• UN to expand support here, Sources: INSIGHT and The New Dawn
• Plans announced to make LINA autonomous, Source: The New Dawn
• What happens to NPA head office money?, Source: The New Dawn
• ‘Harmful’ Supermarket, Sources: FrontPage Africa, INSIGHT, New DEMOCRAT, and The INQUIRER
• House fines Farmington Hotel, Sources: INSIGHT, The INQUIRER, and The New Dawn
• President Weah’s 9th Street Home Demolished Less Than Three Months After Taking Office, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

UN to expand support here, Sources: INSIGHT and The New Dawn

UN deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed has announced that the UN Peacebuilding Fund is ready to expand its support to Liberia as the country transitions from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. Speaking Tuesday at an informal meeting of Liberia's Peacebuilding Configuration in New York, Madam Mohammed said: "the Peacebuilding Fund has been a committed partner to Liberia, lending a support of 10 million dollars in 2017 and is ready to expand its support." She, however, said much more is needed from development partners to realize Liberia's ambitions.

A dispatch from Liberia's Permanent Mission to the UN quotes the UN deputy secretary-general as saying a UN Country Team (UNCT) headed by a strengthened regional coordinator will take over from the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to ensure a more supportive and responsive presence in the country.

Noting that "peace can only be sustained with sustainable development", Mohammed said the principle funding mechanism for the UN engagement with Liberia will be the Multi-Partner Trust Fund to be managed at the country level with the government as co-chair. "It's part of ongoing reforms at the UN and such collaboration will reduce the fragmentation and duplication of development assistance and ensure the achievement of the 2030 agenda and sustain peace in Liberia," the top UN official stressed.

The UN deputy secretary-general disclosed that Liberia's new plan for national development 2018-2024 will bring together all Liberia's peacebuilding priorities and efforts to achieve the SDGs, making it much easier to produce a core for investment. "Strengthened multilateralism for us means there is much better environment for bilateral arrangements to support government in what they want to do and also bringing in business and ensuring civil society and other key actors play their parts," Madam Mohammed asserted. Read more

Plans announced to make LINA autonomous, Source: The New Dawn

The immediate past director-general of the Liberia News Agency (LINA) says the first bill he will introduce at the Legislature next week is the LINA Autonomy Bill that pushes for an autonomous status for the nation’s news agency. Jay Nagbe Sloh who is now Sinoe County representative made the pledge Tuesday at the Information Ministry when he turnover to the newly appointed LINA director-general, Kwame Weeks. Representative Sloh observed that internationally, Liberia and Burkina Faso’s news agencies look bad, vowing that he will work to ensure that Liberia’s news agency gets the support it needs to succeed. Read more

What happens to NPA head office money?, Source: The New Dawn

The New Dawn reports that the National Port Authority (NPA) seems to be between twist and turns over financial operations by previous administrations with one particular incident raising more questions than answers. The NPA under ex-managing director David Williams earmarked a corporate head office project, which was captured in the 2016/2017 fiscal period. The project was subsequently cancelled by the Williams-led administration due to lack of funds, but according to the tender document, allotment was made in the budget during the above fiscal period. Read more

‘Harmful’ Supermarket, Sources: FrontPage Africa, INSIGHT, New DEMOCRAT, and The INQUIRER

Abi Jaoudi Supermarket has pleaded guilty to “willfully and deliberately selling and maintaining expired food commodities and other consumable goods on the Liberian market, commerce and industry minister Wilson Tarpeh has told reporters in Monrovia. The supermarket made confession days after Commerce Ministry inspectors seized a truck containing expired meat, chicken, fish, and other frozen food commodities belonging to Abi Jaoudi. Some of the food commodities such as meat and chicken expiration dates far back as 2016, minister Tarpeh said.

“The George Weah administration will not accept attempt by any business to conduct itself in an evil, unlawful, and inappropriate manner that will threaten the health of Liberians and undermine the sanity of the free market,” minister Tarpeh warned. Meanwhile, a fine of USD75,000 has been imposed on the supermarket, which also enjoys a monopoly on the importation of Heineken beer. Meanwhile, lawyers representing Abi Jaoudi and Azar Trading Company have challenged the USD57,000 fine describing it as unwarranted. Read more

House fines Farmington Hotel, Sources: INSIGHT, The INQUIRER, and The New Dawn

The House of Representatives on Tuesday fined the Farmington Hotel in Margibi County the amount of USD499.99 following a row over bad labor issues complained by local staffs, but dropped a contempt charge against the hotel. During hearing on Tuesday, the House ordered that the fine be paid with immediate effect the same day. Earlier on Thursday of last week, the House charged the Farmington Hotel with contempt for not appearing in honor of a communication seeking the hotel’s response to complaints of bad labor practice against local staff at the hotel. Read more

President Weah’s 9th Street Home Demolished Less Than Three Months After Taking Office, Sources: FrontPage Africa and The New Dawn

The media reports that facing mounting questions about his reluctance to declare his assets or encourage newly-appointed members of his administration to do so; President George Weah is being heavily criticized in the wake of the demolition of his 9th Street home. Many Liberians have taken to social media to voice their anger that President Weah is undertaking a building project of his personal property without declaring his assets, especially in the backdrop of the government’s controversial pro-poor policy.

Section 10.1 of the revised Code of Conduct referencing Declaration of Assets and Performance Bonds states: “Every Public Official and Employee of Government involved in making decisions affecting contracting, tendering or procurement, and issuance of licenses of various types shall sign performance or financial bonds and shall, in addition, declare his or her income, assets and liabilities prior to taking office and thereafter: (a) at the end of every three years; (b) on promotion or progression from one level to another; (c) upon transfer to another public office; and (d) upon retirement or resignation.”

Mr. Abraham Darius Dillon of the opposition Liberty Party (LP) questioned the timing of the president’s demolition project. “It is interesting that after all these years, Mr. George Weah is only now demolishing his house when he is President of Liberia. I would not want to rush into judgment because I have no credible information as why the building is being demolished. I call on Mr. Weah to speak out and clear the air. Is the house being demolished for a new construction? Is the property being leased out? With massive corruption permeating public circles, it is over time now that Mr. Weah declared his assets in keeping with the law,” Dillon told FrontPage Africa Thursday. Read more