LRA Communications Department Gets Boost
… Ultimate aim is to make it easier for people to understand their obligation to tax payment. Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Commissioner-General, Thomas Doe-Nah is not taking for granted the essentiality of communication in revenue collection. Against this backdrop, he, with the rest of the LRA team, has built and dedicated a production studio for the Communications Department, located at the LRA headquarters in Paynesville, from where recorded messages about tax will be produced, edited and disseminated to send to various media outlets for propagation to the general public. He said the LRA family does not know from whence this can come, but it is confident that it can be one day with God’s help. in introductory remarks, LRA Communications Director D. Kaihenneh Sengbe said that this is the first of its kind at the institution — to have a production studio for Communications staffers to produce messages.
Source:Daily Observer
February 12, 2020 02:15 UTC
Liberia: 20 Tankers Reportedly on Way to Sierra Leone for Gasoline to Help Curb Crisis
A FrontPageAfrica correspondent in the Bo Waterside area counted some 20 trucks moving toward Sierra Leone Tuesday night and a senior administration official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the trucks were headed to Sierra Leone to get gasoline. Monrovia – FrontPageAfrica has been reliably informed that about 20 gasoline tankers left Monrovia late Tuesday en route to Sierra Leone in hopes of getting gasoline to help curb the ongoing shortage of the key commodity in the country. A FrontPageAfrica correspondent in the Bo Waterside area counted some 20 trucks moving toward Sierra Leone Tuesday night and a senior administration official confirmed on condition of anonymity that the trucks were headed to Sierra Leone. It is unclear whether the gasoline will be purchased from a private company or who engineered the arrangement. Critics have also taken the government to task over the lack of independence of the committee constituted to look into the gasoline shortage.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 12, 2020 01:52 UTC
Liberia: Matchmaking Event Connects Local Consulting Firms with Development Partners
MONROVIA – The Consortium of Business Development Service Providers of Liberia (CBDSPL), an organization supported by USAID Liberia Accountability Voice Initiative (LAVI) organized a two-day matchmaking event to connect Liberian consulting firms with international organizations implementing development projects in Liberia. “USAID LAVI has really strengthened our capacity as local firms and allowed us to hire other people,’’ Howe said. Since December, the Matchmaking events has resulted in over 15 new connections for consortium members. LAVI provided organizational development support, training and mentorship in financial sustainability and marketing to enhance their capacity development services and grow their businesses. She told participants that the USAID LAVI project is designed to strengthen multi-stakeholder partnerships to advocate for and monitor policy and accountability reforms.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 12, 2020 01:30 UTC
Protests vs. Reality in Liberia’s Emergent Democracy
The PerspectiveAtlanta, GeorgiaFebruary 11, 2020BackgroundEvery bread-and-butter issue in Liberia these days is a subject for street protests. Three major street protests involving the mass gathering of people were held in Monrovia between September 2018 and January 2020. The Liberian Protest Dynamics. Indeed, one of the key dynamics of the current waves of protests in Liberia is the issue of constitutional right to know. Today, people inside and outside the media landscape can now insult and make the wildest allegations against any Liberian public official or business executive at will without remorse or consequence.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 11, 2020 20:26 UTC
UN Secretary-General Guterres Reaffirms Full Commitment to Support Liberia’s Peacebuilding Process
New York – Nations Secretary-General António Guterres says the United Nations is in total solidarity with Liberia and remains fully committed to supporting the country in its strive to sustain the peace, and urged the Government of Liberia not to hesitate to call upon the United Nations whenever it is in need. The United Nations Secretary-General expressed appreciation for the peaceful and responsible handling of recent protests in Liberia by the Government of Liberia and expressed the hope that Liberia will continue to do its best to sustain its hard-earned peace. The United Nations Secretary-General was speaking during a bilateral meeting with Liberia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative to the United Nations, His Excellency Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, Sr. on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. United Nations Secretary-General Guterres and Ambassador Kemayah discussed an array of issues, including the current state of the Liberian economy, the recent protests in Liberia, and the Thirty-third (33rd) African Union Summit, which convened in Addis Ababa from February 9-10, 2020. Ambassador Kemayah also informed the United Nations Secretary-General of His Excellency President Weah’s appointment of a new Central Bank Governor as part of reforms to ensure a functionally independent Central Bank with the ability to tackle issues affecting Liberia’s economy.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 11, 2020 15:45 UTC
Weah’s Monstrous Complex Vs. The Tiny 14th Military Hospital – 10 Reasons Why We Cannot Clap Even for a Minute
The “military hospital” is far less in terms of worth than president Weah’s private complex of over 40 exotic duplexes. Why didn’t Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf name Tappita Hospital after her own name especially when Tappita Hospital is far more advanced than this tiny Military Hospital? The government cannot be bragging about an L-shaped military hospital that is the least in this region in terms of infrastructure, artistic design, and standard. A Military Hospital or a Military Clinic? Is this even a military hospital or a military clinic?
