The continental body and the United Nations also honored the West African sub-regional body, which President Sirleaf Chairs. The honoring took place during the formal opening of the 28^th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union. According to a dispatch from Addis, the honor was conferred by the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres, the out-going Chairperson of the African union Authority, the Inquirer newspaper says.

NEC Calls on Media, others to Join Voters Registration Awareness

An inside story of the Heritage newspaper reads that the National Elections Commission (NEC) is calling on the Liberian media, political parties, religious groups and community organizations to join the Commission in spreading awareness about the voters registration process. NEC Co-Chairman Jonathan K. Weedor made the call Tuesday at the Edward Wilmot Blyden Forum organized by the Press Union of Liberia under the theme: “Registration, Opportunities, Challenges and Impact.” Weedor observed that since 1944, when the late President Edwin J. Barclay handed over power to William V. S. Tubman, this is first time an incumbent Liberian President is expected to hand over power to another president.

Chemistry Analyzer Installed at JFK

A story in the Heritage news daily reads that The West African College of Physicians (WACP), in collaboration with its Liberian chapter yesterday turned over a BT 3500 state of the art chemistry analyzer to the management of the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia. Dr. Ifeoma Egbuonu, President of WACP, said her organization sees in Liberia a great potential to secure and sustain health deliverables if only the right equipment and space is available.

BRAC To Impliment Food Security Program

BRAC-Liberia, a leading non-for-profit development organization with the mission to realize the potential of under-privileged people through the implementation of programs in health, agriculture, poultry and livestock as well as micro finance in Liberia, has received US$1.5 million from the European Union to improve  the food and nutrition security situation of vulnerable population groups in the country. The project is titled, “Pro-Resilience action Pro-Act 2015: Supporting the poor and food and nutrition insecure to react to crises and strengthen resilience in Liberia”, and is expected to increase income, increase resilience and grant access to sufficient and nutritious food to the final beneficiaries, the Inquirer newspaper reads.