Africa-Press – Liberia. A year mired in multiple unexplained and high-profiled deaths made the climaxing 2021 one of the most challenging to date for the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change-led government, now limping into its fifth and crucial year of its first term.
Much of the past year was eclipsed by political undertones amid criticisms that the George Weah administration has taken its eye off the ball on a number of issues to the detriment of itself and those languishing at the bottom of the economic ladder. Like most third world countries, the COVID-19 pandemic hit an already fragile Liberia hard.
Fresh off the country’s first democratic transition of power between different political parties since 1944, the Weah administration inherited a country still trying to restore its economic sanity after the twelve-year reign of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in 2018.
Many international stakeholders fear that the departure of the United Nations Mission in Liberia, has been a contributing factor to the lingering post-war fragility that has led to much of the security challenges the administration is struggling to tackle. UNMIL had been in Liberia since the peace agreement of 2003. However, since handing over its security responsibilities to the national police and military, things have apparently gone downhill raising questions about the effectiveness of the government to maintain the peace after a brutal civil war and a successful democratic transition.
According to the International Monetary Fund, the democratic transition, coincided with the winding down of increased foreign aid after the 2014-16 Ebola outbreak and the unfolding financial debacle which caused a sharp decline in net foreign exchange inflows to the country. “This, in turn, heightened pressure on the Liberian dollar exchange rate and on inflation. To stabilize the economy, the authorities had to make difficult adjustments to an economy with less foreign exchange inflows, which created significant hardship for the Liberian people. The COVID-19 pandemic hit Liberia during this difficult adjustment phase,” according to Mika Saito of the IMF’s African Department.
The administration also took some hits from the U.S. State Department over its budget transparency. During the course of the past year, the State Department annual Fiscal Transparency Report noted that the government did not make its budget documents, including the executive budget proposal, enacted budget, and end of year report, publicly available in a reasonable period of time. ”Information on debt obligations, with the exception of state-owned enterprise debt, was widely and easily accessible to the general public, including online,” the report noted.
The report also found that foreign assistance receipts, largely project-based, were neither adequately captured in the budget nor subject to the same audit and domestic oversight as other budget items. Said the report: “Significant deviations between projected and actual revenues during the review period undercut the reliability of budget information. The supreme audit institution did not meet international standards of independence and did not make its audit reports publicly available within a reasonable period of time.”
Despite these lapses, the Weah administration was able to stay afloat both economically and politically, although poverty level remains an all-time high and most Liberians are still struggling to get by. For the sixteenth year running we look back on the performances of government ministries and agencies, offering highs and low points and outlook for the coming year, 2022.
THE EXECUTIVE
THE PRESIDENCY
THE LOWDOWN:
President Weah’s ambitious agenda to trim the government’s wage bill was greeted with mixed reviews. In his 2020 Annual Message, the president acknowledged that reducing the public wage bill was a lingering issue and a politically-sensitive problem, that plagued not just the current government but past administrations as well.
The passage of the National Remuneration and Standardization Act aimed at bringing stern reform to the public wage system triggered what some say would later prove to be a major dilemma for the administration.
While the government was trumpeted the reduction of salaries for government employees through the harmonization process as a major accomplishment, critics were unsure, particularly when reports of budget shortfall raised some questions about the success of the harmonization program.
For President Weah, who trimmed his own salary by 25% upon assuming office, and further reduced his salary again during the harmonization exercise. “This is how it should be, because as leaders, we should at all times bear the highest burden, and lead by example. We should be the first to make the cuts and sacrifices, since we are elected to SERVE the people, and their interest should always come first. The harmonization exercise was necessary to ensure that the government lives within its means,” the President said during his Annual message at the start of the year under review.”
While critics have taken the government to task over the process, the exercise did discover that more than 25,000 public workers were being paid from a General Allowance that had no particular grading system. The President has been clear that the reforms are by no means complete, and we will continue as part of efforts to perfect the wage system. “We are also continuing to remove ghost names from the public payroll. And we intend to have all Government workers identified with biometric national identification numbers by next budget year. We are also working to remove from the public payroll those who have reached retirement age.”
Approaching what could be a lame duck year for his presidency, President Weah has his work cut out for him. So far, the incumbent has defied calls for drastic changes to his government amid noticeable lapses which from all indication could make or break his prospects for a second term or drive a wedge between himself and those looking to make him a one-term president.
2021 HIGH:
President Weah scored a major victory during the course of the year under review when the Supreme Court quashed a law that automatically takes away the citizenship of any Liberian who acquires another nationality.
Although the case was a result of a petition filed by Attorney Alvin Teage Jalloh who challenged the constitutionality of parts of the Alien and Nationality Law when the Liberian Embassy in Washington refused to issue Jalloh travel documents to travel to Liberia because he had become an American citizen, the decision by the court was a victory for the ruling government.
President Weah had opted to legalize dual citizenship in the 2020 referendum, but opposition leaders called on their supporters to reject the proposition, ultimately scuppering the bill. “The court’s decision is a fulfillment of the long-held desire to ensure Liberians of all persuasions, who left the country due to the civil war, are not deprived of their rights and privileges in the land they regard as home. This is Victory for all Liberians,” said Weah said in a statement in the aftermath of the high court ruling.
During the course of the year under review, President Weah touted his government’s strides against the deadly COVID-19 and poverty as strong and progressive despite mounting challenges facing his Government.
In an address to the 76 session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, President Weah said his government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PADP) which specifically targets longstanding socioeconomic deficits of the country has also developed a Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan intended to reduce the debilitating impact of the pandemic. “Under the Economic Recovery Plan, the Liberian economy is already beginning to show signs of resurgence, and in spite of the negative impact of the coronavirus, projections for Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is now positive, and is expected to reach four percent (4%) in the coming year,” the President said on Thursday, September 23, 2021.
According to the President, through the implementation of difficult macroeconomic reforms, his government has been able to obtain a substantial increase in domestic revenue generation for the first time in more than a decade, “and we are committed to broader economic and investment climate reforms”. “In the agriculture sector for example, my Government is endeavoring to vigorously launch agricultural promotion projects, which will increase agricultural production through new entrepreneurship opportunities, innovations, and safe farming techniques.”
Conscious of the importance and impact of infrastructure on social and economic development, as enshrined in the PAPD, the Liberian Leader told the United Nations General Assembly that his Government has identified investment in roads; energy and ports as key priority areas.
President Weah acknowledged a horde of negative socio-economic impacts and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic which, according to him, “remind us of the measure of work that is required at the global and national level to combat this pestilence.”
On the domestic front, an analysis by the National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections (Naymote), recorded that the administration on few of the promises they made when they came to power. “Based on available data and records, only nine of the 113 promises were completed, constituting 8 percent of all promises,” said Naymote, a watchdog group supported by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa.
The group said almost half of Weah’s promises are ongoing and another 44 percent have not started or there is little data to provide an assessment, according to Naymote, which carries out regular reviews called the “Weah Meter”. The ruling CDC took three senate seats out of 15, with the CPP securing six senators, according to the electoral commission, with a turnout of 37 percent.
The Weah administration also adopted policies such as free university tuition and road building initiatives as examples of bright spots during the first three years
Under Weah’s watch, the government has continue the democratic sojourn, it inherited after winning the 2017 presidential elections with the successful conclusion several bi-elections and the 2020 senatorial elections.
The government has also claimed credit over its controversial process of harmonization that allowed the government to significantly reduce the wage bill by eliminating ghost names. Implementing a biometric identification card for all government employees eliminated discrepancies. We have redirected excess finances to other critical areas. Additionally, the government’s tuition-free policy for public universities and colleges announced by President Weah in 2019 and the payment by the government of all regional testing fees for WASSCE [West African Senior School Certificate Examination] have provided huge reliefs for parents. The scheme, according to the administration led to increase in school enrollments and literacy rates.
The administration has also made progress in a number of infrastructural development with the rehabilitation of existing roads, including feeder and main highways while expanding the road network. The administration is also making progress as it work toward connecting the country by paved roads, especially in the southeastern corridor.
2021 LOW:
President Weah has come under pressure since assuming the presidency over his failure to utilize the seat of the Liberian presidency, opting instead to work mostly from his Jamaica resort. Critics of the President have been struggling to understand the rationale of the President’s decision.
During the course of the year under review, the President also suffered a setback when his plan to shorten presidential terms was rejected in a much-anticipated national referendum. The mid-December constitutional referendum proposed by the president had argued against politicians staying in office for too long. But his proposal for presidents and lower house lawmakers to serve five years instead of six, and for senators to serve seven years instead of nine, sparked suspicion that the President was looking for the change in a bid to seek a third term.
The administration was dealt a major blow over its failure to maintain the Millennium Challenge Account, one of the underlining factors defining the bread and butter issue of the government’s pro-poor agenda.
The government’s failure drew strong rebuke from the United States Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy who pressed the administration during the course of the year under review to step up its effort to strengthen areas of governance, especially the fight against corruption, as identified in the MCC’s scorecard.
A year prior, Liberia only passed nine of the twenty indicators, as released by the MCC in its Fiscal Year 2022 report. The eleven indicators that Liberia failed include the Rule of Law, fiscal policy, primary education expenditure, natural resource protection, inflation, trade Policy, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, immunization rates, girls’ primary education completion rate and child health. While the nine indicators it passed include political rights, civil liberties, freedom of information, gender in the economy, land rights and ccess, Health expenditures, Access to Credit, Business Start-Up and Control of Corruption.
Addressing a monthly press roundtable in November, Ambassador McCarthy commended Liberia for scoring well in some of the indicators that other countries struggled to pass, including political rights, civil liberties, and freedom of information.
The government also came under fire when in August, Ambassador took the Liberia Electricity Corporation over massive power theft which was contributing to losses to the local economy and the upkeep of the corporation. “The LEC’s international management team has greatly improved LEC’s operational readiness and facilities. Even so, widespread power theft and unpaid power bills have placed LEC in a financial crisis from which it cannot recover without immediate intervention and support from the Liberian Government,” the ambassador noted while lamenting that more than half of all electricity LEC generates is not paid for.