Source:Front Page Africa
February 11, 2020 15:45 UTC
Liberia: Players Bemoan Move to Make Government Sole Exporter of Cocoa
The proposed legislation was discussed during the NC3P Cocoa Sector Platform forum meeting last week in Monrovia. President George Weah has in the past stated that he wants to make the revitalization of Liberia’s cocoa sector a national priority. The NC3P Cocoa Sector Platform is a multi-actor coalition of government, private sector, development programs, civil society and farming communities that assists in guiding the design and implementation of development interventions within Liberia’s cocoa sector. It is unclear how changing LACRA’s mandate will translate to greater benefits for Liberian cocoa farmers: favorable pricing, improved services and easier access to agricultural inputs. Solidaridad works with over 5,000 cocoa farmers in Bong, Nimba and Lofa, and has distributed over a million hybrid cocoa seedlings, according Bafaie.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 11, 2020 01:07 UTC
Liberia: ‘Judges Salary Cut Undermines Effectiveness of the Judiciary’ – Judge Chenoweth
MARGIBI COUNTY – The Resident Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit Court of Margibi County, Mardea Tarr-Chenoweth, has decried that the government’s salary harmonization program is depressing Judges and magistrates and undermining the effectiveness of the Judiciary. Judge Chenoweth recounted that the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the National Legislature reasoned in pursuant of An Act to Establish the National Remuneration Standardization of 2019 that Judges’ salaries must be cut because the government was spending beyond its wage bill. Such salaries shall be subject to taxes as defined by Law, provided that they shall not otherwise be diminished. “The unfair and non-equitable nature of the Standardization Act has subjected judges to dire economic constraints, with its attendant consequences, such as less motivated and less effective judges and magistrates” Judge Tarr-Chenoweth lamented. She, however, called on the Executive to rethink its approach towards judges with respect to the salary harmonization and return to status quo ante.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 11, 2020 00:56 UTC
Liberia: Teacher Arrested For Alleged Malpractice On WAEC Exam
The students were interrogated by staff of WAEC who discovered that sheets were removed from their booklets. He said he regrets ever indulging in such an unwholesome and unwarranted act and promised never to repeat same. In response to the unfortunate incident of examination malpractice involving a classroom teacher on the WAEC Liberia Primary School Certificate Examinations (LPSCE) Trial Test, 2020, WAEC Liberia Head of National Office (HNO) Dale G. Gbotoe decried the action of Mr. Kendima, terming it as unacceptable and embarrassing and as such, people of his kind should not be in the classroom. WAEC Liberia Office in keeping with the Council’s policy administers Trial Test to selected schools in the country for the purpose of preparing them for future exams. Trial Test is the beginning of test development activities at the level of the Test Development Division.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 11, 2020 00:00 UTC
Liberia: Uproar in Bong County over Controversial Allot of US$149,000 for Renovation of Superintendent’s Compound
US$50,000 was initially allocated for the renovation of the Superintendent’s compound while had been a den for criminals over the yearsGbarnga, Bong County – An increase from US$50,000 to US$149,000 by the leadership of Bong County for the renovation of the superintendent’s compound has sparked uproar in the county, with citizens threatening to halt the renovation work until the superintendent can give reasons for such increment. “The superintendent of the county has decided to increase the amount of the project from US$50,000 because there is more damage done on the project than first feared,” Mulbah said. Mulbah, however, didn’t give reasons why the decision to increase the amount by US$99,000 was reached without a county sitting. The county leadership’s failure to explain the reasons for the increment in the cost of the project is sparking uproar. Samuel Elliot, head of the Liberia Motor Transport Union Bong County branch said citizens of the county would lead a demonstration until there is an explanation from the leadership of the county.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 11, 2020 00:00 UTC
