The Bureau of Public Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

 Monrovia, Liberia

DAILY NEWS SUMMARY FOR WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017

News of the issuance of Executive Order No. 87 suspending tariff on rice and President Sirleaf’s submission of an Act on the transfer of presidential power are the stories dominating today’s edition of our summary of the local dailies.

DOMINANT STORIES

GoL Suspends Tariff On Rice

The New Dawnnewspaper says President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued Executive Order No. 87; extending Executive Order No. 80 - thus suspending tariff on rice. According to the daily, this Executive Order went into immediate effect on August 22, 2017. An Executive Mansion release said, whereas, the Government of Liberia is committed to ensuring that the prices of certain basic commodities on the Liberian market are affordable and do not impose unnecessary burden on the people; that the government conducted an assessment and evaluation on the causes of increases in the price of various strategic commodities, and intends to initiate measures to ameliorate the situation. 

Related Captions: Ellen Suspends Import Tariff On Rice(INSIGHT), Ellen Suspends Tariff On Rice… As She Issues Executive Order No. 87; Extending Executive Order No. 80(Heritage), Gov’t Suspends Tariff On Rice(The INQUIRER)  

Pres. Sirleaf Submits Presidential Transition Bill 

According to the New Dawn newspaper, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has submitted to the Legislature a bill titled: “The Presidential Transition Act, 2017.”  A communication from the President to the House of Representatives dated August 17, 2017 reads that the bill seeks to build a strong foundation and culture that embrace democratic value for sustainable peace, management and regulation of the transfer of political power and other related matters. President Sirleaf says the act, when passed into law will continue the path of peaceful resolution, smooth transition of political power and governance, stability and a sustained democratic development.

Related Captions: Smooth Transition Bill Lands At Capitol(INSIGHT), Ellen Seeks Benefits After Tenure…Submits Presidential Transition Act(Heritage), Seeking Immunity-President Sirleaf Presents Act Seeking Smooth Transition To Legislature(FrontPage Africa)

OTHER STORIES  

Peace, Security Essential For Prosperity – UNMIL Boss Encourages Young Liberians At Observance of International Youth Day Celebration 

The FrontPage Africa newspaper reads that the Deputy Chief for Peace and Consolidation Services of UNMIL has underscored the need for Liberia’s youth to ensure peace and security becomes the hallmark for prosperity. Christopher John Lewis said youth must take the vision of what they want the country to be, and that violence is never an option for resolving issues. Christopher John Lewis said that ensuring peace and security is vital for economic growth and prosperity in post war Liberia. He made the disclosure at the official launch of the Youth and Elections Project and programs marking the celebration of 2017 International Youth Day. He noted the SDGs cannot be achieved without a progressive policy which will lead to change for young people.

African Development Bank On Youth’s Potential To Sustain Peace

According to the INQUIRER newspaper, African Development Bank (ADB) Resident Representative in Liberia Margaret Hilda Kilo has identified youth “entrepreneurship potential” as a vital means to sustain peace in the country.  She made the observation last weekend at the Booker Washington Institute (BWI) in Kakata, Margibi County, where she participated in the launch of the Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Project YEEP. YEEP is a $2.4 Million project that aims to help address the skills and employment needs of beneficiaries, targeting 20,000 youths. It will be piloted at three tertiary institutions: BWI University of Liberia and Nimba County Community College and replicated elsewhere, once its three-year pilot phase proves successful.

USAID Vows Continuous Support To Local Service Providers, Businesses

The Chief of Party (COP) United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Liberian Accountability and Voice Initiative (LAVI) has vowed USAID’s continuous support to local service providers, businesses and civil society organizations (CSOs). Speaking Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at program marking the USAID-LAVI marking initiative for the service provider pool at the Monrovia City Hall, Madam Milica Panic, said supporting Liberian businesses strengthens decision making and provides an opportunity to ensure Liberians have a greater voice in how decision will impact them, reports the INQUIRER newspaper.  

Liberia to Offer Ph.D Program Soon – Association of Liberian Universities, Partners Sign MOU 

The Association of Liberian Universities has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ghana Technology University College and the M.S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences in India to deliver the first ever PhD Programs in Liberia. The programs, which are in the Area of Engineering and Technology, Pharmacy, Dental Sciences, Management and Commence, Science and Humanities, Art and Design and Hospitality Management and Catering Technology are expected to roll out by the close of the year. Speaking at the signing ceremony Tuesday at the Bam Library Meeting Room at the African Methodist Episcopal University in Monrovia, the President of the Association of Liberian Universities, Dr. Joseph T. Isaac said the ceremony is an important step to delivering higher education in Liberia. Dr. Isaac stressed that the partnership will enable a workable PHD in three ways that would be deliver locally in the Liberian educational market system. For his part, Ghana Technology University College President, Professor Odei Darkwa said the PHD Program adapts a flexible and convenient approach to learning which ensures that qualified candidates are able to acquire a first class international degree without relocating to country of the awarding institution, asserts the FrontPage Africa newspaper.

LEC Increases Power Supply, Campaigns Against Power Theft

In line with its mandate to provide affordable electricity to the Liberian Public, the management of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) has put in place a plan to curtail the rising wave of power theft in the country. In a press release, the LEC said it has observed that some unscrupulous people were in the constant habit of criminally connecting to the LEC lines, something which, it noted, was hampering the smooth facilitation of power supply to its many customers. The release further said that the management of the government of the LEC has vowed to work along with the relevant government authorities, especially the Liberia National Police, to bring to book anyone caught sealing LEC power, reports the Heritage newspaper.  

Finance Boss Stresses Education As Fundamental Right 

The Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Boima S. Kamara, says access to quality to education is a right that every Liberian child should have rather than engaging themselves in violent activities. He cautions youth in the country not to allow themselves to be used by anyone or group of politicians to engage in violence that would lead the country to destruction, including lose of innocent lives and properties as the October polls get closer. According to the New Dawn newspaper, Minister Kamara delivered the keynote address during the 8th graduation ceremony of the Action of Faith Institute in Duport Road, Paynesville outside Monrovia over the weekend. Speaking on the topic ‘‘Access to Education, A Right for All Liberians’’, the Finance Minister stresses that Pillar Three of the country’s five-year development plan, Agenda for Transformation (AfT) , focuses on human development with a “goal of improving the quality of life by investing in more accessible and higher quality education”.

Related Caption: “Access To Education, A Right For All Liberians”-MFDP Minister Tells Graduates Of Action Faith Institute(Heritage)  

Building Capacity In The Insurance Sector! - WAICA Convenes Liberia’s Conference 

A four-day international conference geared towards building the technical capacity of insurance companies in West Africa, commenced in Monrovia on Monday. The conference is being organized by the West Africa Reinsurance Corporation PLC (WAICA). The conference is held under the theme “Advance Principles, practices of Reinsurance”. WAICA was established in 2011, as part of efforts to strengthen insurance companies’ capacities, as well as advancing the principles and practices of reinsurance across the continent. The FrontPage Africa newspaper says over 65 participants representing insurance companies in Liberia, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Tunisia and Morocco are attending the conference. WAICA Managing Director Abiola Ekundayo said the conference he added is meant to also integrate insurance companies in the region. Integration he noted is not visible amongst West Africa Anglophone countries due to lack of a single currency.