President Weah’s efforts appear to be thwarted by lapses in governance with threatens his quest to win the embrace of the Biden administration and Washington as a whole. The President has his work cut out as he aims to satisfy the concerns of international stakeholders and the donor community.
FOREIGN POLICY GRADE
: B-
DOMESTIC GRADE:
B-
2022 OUTLOOK:
The Weah administration faces a daunting task as it approaches election year 2023. As an incumbent, the President’s populist brand still ranks high amongst his core grassroot base. While there may be some disappointment, the President is bolstered by ongoing infighting within the opposition alliance and appears to be in the driver’s seat for a second term unless the opposition can muster the courage and resist the temptation to remain divided. For now, the only thing probably standing in the way of President Weah and a second term, is himself – and those in his inner circle. Every step in the months leading 2023 will be decisive as to whether Liberians are content with the Weah’s government performance – or will they be ready to give the opposition a shot.
THE VICE PRESIDENCY
THE LOW DOWN
President Weah and his Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor’s was a marriage of political convenience from the start. Since ascending to the leadership however, the pair’s relationship has been eclipsed by on-and-off again recurring drama mired in distrust and uncertainty.
The chatters surrounding the pair has led to unending rumors that President Weah is contemplating dropping the vice president for his second quest for the presidency. In June however, President Weah moved to dismiss those speculations, trumpeting the crucial political capital the former First Lady and Senator from vote-rich Bong County brings to the table.
The VP’s office has oversight over the Liberia National Lotteries, the National Center for the Coordination of Response Mechanism (NCCRM), Chair of the Youth Steering Committee, Chair of the One Health Platform, and the Group of 77 (with oversight over a segment of persons living with disabilities). The Office of the Vice President has increasingly focused on issues of Generational Equality, Youth Empowerment and Sexual and Gender based violence issues, over the year in review. Because of the scope of these issues, the assignments under this Office have expanded to include additional areas in Education, Economic Empowerment and Social Enterprise interventions.
In June, while in Salayea District, Lofa County at the start of his five-day tour of the county, the President, in a carefully-worded remark dropped more than a few hints about his plans to retain his Vice President as his running mate in the 2023 presidential elections.
Describing his collaboration with the former Bong County senator in the 2017 presidential elections as “the perfect team”, the Liberian leader said he looks forward to working with his “brilliant and politically-smart” vice president beyond 2023 when their first term ends. “In 2017, Jewel Howard-Taylor and I came here in Salayea District to ask for your vote, and you voted us. Three years into our first term, we have come back to tell you thank you for your votes,” President Weah said.
The President added: “The team you elected is a very good one and I hope we will continue to work for the Liberian people beyond the first six-year mandate you people gave us. I have a vice president whom I rely on so much in this government for key decisions. People say Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor is smarter than me, but I say to myself, I am smart because I selected a very smart vice president in Jewel Howard-Taylor. I am enjoy working with my vice president, and I hope we can continue this working relationship beyond our six-year mandate,” the President said.
2021 HIGH: During the course of the year under review, the Vice President took a strong position on a controversial topical issue, asserting that rapists should serve maximum sentence when they rape children under 18 in order to send a strong statement that rape is unacceptable in the Liberian society. “We must send a strong signal that Sexual and Gender Based Violence is unacceptable, especially for children below 18 and if a person rapes a child that is two or three years old, I think that person should get the maximum sentence available. We must send a strong signal that this is unacceptable,” said Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor.
During the year, the Vice President not only raised her voice about the alarming situation of Sexual and Gender based violence across the Nation but was also personally involved. The Vice President intervened, visited and provided financial and other support to many victims. Key amongst which is a Victim (name withheld) from Cape Mount County who was raped by her teacher (who has since fled the country to Sierra Leone). The Vice President visited the victim and continues to provide educational and monthly support to the victim and baby.
There have been many similar instances of such, where financial support and educational opportunities are being provided on a sustained basis. In order to ensure substantial support to victims of sexual violence and abuse; the Office of the Vice President has gone a step further to initiate, in collaboration with the YWCA, the building of a Training Facility and a Safe Home for victims of sexual abuse. This project is currently ongoing, with support from GOL, CEMENCO, Spoon Foundation and the Shippers Association of Liberia. It is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2022.
On generational equality, the VPs Office provided opportunities for females to SUCEED, by investing in generational equality issues of Affordable and Accessible Educational opportunities for underprivileged girls.
As a result, Office of the Vice President currently provides educational grants to over 300 girls in high schools and Universities across the Country; keeping in mind that equality is about additional chances being given to those less fortunate ones.
On the Group of 77, the Office of the Vice President, which provides support to persons living with disabilities, interventions were made. To date, there are about 10,000 registered members across the Nation. The mandate during this year was to increase monthly rations, provide educational support, and empowerment through skills training and agriculture, to ensure self-empowerment.
The Office of the Vice President, through the Group of 77, opened an agricultural farm in Todee, Montserrado County which is currently being operated by people living with disabilities under the G77 banner. As a result of the serious work being done in Todee and the need to empower more members of this group, the G77 unit commenced securing of all lands officially deeded to this organization by previous Governments, which have been encroached upon. The Office has engaged the Land Authority to resurvey said lands in Virginia and Todee. The plan is to remove the encroachments and utilize both sites for the building of a training center, housing for persons living with disabilities and create a productive Agricultural Site.
Also, during the course of the year, the VPs office engaged in the training of 25 G77 members in an empowerment scheme to make FIRE STARTERS for local consumption. This was done by a local Environmental Agency established under the banner of Green Gold.
The VPO also engaged in the monthly provision of food rations of 25kg bags of rice for many of our beneficiaries, instead of cups of rice as was done previously.
The Office of the Vice President has oversight responsibilities over the Liberian National Lotteries Authority (NLA), and an Officer serves as Chairperson of the Board. The NLA is responsible for providing funds to persons living with Disabilities and supports the Group of 77 to cater for people with disabilities. During the period under review, the NLA provided food and assorted items to the Group of 77 for the Independence Day celebrations; and should provide food rations for holidays. The NLA has agreed to assist the G77 in the resurveying of its acres of land located in Todee, Brewerville and other places outside of Montserrado County. Once secured, said Land is expected to host the future headquarters, schools, hospitals, recreational centers, etc. for people living with disabilities.
The Vice President as the Chair of the Youth Sector Steering Committee (YSSC) is responsible for coordinating all youth related projects being implemented by the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports. The largest of the youth projects being implemented is the Youth Opportunities Project (YOP). The project became effective on September 30, 2016, and implementation commenced on January 9, 2017, after its national launch. The objective of the Project is to improve access to income generation opportunities for targeted and identified youth. The current YOP project targets about 15,000 youth across the country with a budget of USD$13.5 million with US$ 10 million from the World Bank (as a loan) and US$ 3.5 million from the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)(as a
grant). This project is expected to be implemented in several Counties including Montserrado. As a continuous program, its impact has touched the lives of thousands of young Liberians.
The Government of Liberia’s One Health Platform was launched during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak. Since its formation, the Vice President serves as Chair of that Platform. During the period under review, the Platform has been instrumental in coordinating activities of all institutions in the health sector to combat the spread of COVID 19 and provide Covid relief to particular segments of the population. The key role has been to liaise with the National Public Health Institute of Liberia and Ministry of Health in formulating and advising Government on safety and public health measure intended to safeguard citizens as we confront the global COVID 19 pandemic.
The Vice President is chair of the National Center for the Coordination of Response Mechanism (NCCRM); an ECOWAS early response initiative which is responsible to sound the alarm of any threat to the Nation. Over the past year, amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic, in an attempt to keep an eye on the Pandemic , National Response, and Covid impact in Liberia, the Center has kept an active eye on this pandemic; it has produced eleven (11) monthly situation reports, six (6) alerts, four (4) policy briefs, five (5) situation updates and four (4) shorter briefs on the current situation; which has been sent to the appropriate authorities at the National and International bodies for response and actions.
Key issues presented through its reporting systems for timely action included the outbreak of COVID-19, refusal of citizens to follow health protocols and mandates issued by the government, political tensions and election related violence, increase in sexual and gender based violence and other forms of domestic violence against girls and women, fire outbreak resulting to death, issues of the need for accessible health facilities and services in some part of the country, malnutrition, increased incidents of HIV across the country, and the increase in maternal mortality in parts of in Liberia.
The Center during the year under review, identified an increase in child trafficking and abuse, increased illegal miming by foreigners, lack of a sustainable waste management scheme; negative climate change effects which result in heavy rainfall and floods leading to diverse negative social impacts on the population.
2021 LOW:
The Vice President came under fire during the year under review over a controversial and what some administration officials touted as an ill-advised trip to Russia to attend the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia.The visit came at a time when the Weah administration is trying to shore up its standing with the Biden administration.
According to the VP’s office, she was a Guest in St. Petersburg, by the Russian Federation to attend the 3rd Eurasian Women Forum. The Forum, according to the VP’s office, was created to champion the Women’s Economic and Political Empowerment, especially between African and Eurasian Women. In her comments during the Summit, she called for equal economic opportunity and equal access to Education, Trade, and inclusion in the Labor force. The Vice President ended her comments by reiterating that – “Women can compete; they just need a level playing field.” She challenged Women in Europe to do more to ensure full partnerships with African Women in Businesses.
Relationship between the US and Russia although critical has not been the best in recent years amid lingering claims that Moscow continues to interfer in US elections. The U.S. National Security Strategy declares Russia and China the two top threats to U.S. national security despite the two sides often engulfed in unending competition and mostly adversarial ties.
GRADE:
B 2022 OUTLOOK: Of late there has been mounting speculations that the NPP which the vice president commands major influence have been contemplating breaking away from the ruling CDC coalition amid concerns that jobs and other benefits have been uneven distributed since the coalition ascended to power. But more importantly, the vice president and her aides are growing increasingly worry over her fate in the aftermath of the 2023 elections. Would it be much more of the same or would she have more say on matters of decision making and influence?