McDella Cooper Slams the Building of Roads When Liberians are Hungry
Speaking to journalists in Monrovia over the weekend, Madam Cooper said, the Coalition for Democratic Change-led (CDC) government will make no significant impact when citizens are starving and are undergoing serious financial strangulations. According to Madam Cooper, though building roads is important, it is not as equally important to diversifying the economy where ordinary Liberians will benefit directly from financial inflows. “Yes, as a country we need roads but that should not surpass the general interest of the population,” Madam Cooper averred. At the same time, Madam Cooper has described as “unfortunate” the apparent shortage of gasoline on the local market. “Imagine people standing in long queue just to get gas, this sends a very bad signal of our country,” Madam Cooper accentuates.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 10, 2020 23:37 UTC
Liberia: Last Dredging of Port was 2017, Not 2012, Public Still Wonder Cause of Acute Gasoline Scarcity
Liberia: Last Dredging of Port was 2017, Not 2012, Public Still Wonder Cause of Acute Gasoline ScarcityFPA has gathered from viewing of port records that the port was dredged in 2017 by Nordsee Dredging International, a subsidiary of Dredging Environment Marine International (DEME Group). The NPA MD said the port dredging is five years behind time, indicating that the last time the port was dredged was in 2012. FPA has gathered from viewing of port records that the port was dredged in 2017 by Nordsee Dredging International, a subsidiary of Dredging Environment Marine International (DEME Group). In 2017, Nordsee, a Norwegian company, dredged the entrance channel, harbor basin, and the quay side of the FUF(fuel unloading facility). – Mr. Malcom Scotte, Director of Public Relations, National Port AuthorityThe Communications Director at the NPA, Mr. Malcom Scott confirmed to FPA that the port was last dredged in 2017.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 10, 2020 06:56 UTC
Liberia: Power Struggle at Ministry of Justice, Workers Confused on Whose Instructions to Take
MONROVIA – Things are reportedly going amiss at the Ministry of Justice as the struggle for power between the Minister of Justice and the Solicitor General is leaving many junior staffers confused as to whose instructions to take. This paper gathered that at one instance, during a meeting involving the Solicitor General, Cllr. But at the same time, the Justice Minister is the head for this place and we have to obey him. Barely 24 hours after the pronouncement, Justice Minister Cllr. But at the same time, the Justice Minister is the head for this place and we have to obey him.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 10, 2020 06:56 UTC
Liberia: Pres. Weah Lash at Partisans for Not Voting CDC in Senatorial Election, But Dillon Says CDCians Are Appalled
Weah Lash at Partisans for Not Voting CDC in Senatorial Election, But Dillon Says CDCians Are AppalledPres. Weah urges members of his party to vent their anger by voting for the CDC, but Montserrado County Senator Darius Dillon says Pres. You cannot give your territories to people because you are angry,” President Weah told his audience. “One people had billions of dollars and nothing change here; people now using thousands of dollars and something changing,” President Weah said. Another member of the opposition bloc, Menipakei Dumoe, said President Weah should have been honest about why CDC lost to the CPP last year.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 10, 2020 06:33 UTC
Liberia: Pres. Weah’s Legal Adviser Archibald F. Bernard in ‘fistfight’ with sister over Inheritance
Ms. Puchu Bernard and President George Weah’s Legal Adviser, Cllr. Archibald F. BernardMonrovia – It was a scene of family fight between two siblings of the late Tommy Bernard over ownership of property. Archibald F. Bernard and his sister, Ms. Puchu Bernard, got into an altercation on Saturday, February 8. Among her many allegations without proof against her brother, Ms. Bernard spoke of him being a child molester. Responding to all the allegations from his sister, Cllr.
Source:Front Page Africa
February 10, 2020 06:22 UTC