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
THE LOWDOWN: The ministry of government responsible for developing the agriculture sector and ensuring that challenges that impede production are investigated, continues to face numerous challenges and the year under review was no exception.
Agriculture, including forestry, remains the primary livelihood for more than 60 percent of Liberia’s population and accounted for 31 percent of Liberia’s 2020 real gross domestic product (GDP). It provides sustenance for many households engaging in cassava, rubber, rice, oil palm, cocoa, or sugarcane production. Despite a high degree of involvement by the local population, the sector’s productivity remains low owing to the lack of technology and poor pest management essentials, combined with the extremely limited use of fertilizer and other modern cultivation methods.
The lack of adequate investment in the sector remains a challenge especially amid lingering and abject poverty. Some 51 per cent of the population lives in rural areas where poverty is heavily concentrated and most Liberians lack access to basic infrastructure and social services amid poor roads leave which leave areas inaccessible. While some 55 per cent of rural Liberian households are food insecure, the country’s economy depends heavily on exports of minerals, leaving 48.9 per cent of the workforce, mainly in smallholder and subsistence farming, who rely on the sector struggling to make ends meet.
Trumpeting his administration’s commitment to sustainable food systems among world leaders at the UN Food Systems Summit in September, President George Weah pledged to ensure that Women, who are widely considered a driving force of our country’s food production, have direct access to basic support and resources – access to arable land through titled ownerships, financial loans and grants, market links, technology, training and extension services to ensure viable food systems. “We will act to ensure that Youths are encouraged to get more involved in food systems to reduce unemployment and enhance well-being.”
During the course of the year under review, Minister Jeanine Millie Cooper trumpeted a focus on food and crop production, saying that food grown in Liberia are superior to food grown in other countries.
In March, the minister while supporting a local agriculture group, Agro Tech at the University of Liberia Fendell Campus, reechoed President Weah’s slogan, “eat what you grow, and grow what you eat.”
2021 HIGH:
During the course of the year under review, the MOA signed three new projects with partners to empower farmers in Liberia to increase crop production. The projects were signed with the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and the International Funds for Agricultural Development, respectively.
The projects which will be executed over the next five years in 13 counties, will specifically focus on the food crops value chain, infrastructure development through the building of farm-to-market roads, and increasing resilience to climax change. The new project includes a fund to pave 40 kilometers of road from Tappita, Nimba County to Totota, Bong Country.
The project’s focus is to provide cash grants to Liberian agribusinesses, cooperatives, farmer groups, and commercial farmers to increase their outputs, Madam Cooper details.
Additionally, in June, the World Bank Board approved a new financing to increase productivity and market access for smallholder farmers and agri-enterprises in Liberia. This new financing targets 60,000 persons, 50 percent of whom are women, mainly smallholder farmers and agri-entrepreneurs (private agribusiness investors, cooperatives, and SME processing or providing other services to agri-food systems) who are engaged in the selected value chains.
Funded by the International Development Association (IDA), the $55 million credit financing will seek to address challenges for developing agri-food value chains and pave the way for rural economic transformation. Also, during the course of the year, the United States Government, through the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA), formally extended an invitation to the Government of Liberia for the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) to join the US Government’s Sustainable Productivity Growth for Food Security and Resource Conservation Action Coalition.
The MOA fully organized the UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) Dialogues for Liberia recently to help stakeholders better understand and manage the complex choices that affect the future of food systems and to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The ministry also through its executed project – the Tree Crops Extension Project (TCEP) –completed the construction of three of four warehouses for cocoa farmers in remote cocoa-endowed towns in Nimba County.
Inadequate or lack of storage facilities in rural communities is one of the key constraints Liberian farmers continue to face which lead to post harvest losses of food crops.
For Minister Cooper, the facility was one of the practical interventions and support to farmers that the MOA has been threading on through the direction of President Weah. The warehouses with annexed offices have been completed in three cocoa-rich towns in central and eastern Nimba County precisely in Nyor-diaplay, Blolay and Bioyodar towns.
In August, MOA received a major boost when the Mission Director of the United States Agency for International Development Liberia Mission Director Jim Wright pledged continued support to the sector in Liberia, declaring that the United States remains committed to helping the Ministry fully use resources to make “agriculture an engine of economic growth and job creation” for the Liberian people.
The USAID’s agriculture support is also focused on engaging the private sector to invest in agribusiness. Working with local banks, USAID helped improve Liberians’ access to financing to invest in agribusiness operations such as post-harvest processing and produce marketing by smallholder farmers. These efforts are part of a broader USAID strategy to achieve market-driven inclusive economic growth that supports job creation, especially for women and youth.
2021 LOW:
During the course of the year under review, the Plenary of the Senate cited Minister Cooper for her alleged non-compliance and non-cooperative attitude exhibited towards the Statutory Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. The decision was based on Minister Cooper’s failure to appear before the full Plenary of the Liberian Senate on Tuesday, October 26 after a summoned order.
The senators, during Tuesday session, expressed disappointment with respect to the manner and form the minister addressed her communication detailing an excuse to the Plenary, which some senators described as “more justifiable than an excused communication”.
In her communication of excuse, Minister Cooper cited her absence from the country as reason for not being able to honor the citation of the Liberian Senate. The minister explained that she left the country on October 24 to form part of the President George Weah’s advance team of delegation to the Conference of Parties on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Glasgow, Scotland. GRADE: B
2022 OUTLOOK:
Will the new year see Liberia slow down on its reliance on rice importation and end its vulnerability to global food price volatility?
MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY
THE LOWDOWN: The ministry responsible for the growth and development of Liberia’s economy and international trade found itself struggling to control prices of basic commodity during the course of the year under review.
Much of the government’s policies require the ministry to explore commerce and trade issues that facilitate private sector growth and innovations, while setting standards that will empower consumers to make informed decisions that will improve the lives of those languishing at the bottom of the economic ladder.
The country’s economy is market-based and largely dependent on natural resources, foreign aid, and foreign direct investment. Liberia relies primarily on commodity exports (mainly rubber, iron ore, and gold) as major sources of export earnings. With limited access to finance, cumbersome tax regulations, declining global market prices of export commodities, weak institutional capacity, and a shortage of skilled labor, the MoC, faced numerous challenges in dealing with every consumer issues.
Despite the country’s long-standing ties with the World Trade Organization, Liberians are yet to fully benefit from increased trade integration. Like the previous administration, the current CDC-led government has been boggled down with multiple domestic constraints for firms to invest, produce, and export.
At the end of the civil war, and ushering of the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf-led government, significant progress was made on macroeconomic stabilization, the improvement of the overall business environment, the modernization of customs procedures, and increases in the capacity for facilitating trade.
Critics however point to mounting issues and unnecessary bottlenecks which continue to hold back Liberia’s competitiveness, leading to a stiffening of trade.
Today, not very many local firms have opportunities to take part in international markets to showcase their work, making it difficult to compete with countries in the West African sub-region.
Complicating things for local farmers and businesses, is the fact that exports are highly concentrated on very few primary products and few destination markets, making Liberia vulnerable. Additionally, trade capacity for effective participation in global markets is limited, and the quality of goods and services produced domestically is generally low, not least due to the low level of technology and lack of value chains. More importantly, Liberians continue to complain about the high cost of doing business – thanks to the bottlenecks.
2021 HIGHS:
During the course of the year under review, the MoC made significant strides with the World Trade Organization regarding the development of a balanced and effective structure that enables innovation and creativity for patents, copyrights, and trademarks, where people earn recognition for what they invent or create.
The minister cited the single window endeavor at the Freeport of Monrovia undertaking large-scale accession commitments and implementing the WTO Post-Accession Implementation Plan. During a presentation in Geneva, Minister Diggs explained that the plan is aimed at continuing with the reforms and transformation in critical areas, such as tariff regulation, trade facilitation, taxation, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, economic diversification and many others.
Also, during the course of the year, the ministry threatened legal action against anyone hoarding Liberia’s staple food (rice).The threat came as many local suppliers were hoarding the price of the staple foot. The minister couraged Liberians not to give credence to anyone who will create a situation that will take to country to a situation that have the propensity to under the peace and stability of the country.
T
he ministry also issued a number of regulations intended to govern the conduct of trade and commerce throughout Liberia. he regulations, in line with the Ministry’s efforts to ensure a conducive business environment where goods and services are available and affordable include the following: hat all businesses operating within the Republic carry on all commercial transactions in both Liberian and United States Dollars in accordance with the 2019 Administrative Regulation, as the two currencies are legal tenders; All businesses are also instructed to display the daily Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) exchange rate as well as a full price list of commodities in both Liberian and United States Dollars at their business premises at all times to give consumers purchasing options; In line with the measures, the Ministry warns all business entities against coercing consumers to transact or purchase goods and services in either of the dual currencies in the Liberian economy; noting that doing so will be a breach of the 2019 Administrative Regulation, which constitutes an offence punishable by law through appropriate fines upon proven violation; At the same time, all business entities are required to take due notice of prevailing CBL daily exchange rate in setting the prices of their goods; As part of the regulations announced on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, all purchases at all medium and large businesses above LRD$500.00 (Five Hundred Liberian Dollars) should be invoiced to authenticate price stabilization.
In addition, the ministry also declared that Inspectorate Division would monitor all businesses to ensure full compliance in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice
2021 LOWS:
During the course of the year under review, Minister Marwine Diggs was forced to send out communications to local importers, requesting all to submit import documents for the period October 2020 to present, for the importation of goods which include but not limited to copies of INF Forms, payment invoices, Bill of Lading, Port charges and all payments related to the clearing of your goods from the free port of Monrovia to the warehouses of businesses.
The move came amid concerns that there was active and illegal practices in existence involving the illicit issuance and/or manipulation of Import Permits Declaration (IPDs) by local manufacturing companies.
According to the Ministry, the alleged illegal IPDs have resulted in low quality, imported eggs, biscuits and other essential commodities and goods with under-declared value, all of which are depriving Government of legal revenues. However, some businesses have complained that BIVAC has not been carrying out inspection. it is the duty of Bureau Veritas (BIVAC) to inspect imported goods and the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Commerce have an agreement with BIVAC to inspect.
Business contend that it is BIVAC who determines goods are low quality and should not be the responsibility of the Ministry of Commerce. This was part of the reason President in December 2020, issued Executive Order No. 103 in an effort to stimulate economic growth. However, the goal to exempt all commercial importers of goods into Liberia from seeking Import Permit Declaration (IPD) was rarely materialized during the year under review.
Despite the ban, a recent FrontPageAfrica investigation found that the ministry is still requiring businesses to process IPDs. The Executive Order stated, “All Commercial Importers of goods into Liberia are exempted from seeking Import Permits and filling Import Permit Declarations. In lieu of the Import Permit Declaration (IPD), the Import Notification Form (INF) is now being used as an administrative document to collect trade statistical data to monitor the inflow and outflow of goods and facilitate trade in the Commerce of Liberia.”
The lack of adherence to the President’s mandate at the Ministry of Commerce, have compelled businesses to seek IPD as the Ministry of Commerce has been reneging on the issuance of the IPD.
As Liberians experiencing jump in the price of the staple food, rice from USD$13.50 cent to almost USD$20.00, Commerce authorities were forced to step in to calm the situation regarding the sensitive nature of the price control, particularly, rice.
Minister Diggs attributed the hike in the price of rice to speculations in the public that the commodity is not in Country and maintained that there’s sufficient rice on the Market and disclosed plans by Government of Liberia to work, with Rice importers to resolve the situation in a shorted possible time.
What the minister failed to note is the fact that importers are having nightmares offloading rice from vessels at the Free Port of Monrovia which often leads to delays. GRADE: C
2022 OUTLOOK:
Will the ministry finally solve the lingering IPD issue? When will authorities get a grip of the nagging price gouging issue?
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
THE LOWDOWN: The ministry responsible for providing quality education for all and preparing future leaders has been struggling to rediscover Liberia’s pre-war education system.
A lingering brain-drain brought on by 14 years of civil wars, gravely affected the education system making the rebuilding of the education system all the more challenging amid concerns that the country lacks data about schools and teachers which has hindered the government’s ability to accurately allocate resources.
According to the United Nations Education Children’s Fund(UNICEF), Africa’s oldest republic still has one of the world’s highest levels of out-school children, with an estimated 15 to 20 per cent of 6–14 year-olds who are not in class. This means, just over a third of pre-schoolers have access to early childhood learning programmes and only 54 per cent of children complete primary education.
While the sector has seen some progress since the end of the civil war, challenges remain. In 2015, close to 1.4 million children were registered in pre-primary, primary and high school. In addition, the Ministry of Education, UNICEF and other partners teamed up and continue to repair or build new classrooms, train teachers, revise curricula and develop policies and plans for the education sector.
In recent years, the United States Aid for International Development(USAID) in concert with other donors, has been working with the ministry to address access to education, quality of instruction, and improved governance of the Liberian education system. USAID education programs focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning (especially early grade reading) and increasing equitable access to safe learning opportunities for all learners, including students with disabilities, girls, and youth who missed out on education during the civil wars. USAID programming also taps into the energy and dynamism of Liberia’s large youth population through a new activity that emphasizes developing the capacity of young Liberians to be key players in their country’s journey to self-reliance.
Despite the challenges, Minister Ansu Sonii has continued to express a willingness to improve the quality of Liberian educational system from being a best mess to a better learning environment. While the pledge has been good paper, the reality is the minister appears to be biting more than he can chew.
Among the steps the ministry under took over the past year, were efforts to improve the availability of qualify teachers, upgrade curriculum and improve the infrastructure development of the various public schools across the country.
2021 HIGH:
During the course of the year under review, the ministry announced that the closure of schools for the academic year will be done in phases, contrary to public outcry for the abrupt closure of schools.
In March, the House of Representatives passed a bill seeking to “create a special education scheme to support deserving students attending public tertiary institutions across Liberia. The Bill is titled “An Act to Create a Special Education Fund to Support and Sustain the Tuition Free Scheme for the University of Liberia, All Public Universities and Colleges’ Program and the Free WASSCE fess for Ninth and Twelfth Graders in Liberia, or the Weah Education Fund (WEF) for short.
The bill when enacted into law, will make all public colleges and universities “tuition-free”. The passage of this bill by the Lower House has been met by mixed reactions across the country: young, old, educated, not educated, stakeholders, parents, teachers among others, have all voiced their opinions about thd bill. While some are celebrating this purported huge milestone in the education sector, others are still skeptical that this bill may only increase access but not address the structural challenges within the sector. I join forces with the latter, and in this article, I discuss the quality and access concept in our education sector and why quality is important than access. I recommend urgent action to improve quality for learners in K-12.
2021 LOW:
Over the course of the year under review, the ministry came under fire over the rampant rise in school fees. The issue drew attention of the Senate which summoned the minister to address the issues of hike in tuitions and removal of names from the ministry’s payroll.
The Plenary’s decision followed concerns raised by Senators Edwin Melvin Snowe of Bomi County and Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County, respectively.
The Senators argued that a hike in tuition at the start of a new academic year, particularly in private schools continues to pose a serious challenge to most parents, who cannot afford it amid a general economic decline that is exacerbated by the global health pandemic. Some of the schools increase tuition and fees as high as a hundred percent, each academic year, but provide no new learning facilities or environment despite their astronomical charges.
The minister has also come under sharp public criticism recently for operating his own private institution that similarly charges exorbitant tuition and fees.
The action prompted the ministry to warn administrators in some public schools against unauthorized increase in the annual registration fees for public schools without remorse, the development it termed as willfully and intentionally undermining the good intention of the government and vowed to severely penalize the defaulting administrators.
During the course of the year under review, Liberia once again experienced poor results in the WASSCE for Private Candidates (PC), 2020-Second Series.
WASSCE for PC, 2020-Second Series was administered at twenty (20) centers in seven cities: Kakata and Harbel, in Margibi County, Ganta, Nimba County, Tubmanburg, Bomi County, Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Gbarnga, Bong County, and Monrovia and its environs in Montserrado County from November 29, 2020 to December 14, 2020.
According to the West African Examination Examinations Council(WAEC), a total of 2,013 candidates, comprising 956 males and 1,057 females registered for the examination. Of the total number of registered candidates, 1, 612 candidates, representing 80.8% sat the exam. This figure comprises 764 males and 848 females.
The results for WASSCE for PC, 2020-Second Series, said the release, show that six (6) of the candidates, three (3) males and three (3) females passed with credits in both Mathematics and English Language, while a total of three (3) males passed with credits in Mathematics, English Language and three additional subjects.
The results also reveal that sixty-nine (69) candidates comprising 38 males and 31 females, passed in at least five subjects, while 314 candidates comprising 176 males and one hundred thirty-eight (138) females, passed in at least three subjects. It stated that a total 1,070 candidates comprising 546 males and 524 females passed in at least one subject, while a 510 candidates comprising 198 males and 312 females failed in all of the subjects.
GRADE:
F
2022 OUTLOOK:
Will Minister Sonii finally address the issue of his private school? Will he put his words into action regarding the lowering of tuition and graduation fees?
MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
THE LOWDOWN:
The deadly Covid-19 pandemic is having severe impact on Liberia’s economy – as it is in most countries around the world, making the outlook, according to the World Bank a bit uncertain. A modest 3.7% rate of growth was expected at the end of 2021, with 4.7 % projected for end of the coming year, 2022.
Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have stated that structural reforms are needed to alleviate economic constraints and support diversification to enable a sustainable recovery and a better post-pandemic future.
The World Bank recent Economic Update discussed a rebound in economic activity, noting that inflationary pressures have moderated. However, the rate of inflation slowed steadily to 7.1% by July 2021 due to a decline in food prices and the CBL’s cautious monetary stance.
Minister Samuel Tweah acknowledged to during the World Bank Economic Update that the main priority of the Government has been to increase growth that is sustainable and inclusive. “That means increasing the productivity of the agriculture sector and linking farmers to urban and regional markets through better roads and transportation infrastructure. It also means increasing access to clean and affordable electricity, particularly in rural areas, and digitizing our economy, especially through digital finance.”
Through the national budget the Government has been trying to implement a range of projects while keeping civil salary payments constant and on time. Domestic revenue saw a strong performance in FY 2020/2021 but analysts can critics note that the Government would have to show the impact of this revenue increase in the lives of the people. The World Bank Update does show that the poverty situation in Liberia still remains challenging, with the Bank pushing the but the Government through the MFDP to do more to translate increases in revenue to reducing poverty and to better public sector performances at Ministries and Agencies.
2021 HIGH:
During the course of the year under review, Liberia’s fiscal position improved in the first five months of 2021 due to increased revenues and spending consolidation, according to the World Bank.
The WB reports that total revenues and grants increased to $249.3 million, while total expenditure reached $286.4 million, yielding a fiscal deficit of $37.1 million (1.1% of GDP). “With the amended PFM act requiring Liberia to align its fiscal year to the calendar year by 2022, the legislature has approved a special budget to fund fiscal operations from July 1 to December 31, 2021. Total revenues and grants are projected at $429 million (12.7% of GDP) between July 1st and December 31, 2021, with domestic revenue representing 70% of public resources. Total expenditure is projected at $458.2 million (13.6% of GDP, including donor-financed projects), with current expenditure representing 60% of the special budget. The fiscal deficit of the special budget is projected at 0.9% of GDP and is expected to be fully financed by external loans.”
During the year under review, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed its third review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF).
The IMF reported that the four-year ECF arrangement, with a total access of SDR 155 million (60 percent of quota or about US$214.30 million) was approved by the IMF Executive Board on December 11, 2019. Completion of the third review enables the immediate disbursement of SDR 17 million (US$23.64 million), bringing total disbursements under the arrangement to SDR 68 million (US$94.8 million). On August 23, 2021, Liberia received SDR 247.7 million (US$345.3 million) in the context of the general SDR allocation to the IMF’s membership.
According to the IMF, program performance has been mixed, with a favorable fiscal outturn but delays in the implementation of the structural reform agenda. Despite the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the authorities have kept the program broadly on track and maintained macroeconomic stability, with the fiscal deficit slightly declining to 4.2 percent of GDP thanks to higher grants, and inflation receding to 13 percent in 2020. While the economy contracted by 3 percent in 2020, for 2021, growth of 3.6 percent is expected, with the fiscal deficit declining further to 2.4 percent of GDP, and inflation reaching the single digits.
“The authorities intend to use the new SDR allocation to strengthen the reserve position, increase spending on the vaccination program, support high-quality development projects, and retire expensive debt. Fiscal reforms should focus on containing wage bill, enhancing domestic revenue mobilization, improving the quality of public spending, and operationalizing a Treasury Single Account. The authorities are committed to refraining from monetary financing of the budget and non-concessional external borrowing. Timely publication of public procurement information and audits of the government’s Annual Financial Statements remains a priority.
“The accommodative monetary policy stance improves liquidity and supports the recovery. The upcoming currency changeover operation brings benefits but requires strong efforts to manage operational risks and the further elaboration of the time-bound implementation plan to ensure a smooth transition. Further efforts are needed to enhance the central banks’ independence, governance, and transparency.
“Strengthening and developing the financial sector remains a priority. Ongoing bank restructuring and the bolstering of the supervisory toolkit are welcomed measures. The authorities are committed to addressing the high levels of non-performing loans and weaknesses in the AML/CFT regime.
“Efforts to fight corruption are key to the success of the program and better development prospects for the country. While the recent improvements in transparency and the governance framework are welcome, more rigorous implementation of reforms would help to ensure tangible results. It will be important to accelerate structural reforms to improve the business climate for private sector development.”
Both the World Bank’s Economic Update and the IMF’s latest report do speak to strong fiscal performance in the year under review. The Government has generally stabilized the salary situation which were a serious problems in 2019. The real challenge remains how to translate these fiscal gains into long term impact in the lives of people.
2021 LOW:
Despite inroads made by the ministry during the course of the year under review, the administration fell short of the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) required passing mark, which is required for the Government to seek a second Compact to support its development agenda.
All this gainst the backdrop of a high profile visit with Senator Lindsey Graham to promised to champion Liberia’s case with the MCC. Frontpage Africa has learned that Senator Graham did write MCC management a letter urging the Corporation to give Liberia a favorable treatment ‘once it met the minimum passing level”. Despite this strong show of support, Liberia passed 9 indicators when it needed to pass 10 to be eligible.
Eligibility for the MCC funding is predicated upon a country passing at least 10 of the 20 indicators, as well as both categories “hard hurdles” categories – the political rights or civil liberties indicator, and the control of corruption indicator.As for FY2022, the Weah administration scored 50% on rule of law, 94% on gender in the economy, 77% on land rights and access; but failed in primary education (27%), and protection of natural resources (19%). The government also failed with regard to girls’ education (23%), child health (33%), fiscal policy (38%), Inflation (17.0%), regulatory quality (38%), trade policy (37%), and government’s effectiveness (31%).
The failing mark drew strong rebuke from United States Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy who called on the Liberian Government to step up its effort to strengthen areas of governance, especially the fight against corruption, as identified in the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) scorecard. “We urge Liberia to redouble its efforts to strengthen areas of governance identified in the scorecard, with particular focus on taking concrete steps to combat corruption sustainably increasing the overall number of indicators passed,” the Ambassador asserted.
Also, structural payroll reforms still continue to dog the Ministry. A Memorandum of Understanding signed with public sector workers almost a year now has not been implemented to a high level of success, though some progress has been made. The last grading of the MOU was around 50% and workers and teachers are still complaining about slow progress in several areas.
Teachers of the Monrovia Consolidated School System, MCSS, the very school system the Minister hails from, had to stage a one day protest on concerns related to the impact of the exchange rate on their salary, which means the MFDP has not yet figured a framework for stabilizing workers pay when the exchange rage changes either in a positive or a negative direction.
Report from the meeting says the Minister assured teachers of the MCC that the Government would propose a formula to the legislature during the FY 2022 budget discussion.
Also prices have been slow to adjust after recent exchange rate movements, and the MFDP, which chairs the Technical Economic Management Team, has yet to ensure that prices adjust to the recent changes in the exchange rate. Consumers continue to complain about the disparity but the Minister in recent public statements have only offered what critics say are weak assurances.
GRADE:
B +
2022 OUTLOOK:
The World Bank is projecting Liberia’s economy to expand by an average of 4.9% in the new year. While growth will be driven mainly by the mining sector and external demand, structural reforms are expected to increase activity in mining, agriculture, and construction. Per capita GDP is expected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels by 2023. The IMF also foresees the economy to be on track to rebound strongly in the new year, following the setback from the COVID-19 pandemic. “The medium-term outlook is favorable and the authorities are committed to steadfast implementation of their macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform program,” the IMF concluded on the year.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
THE LOWDOWN:
Minister Dee-Maxwell Kemayah assumed leadership at the ministry last September with a promise to institute reforms in the passport division by ensuring system and control and the availability of human resources. The new Foreign Minister also made a pledge to rotate some foreign staff, a policy which proved controversial and did not sit well with many within the ministry uneasy about the minister’s ambitious agenda.
During the course of the year under review, the ministry responsible for directing Liberia’s external relations and the management of its international diplomatic missions
2021 HIGH: During the course of the year under review, Minister Kemayah held a number of retreats aimed at fulfilling his promise of massive reforms of the Ministry in a bid to provide a blueprint to guide the affairs of the Ministry.
The minister’s three-fold-vision for the passport was bolstered by the announcement that the price of the Liberian passport would reduced, while emphasizing the reduction on the waiting time for applicants.
Additionally, the minister took bold steps during the course of the year under review to strengthen the integrity and credibility of the Liberian passport, describing the accessibility to and integrity of the Liberian Passports as fundamental human rights. For Kemayah, affordability and accessibility would allow citizens travel freely abroad without hindrances.
In a bid to address the issue of fraud, the ministry, in collaboration with Buck Press, through its corporate social responsibility, installed CCTV infrastructure for effective monitoring of movement of people coming in and out of the passport areas, in a bid to unearth frauds or illegal transactions that might take place during the issuance of passports.
In March, Minister Kemayah shutdown what he termed as a “black market” at the Ministry wherein Liberians and the government of Liberia were being exploited. “We have closed the general black market that people used to use to collect fees that were not going in government coffers,” Minister Kemayah said in March.
Minister Kemayah, at a briefing, said it was observed that payments for the services of obtaining laissez-passers, apostilles or attestations and corporate jackets were not going into government revenue but into individual accounts. The services were suspended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after it was realized that individuals were embezzling the funds generated by the ministry and diverting them to private use instead of government coffers.
During the year under review, the ministry signed signed the Host Country Agreement With Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), granting Liberia privileges and amenities that they are entitled to, under the Conventions for International Organizations.
In a bid to shakeup the various foreign missions, Minister Kemayah during the course of the year under review, encouraged Ambassadors, Consul Generals, Chargé d’Affaires and other diplomatic staff to deliver maximum representation.
In a virtual retreat toward the end of the year, the minister reiterated his commitment to working toward the much needed support that his colleagues desire in the field to complement their efforts.
The retreat, which targeted ambassadors, chargé d’affaires, consul generals and other diplomatic staff of Liberia’s Diplomatic Missions, is phase two of a previous retreat held recently for about One hundred participants from across departments, bureaus, sections and units within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objective of the retreat, like the previous one, was to develop a common understanding to enhance the shared vision of His Excellency President Weah, as enshrined in the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
In the past year, the ministry resumed the services for the issuance of Apostilles and Corporate filing of Article of Incorporation. The suspension of these services was to allow for a new regulation to approve fees for those services. The ministry also took steps during the course of the year to reach out to Liberian refugees at the Buduburam camp in Ghana.
The refugees were grateful that the government was able to intervene with Ghanain authorities to prevent them from being booted out of Ghana. The Leadership of several associations on the camp hailed the role the government played to mitigate the demolition saga.
During a visit to Accra, Minister Kemayah prevailed to the Ghanaian authorities the concerns of the refugees; especially in relation to the security and protection of the Liberians and the demolition of the Camp. Ghana’s Foreign Minister Botchey affirmed to Foreign Minister Kemayah and Delegation that the Government of Ghana has extended the deadline for the demolition of the Buduburam Camp from September 30, 2021 to December 1, 2021 as a result of the intervention of the Government of Liberia. The Ghanaian Foreign Minister assured the Liberian Foreign Minister and his Delegation that Liberians at the Buduburam Camp in Ghana are free to go about their normal businesses/activities and would be protected as Ghana extended residence at the camp until December 1, 2021. The Foreign Minister of Ghana urged the Liberians at the Camp to continue to be law abiding.
Minister Kemaya also won praise from the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Madam Molly Phee who said on her Twitter page that she was honored to speak with the Liberian Foreign Minister, given the historic partnership. Madam Phee expressed appreciation for Liberia’s strong commitment to upholding human rights at home and at the United Nations.
2021 LOW:
The ministry found itself entangled in a major saga during the year under review when both Minister Kemayah and his peer, Minister of State Nathaniel McGill came to near blows in front of President Weah.
The fight came amid an argument over whether should attend the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) September in person or virtually. The decision to attend or not to attend the UNGA sparked a heated argument between Minister Kemayah and Minister McGill with both men reportedly trading insults right before the President. The President had reportedly instructed his aides not to calm the situation on grounds that both men would sort it out themselves.
Sources familiar with the development informed FrontPageAfrica that Minister Kemayah had convinced the President not to make a physical appearance at the UNGA on grounds that he had received report from New York that world leaders were being advised to make a pre-recorded presentation and a make a virtual appearance. But Minister McGill was strongly opposed to the idea and insisted that the President attend in person.
In a memo from the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, the U.S. called on 192 other member nations to consider giving video messages instead of traveling to the U.S. in the midst of a wave of new COVID-19 cases.
However, FrontPageAfrica further gathered that the brawl between the two high ranking members of cabinet all started with the Minister of State demanding that the Foreign Minister report directly to his office and not to the President, something that Mr. Kemayah reportedly told him was outside the confines of the law and at the same time questioning how a Minister who works at the will and pleasure of the President would report to another Minister.
During the year under review, Minister Kemayah’s reign was eclipsed and muddled in accusations from the get go. Since Madam Wynee Cummings Wilson, a member of his staff at the UN Mission in New York claimed in a letter that she had been sexually harassed by the minister.
The minister has repeated dismissed the allegations he described as false, baseless and unfounded. During the course of the year under review, murmurs floated around that the minister had been asked to resign by President Weah, a claim which was debunked by the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism.
Minister Kemayah’s reign during the year was also marred by major infighting between he and his principal deputy, Henry Fahnbulleh. Fahnbulleh had become fond of sharing numerous text messages in WhatsApp chatgroups attempting to school the Minister about his role and functions as deputy and other qualifications that qualify him for the post: Mr. Fahnbulleh urged his boss to go back and read the organogram of the Ministry. “I will hope that Your Excellency could do a mandate and functions review of the Office of the Deputy Minister.
GRADE:
C+
2022 OUTLOOK:
Will the bad blood between the minister and his deputy, Fahnbulleh be resolved in the new year? How will Kemayah handle what appears to be an unending internal wrangling under his watch?
MINISTRY OF GENDER, CHILDREN, SOCIAL PROTECTION & DEVELOPMENT
THE LOWDOWN:
One year after President George Weah declared the issue of rape a national emergency and vowing to improve support for survivors and strengthen the country’s prosecution system, very few steps have been taken.
The President, in a statement last September introduced the first set of new measures to address the increase in violence against women. The measures include designating a specific prosecutor to handle rape cases and setting up a national sex offender registry. He is also creating a national security task force to handle sexual and gender-based violence and is allocating $US2 million to address the issue.
While women’s rights advocates were full of praises, many are now holding the administration responsible for the slow pace of following up on the President’s mandate.
Much of the blame has fallen on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection Development, primarily responsible for policy formulation, coordination and monitoring and evaluation of Gender, Children and Social Protection issues within the context of the national development agenda.
2021 HIGH:
The Ministry was one of the bright spots for Liberia during the course of the year under review, relating to the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Although Liberia failed to make the cut, the ministry, with support from partners, once again passed the Gender in the Economy indicator of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact from 81st percentile last year to 94th percentile this year with a score of 83.3
As indicated by the MCC – Gender in the Economy indicator measures the government’s commitment to promoting gender equality by providing women and men with the same legal ability to access legal and public institutions, own property, go to court, and get a job; and measures the extent to which the law provides girls and women legal protection from violence. It draws from two sources, the World Bank’s Women Business and the Law (WBL) Index and data from UCLA’s WORLD Policy Analysis Center data on Child Marriage and Customary Law.
Minister Piso Saydee Tarr, remarked that the constant passing in Gender in the Economy indicator hinged on the pivotal role the 54th National Legislature continues to play in meticulously passing needful legislations aimed at protecting the rights of women, girls and vulnerable people.
During the course of the year under review, the ministry with support from UNICEF, completed the training of eighteen (18) additional social workers with specific focus on implenting child protection programs in four counties hosting Ivorian refugees. The training primary goal of the program was to strengthen social service workforce to implement emergency child protection programs for Ivorian refugees in child friendly spaces and host communities.
Participants, drawn from Maryland, Nimba, Rivergee and Grand Gedeh respectively, were later deployed in the four counties to commence the rollout of child protection’s programs.
The training was moduled with the objective to build the capacity of social workers in the four counties affected by the Ivorian refugee crisis in child protection in emergency, case managements; and also, to enhance participants’ understanding of the current Ivorian situation in Liberia, and further discuss the coordinated response mechanism.
2021 LOW:
Women, girls and even young men still live in fear due to the failure of government to implement measures that would have provided some sense of security.
The high rates of rape in Liberia have been a long-standing concern. A United Nations report in 2016 recorded 803 rape cases the previous year in the country of 4.5 million, and found only 2 percent of sexual violence cases led to a conviction. A recent United Nations report ecorded 803 rape cases t in the country of 4.5 million. The report also found that only 2 percent of sexual violence cases led to a conviction.
This is even more profound with Liberia, according to the World Bank, ranking 177th out of 188 countries in the Gender Inequality Index. The SCORE Index, a tool designed to measure peace in societies, reveals that about two out of 10 Liberians endorse domestic violence against women and children, and one out of 10 endorses sexual violence, including rape.
In September, a report by UN Women in Liberia, while hailing the government for enacting several commitments to diminish unacceptable inequalities between women and men, recorded that gender disparities persist at all levels, and is deeply entrenched attitudes continue to reinforce the lack of opportunities, marginalize women in public and private spheres, and hinder their possibilities to attain a dignified life.
GRADE:
C+
2022 OUTLOOK:
Uneven access to education, lack of employment, job segregation and lack of legal protection remain among the major issues affecting gender inequality in Liberia. What will the ministry do in the coming year to reshape its agenda in the coming year to improve on those lapses?
MINISTRY OF HEALTH & SOCIAL WELFARE
THE LOWDOWN:
The Ministry tasked with reforming and managing the sector and deliver comprehensive, quality health services that are equitable, accessible and sustainable for all, is never short of challenges.
In a country where there’re just not enough hospitals or a health system simply inadequate to respond to people’s daily health care needs, the end result could me serious impediment to many looking for many in need of healthcare.
According to the World Health Organization, Liberia’s healthcare system depends heavily on international donor support. Many healthcare facilities are run by the government, donors, or through non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including faith-based organizations. Generally, there is minimal private sector involvement in the health sector. In the national budgets for the fiscal years 2017-18 and 2018-19, the government appropriated 14% and 13%, respectively, to the health sector. The sector is constrained by weak supply chain management, particularly in terms of distribution and storage of pharmaceuticals and other supplies, as well as limited human resources, particularly in terms of doctors, specialists, pharmacists, and laboratory technicians. There is limited availability of essential genuine medical equipment and pharmaceutical products, and there are frequently reported stock outages, especially in areas of the country not currently supported by international donor agencies.
2021 HIGH:
The ministry has been hailed over the handling of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemice. Since the May when the country saw a spike in cases and came under fire for lacking the sophisticated equipment and technical ability to test samples, steps were taken with the help of the donor community to address the situation.
In July, the ministry received a donation of 302,400 doses of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine from the United States Government through the COVAX facility; a partnership of CEPI, GAVI, UNICEF and WHO to expand the COVID-19 vaccination coverage in the country.
In March, the country received 96,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and so far, over 95,000 doses have been administered. With the arrival of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which resumed the vaccination campaign, which was halted after vaccines previously received were used up amid case surge in in June and July.
US Ambassador in a brief speech informed the Government of Liberia that the donation was a part of the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to share U.S. vaccines supply to the world. “We are proud to continue working together with the Liberian Government, the private sector and civil society to do everything we can to mitigate the pandemic’s high toll on life, livelihoods and social impacts,” remarked Michael McCarthy. To everyone who has not been vaccinated, I strongly encourage you to do so as I did; as soon as you have the opportunity.”
During the course of the year under review, the ministry in collaboration with partners rolled out a two-year Private Sector Engagement Strategy designed to structure engagement between the ministry and the private health sector while seeking to strengthen the private sector’s contribution to achieve the nation’s health goals.
Even though engagement between the Ministry of Health and the private health sector has a long history, this strategy aims to structure collaboration and dialogue between the two parties to achieve common long-term objectives. It was drafted through series of consultations with stakeholders from across the Ministry of Health and within the private health sector. It also includes areas of collaboration identified as those of mutual interest to both sectors.
The ministry also launched the National Malaria Strategic plan (NSP) 2021-2025 aiming to redefine the strategic direction and focus of the Malaria program, including strengthening of management and coordination structure, health system, and capacities to achieve greater equality, coverage, quality, and more effective delivery of the interventions. In addition, the malaria NSP includes plan for preparedness and timely response during emergencies to ensure malaria control activities continue with minimal disruptions in an emergency (e.g., Ebola Virus Disease or coronavirus).
Additionally, the ministry, during the course of the year under review, launched the country’s first Digital Online Licensing Examinations System which is intended to improve the LBNM’s operations and bring about professionalism as well as transparency in the country’s health sector. The system will also help students to be efficient and effective as well brings a high level of transparency.
The digital licensing exams system, launched in September, brought together health professionals from both public and the private sector, government officials including representative from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana among other partners.
This endeavor and other strategic engagements in the sector are aimed at seeing Liberia reached Universal health benchmark set by the World Health Organization (WHO), which Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah and team at the Ministry, inclusive of partners, say, they are doing everything positively possible to meet such Global health goal and standard.
2021 LOW:
During the course of the year under review, the ministry found itself struggling to managed the negative perceptions of the Covid vaccines. The ministry was forced issue a clarity over a fake information circulating in the public glare concerning an individual who was said to have lost his life after being vaccinated with the Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. The ministry has been urging and encouraging Liberians to take advantage of the ongoing J&J immunization process. GRADE: B+
2022 OUTLOOK:
Liberians continue to suffer from high mortality and morbidity, resulting from a combination of poor living conditions and lack of quality health care. Infectious diseases are a major contributor to ill health and lost productivity with one-third of Liberians suffering from malaria each year, according to the WHO. Will the coming year see some progress made in erasing the trend?
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION, CULTURAL AFFAIRS & TOURISM
THE LOWDOWN:
One year after taking over the ministry tasked with the development and disseminating of factual information about Liberia’s culture and tourism, Ledgerhood Rennie has been working to transform MICAT. But with very little allocation in the national budget, the pitfalls caused headaches for many of his predecessors appears to be showing its face. Upon taking over the ministry, last October, Rennie unveiled an ambitious agenda aimed at improving the internal communications in government in order to avoid mixed messages and various interpretations from reaching the public domain. The minister also accentuated that there is a need for standards to be upheld at all times, saying gone at the days to protect other media colleagues when they all should be professional.
2021 HIGH:
During the course of the year under review, MICAT ramped up the way it puts out govt information, using its different platforms including the holding of weekly news briefings, regular news releases and a revamp MICAT HOUR on the state-owned ELBC as well as the resurrection of The New Liberian newspaper and the LINA Panaroma.
With the revamped New Liberian now a regular on the newsstand, the ministry is making efforts to make editorial improvements and ensure the newspaper is self-sustainable and commercially viable.
The revamped LINA Panaroma offers an opportunity for Liberians to give feedback about the challenges of society deserving of government’s attention. This effort was increased with visits across the country.
During the year, the ministry exerted effort to make was a significant improvement in relationship with the Press Union and the independent media, leading to regular dialogues and joint conflict resolution initiatives.
Additionally, there was an increase in the publication of releases on developing situations in the country, thus ensuring there isn’t a void that could lead to misinformation. MICAT also initiated discussions with the Chinese for the revamping of the National Printing Press.
On the Tourism front, MICAT signed a landmark agreement with the US embassy in Monrovia for the development of the Providence Island, making it a major destination for international tourism
The MICAT also undertook the construction and rehabilitation of major historical monuments across the country and also followed through with the proposal for the organization of a bicentennial celebration to observe the 200th year anniversary of the arrival of free slaves.
On the culture front, MICAT also took steps to ensure the upkeep of the National Culture Troop, while making sure they are present at various national programs in order to espouse the positive Liberian culture.
2021 LOW:
Minister Rennie came under fire during the year under review regarding reports and allegations of ritualistic killings in Liberia. The minister, during a regular news briefing at MICAT declared that the issue of corruption allegations and ritualistic killings in Liberia has no iota of truth which they, as a Government, are not deterred about, noting that the CDC Government will continue to make sure the peace and tranquility reigns, though he admitted that Liberia is not supposed to be where it is today, they will continue to work in putting the country on a right path. “As far as I’m concerned, Liberia is on the right path, our democracy is getting stronger and better and we should celebrate it,” Minister Rennie asserted.
Critics took the minister to task for undermining legitimate fears in the wake of massive discovery of dead bodies on the streets and reports of ritualistic killings across the country.
The minister also found himself in the middle of a planned protest by supporters of the People’s Liberation Party(PLP) over the failure of the Weah administration to grant landing rights for the party’s leader Dr. Daniel Cassell to bring in a helicopter. Minister Rennie warned against illegal protestation on grounds that the Government of Liberia has to ensure the greater good of the society.
Minister Rennie accused the PLP leader of trying to create a scenario that does not exist, citing that the best thing to do in the matter is to follow all of the necessary procedures as required by law. Minister Rennie went on to call on the political institution to abide by the regulatory processes that are involved to ensure that they can travel to any part of the country, citing that the use of aircraft in the country cannot guarantee anybody winning elections in Liberia.
The LBS DG also took hits and taken to task for his stance on what he called the “abuse of the airwaves”, while emphasizing that radio owners ought to abide by the guidelines set by MICAT and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority. He said although the government believes in freedom of speech and a free press, it will not hesitate in the strict enforcement of the laws of Liberia.
DG Rennie, during the year under review, warned the management of both stations, and all others, against repeating the infraction or risk the revocation of their permits. Costa, he said, as a fugitive can not be broadcasting to Liberian audience while out of the country and outside its jurisprudence. “How does a person seek redress if he feels injured,” the Minister asked rhetorically.
Solicitor General Cyrennius Cephus stressed during the discussion that the government was more concerned about national security than it was about content. He cited the November 3, 2019 incident when Henry Costa used his media outlet to direct people to engage in acts that broke the law. He revealed that because of this, there’s a pending litigation against Mr. Costa. The SG explained that there are many challenges with having Costa broadcasting to Liberian audience.
GRADE:
B –
2022 OUTLOOK:
Minister Rennie, a veteran journalist of the BBC, now wearing the hat of a government defender is quickly discovering the complications of his new role. Will he be ready to withstand the pressure in the buildup of the 2023 elections?
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
THE LOWDOWN:
Regarded as Liberia’s oldest and largest institution, the MIA has seen significant reforms since its establishment in 1864. In recent years however, the emphasis has been maintain the peace in rural Liberia, in the aftermath of the civil conflict which lasted more than a decade.
During the course of the year under review, Jim Wright, the Mission Director of the United States Aid for International Development issued a clarion call for Liberians to peacefully resolve grievances and disputes at the community level before they develop into violent conflicts.
The message was clear that international stakeholders who have invested millions in Liberia’s peace efforts are concerned of a return to Liberia’s ugly past.
Director Wright’s comments in September came during a program marking the end of the USAID-funded Connect for Peace Project which promotes community-based conflict mitigation in Monrovia as well as Nimba County, the primary locations of extreme violence during Liberia’s civil wars.
The USAID project helped strengthen the capacity of community leaders and residents to resolve grievances using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, which refers to the different ways people resolve disputes without a formal court trial. It rehabilitated marginalized youth to make positive impacts in their community by providing employment skills and peace advocacy training. Connect for Peace also emphasized the use of conflict preemption strategies, including mobilizing women and youth to engage in local development work, such as health clinic construction, that benefits all members of their communities.
2021 HIGH: During the course of the year under review, the MIA the through Lofa County Administration headed by Superintendent William Tamba Kamba Sr, in collaboration with the Liberia Land Authority and Liberia Peace Building Office have finally concluded the Land Disputes and Boundary Harmonization between Seleca and Sarmodu towns in Lofa County with the planting of symbols and cornerstone. Representatives from both towns have all agreed on the Daziza creek which is a natural feature as official boundary between the two towns of Voinjama and Quardu-Gboni District..
The Ministry of Internal Affairs during the year under review took the government closer to the people. President George Weah in 2021 became the first President to visit some the places include Lukambeh in Lofa, Gbi-doru in Nimba, Jarkaken in Rivergee, and Pleson in Sinoe County, amongst others. The citizens made requests of development needs which further informed the national development priorities. As a result of the county tour, dozens of development projects are have been earmarked. Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment has qualified contractors to undertake the initial 37 new projects nationwide, while others are being processed. These projects are in addition to direct undertaken by the President.
In September, the MIA facilitated a dialogue process between the people of Kparnyah Town, in Margibi County and the Management of Firestone Liberia, in a bid to end a long running tension between the people and the company. The dialogue followed an intervention of Internal Affairs Minister Honorable Varney A. Sirleaf.
The people of Kparnyah and other nearby towns and villmages have repeatedly complained and recently set up roadblocks on grounds that the rubber company was allegedly destroying crops and taking their land, outside of a 99-year concession agreement entered into some 94 years ago and ratified by the Legislature in 2008..
They are also demanding some benefits as the company’s corporate responsibility including provision of electricity in parts of their community and other basic needs.
In October, Minister Sirleaf visiting neighboring Ivory Coast in continuation of discussions with top local government and Security agencies regarding the protection of the border between Liberia and neighboring Cote d’lvoire, sustaining peace in border communities and enhancing trade.
Key among the concerns raised by the Liberian team is the alleged use of the Ivorian border by foreign nationals, most of them Burkinabe nationals who continue to cross illegally into large parts of Liberian bordering Counties, mainly Grand Gedeh for illegal activities including farming, mining and other illicit acts. According to reports parts of Maryland, Rivergee and Nimba Counties are currently being used for some of these activities.
Minister Sirleaf also took steps during the year under review to add the ministry’s weight behind recent wave of rape cases across the country. The minister threatened to dismiss any local government official or traditional leader involved in handling cases related to rape and describes rape as a serious human right violation that must be handled only by the courts and not local officials.
2021 LOW: Over the past few years, there has been a lot of debate over whether or not Liberia should be decentralized. The year under review saw international stakeholders renew the call while expressing concerns over the lack of political will to pursue the policy.
An Op-Ed Co-authored by Ingrid Wetterqvist, former Swedish Ambassador to Liberia and Stephen Rodriques, UNDP Resident Representative to Liberia declared that despite the progress made, more work remains to be done to strengthen decentralization, increase citizen participation, and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in the counties. “To start with, the successes recorded to date must be anchored in firmer legal and regulatory frameworks. For example, the current draft Revenue Sharing Bill would give counties the authority to collect and retain a greater share of revenues, better meet their operating costs, and make critical investments in improving services and accelerating development at the local level. The Governance Commission and the Ministry of Internal Affairs are leading the work on this Bill which, we believe, could be a potential game changer in terms of improving services to people and facilitating growth in rural and under-developed regions of the country.”
The envoys said the process will require all hands to be on deck to ensure that the envisioned law is developed in consultation with, and participation of all stakeholders, both at the national and county levels. “Citizens and civil society organizations should use the avenues provided to give their views and be ready to advocate for the adoption of the Bill when it is presented for vote in the Legislature. For its part, the Legislature should see this as an opportunity to debate and pass the necessary laws that can help to ensure that the needs of the citizens can be met where they live.” GRADE: B-
2022 OUTLOOK:
The MIA has its work cut out in nurturing peace and stability in most of Liberia’s rural areas, which are trigger points for conflicts. Can the MIA take cue from the USAID’s Connect for Peace program? MINISTRY OF JUSTICE
THE LOWDOWN: What a year it has been for the ministry responsible for providing effective, public safety and legal services which promote the rule of law, ensure the safety and security of the public and uphold the interest of the government and people of the Republic of Liberia.
The US State Department’s annual Human Rights report continue to document significant human rights issues including arbitrary killings by police; cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by police; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary detention by government officials; serious problems with the independence of the judiciary; serious restrictions on freedom of the press, including violence and threats of violence against journalists; official corruption; lack of investigation and accountability for violence against women; the existence or use of laws criminalizing consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults; and the worst forms of child labor.
Additionally, according to the report, impunity for individuals who committed human rights abuses, including atrocities, during the Liberian civil wars that ended in 2003, remained a serious problem, although the government cooperated with war crimes investigations in third countries. The government made intermittent but limited attempts to investigate and prosecute officials accused of current abuses, whether in the security forces or elsewhere in the government.
The issue of the establishment of a war crimes court was a major topical issue in the past year. In October, a group of 15 influential civil society organizations in Liberia tabled in Parliament a bill they say is ready to be used to establish a tribunal to try crimes committed during more than 20 years of civil war and unrest.
The organizations took this initiative at a time when, 18 years after the end of the civil war, the debate on the establishment of such a court is once again in full swing and Liberia, under the presidency of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as well as under that of George Weah since 2018, has still not followed the recommendations made in 2009 by a special commission.
Among those recommendations was the prosecution of a number of warlords and high-profile alleged criminals. “We drafted this law for the establishment of a war crimes tribunal. We not only drafted it, we made 176 copies so that every member of the legislature has a copy,” said Tiawon Gongloe, president of the Liberian Bar Association, which represents the country’s lawyers.
2021 HIGH:
During the course of the year under review, the MoJ launched the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), a procedure for settling a dispute by means other than litigation. The program’s goals are: to improve access to justice for all, reduce court dockets and case back-logs, reduce pretrial detention and institute ADR as a binding component of Liberia’s Justice System.
The Ministry has also enhanced its legal aid system provided to those who cannot afford to pay for it or to pay full price. The policy adopts a comprehensive and all – inclusive approach to the concept of legal aid and goes beyond representation by lawyers in court. It encompasses a broad spectrum of legal services to the needy, especially women, children, and other marginalized indigents, to include legal advice, assistance, education, representation as well as alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Draft laws have been completed, awaiting validation for submission to the National Legislature to be enacted into law.
The MoJ also drafted an amendment to several provisions of the Criminal Procedure law, regarding Term of Court, Plea Bargain and Conditions for Time and Authority to arrest.
On the Criminal Procedure Law, the current law provides that the circuit courts shall meet four times a year in quarterly sessions and each session shall last for forty-two consecutive days. To provide for sufficient time to hear cases, the amendment proposes to have the courts sit in bi-annual sessions for a period of six (6) months each. This will allow time for the courts to try as many cases as possible.
The purpose of the plea bargain amendment is to introduce plea bargain as a part of our Criminal Procedure Code. Plea bargain affords an accused or defendant the opportunity to plead guilty to a charge or a lesser charge or a lesser version as opposed to going to a regular trial which may entail greater punishment and burdensome expenses. The plea bargain process has the further purpose of reducing prolonging pretrial detentions and the over crowdedness of prisons and of trial court dockets.
The current Criminal Procedure Law grants to magistrates the power to issue writs of arrest against accused persons based on the information or complaint of private persons on allegations of the commission of criminal acts by the accused against the complaining party. This has resulted into manifold abuses and caused undue suffering and hardship for accused persons arrested without any prior investigation or examination into complaints or allegations to establish reasonable grounds.
The amendments propose to have writs of arrest issued after investigation by the police and for non-violent misdemeanor, the issuance of summons to afford sufficient time for the accused to acquire bail.
Consistent with the Liberia National Police Act of 2015, the MoJ constituted the Civilian Complaints and Review Board at the Liberia National Police to govern both the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Immigration Service. The purpose of the Board is to receive, process and determine any complaint made against the Liberia National Police, the Liberia Immigration Service, any police officer or civilian personnel.
The MoJ also extended its Juvenile Diversion Programs from 5 counties in 2018 to eight counties in 2020/21 and the finalization of a five year National Strategy on child justice in Liberia. Additionally, a gender unit has been created at the Ministry of justice and gender sensitivity is prioritized in the security sector.
The Ministry of Justice completed and presented Liberia’s second and third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) State Report (2019 and 2020) to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a unique process which involves a review of the human rights records of all United Nations Member States. The ultimate aim of this mechanism is to improve the human rights situation in all countries and address human rights violations wherever they occur
Regarding Sexual and Gender-Based Violence crimes, the MoJ increased prosecution of Sexual Gender Based Violence crimes and general prosecution of cases nation-wide; and engagement with development partners to support the construction and equipping of Criminal Court “E” in Nimba and Bong Counties, devoted exclusively to rape and other sexual gender based violence cases.
Furthermore, at least 65 contracts and bilateral agreements were reviewed and legal opinions issued; legal advice on other matters arising from the law, including the amendment and validated Chapter 15, Offenses Against the Property Sub Chapter D, Theft and Related Offenses, of the Penal Law, Title 26, Liberian Code of Law Revised, to add thereto Section 15.63 Insider Trading, 15.64 Market Manipulation, and 15.65 Illegal Trafficking in Other Goods, Human Rights, including Treaties was ensured. Please see below the summary of major achievements.
2021 LOW:
The ministry had its hands full over the past year as reports of ritualistic killings hit an all-time high. The practice was rampant during the 1970s when Liberians in Maryland County were constantly under the threat of ritual murders which went unreported and uninvestigated until the murder of a local fisherman and popular singer, Moses Tweh. Tweh was abducted on June 26, 1977.
The practice has since become a regular during every election circle. Ritual murders were also common during the country’s back-to-back civil wars from 1989 to 2003. Body parts severed from the victim’s corpse are thought to be used in rituals designed to benefit the murderer. Despite the rise in the killings in the past year, police dismissed the alleged incidents as baseless.
In October, hundreds of women unhappy with the slow pace of the government’s response against a wave of alleged ritual killings, took to the street to demand justice – and answers. The group delivered a statement to legislators demanding that the government and police examine “the exponential rate of ritualistic killing”.
During the course of the year under review, Minister Frank Musah Dean came under fire from the international watchdog group, Human Rights Watch for giving a misleading statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 17 regarding the government’s purported efforts to ensure much-needed justice for widespread committed during the country’s back-to-back civil wars between 1989 and 2003.
Speaking during the adoption of the outcome of Liberia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), Minister Dean claimed Liberia is engaged in national and regional consultations around accountability for serious crimes.
But HRW recorded that the last such consultation it was aware of took place in 2019. “As a coalition of Liberian and international nongovernmental organizations highlighted in a statement on the UPR outcome, the government has been essentially silent since then, while activists and witnesses of alleged crimes have faced increased threats. In any event, the path forward should be clear without additional consultations. Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended the creation of a war crimes court over a decade ago. International law requires states to prosecute serious crimes, such as war crimes, which helps ensure victims’ rights to truth, justice, and an effective remedy, while combating impunity. In addition, victims, activists, community leaders, politicians, and members of the general public in Liberia have backed a war crimes court, , even marching in the streets to show their support.”
Toward the end of the year, the MoJ was yet again embarrassed after three persons were killed when officers of the Police Support Unit (PSU) of the Liberia National Police and the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) fired live bullets during a crackdown on suspected armed robbers and drug dealers in the commercial area of Duala on the Bushrod Island, outside Monrovia. Duala is located in electoral district # 16, Montserrado County.
The unidentified victims believed to be in their early 30s were all males. Two of those who were shot dead were believed to be commuters, while the other was considered as a “zogo”. Disadvantaged youths are normally referred to as “zogos” in Liberia.
They are most often engaged into unwholesome practices including armed robbery, the snatching away of valuable items from peaceful Liberian citizens and others, the salvaging of dump sites for fairly used materials to sell, the loading of commercial vehicles with passengers, among others. They normally sell stolen items far below the original prices to satisfy their bad habit of taking in narcotics and other dangerous substances. Like most ministries, the MoJ is also constrained in what it can and cannot do due to the lack of adequate budget allocations.
GRADE:
C+
2022 OUTLOOK:
2022 – The eve of the 2023 elections could make or break the MoJ. Reports of ritualistic killings are likely to increase; or we could see a major response from the police and the MoJ in bringing perpetrators to book.
MINISTRY OF LABOR
THE LOWDOWN:
The ministry’s main task is to protect and safeguard the interests of workers in general, particularly those who constitute the poor, deprived and disadvantage sections of the society.
During the course of the year under review, the issue of human trafficking was once again a fixture of international discourse amid concerns that Liberia remains a source and destination for the trafficking of men, women and children.
2021 HIGH:
During the course of the year under review, the ministry received strong praise from United States Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy, who welcomed the passing and signing into law the “Revised Trafficking in Persons Act of 2021”. The US envoy however cautioned that if the law is not enforced, it will be of no use.
Addressing a press conference at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, Ambassador McCarthy said the new law is important because Liberia was downgraded to “Tier 2 Watchlist” in the State Department Trafficking in Person (TIP) 2021 report. Tier 2 countries are countries whose governments do not fully comply with the US Government’s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.
Ambassador McCarthy noted that countries in this category maybe automatically downgraded to Tier 3 if they do not show progress. “U.S. foreign assistance to Tier 3 countries is significantly restricted, and that is the last thing we want to happen here,” he said. Speaking of the TIP Report on Liberia, he said: “As that report makes clear, updating Liberia’s TIP framework is just one of nearly a dozen prioritized recommendations. As important as this Legislative action was, it will not by itself ensure that Liberia is moved from the watchlist.”
The ministry also received high marks for standing with employees of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) when it ordered the management of the LEC to put on hold its plan to cut down staff salaries by 30%.
Cllr. Charles Gibson, disclosed that he has informed the management to return to the status quo and pay staff their full salaries without any cut. Cllr. Gibson told the management to restore the 30% deduction from employee salaries with immediate effect and that they should desist from taking the employees by surprise on issues that are intended to affect their jobs and livelihoods.
During the year, the ministry also issued Standing Order #2 restricting certain employment opportunities to Liberians in commercial business establishments with branches in Monrovia and other parts of the country. The Ministry noted that all Assistant Branch Manager Positions be restricted for Liberians in support of the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed between the Ministry of Labour and Liberia Chamber of Commerce for the creation of five hundred (500) jobs for new college and university graduates in the country.
In a communication sent out to commercial business establishments with branches in Monrovia and other parts of the Country signed by Labour Minister Cllr. Charles H. Gibson said that the decision is in reference to a meeting held on 15th of June 2021 at the Ministry of Labour with the management of major commercial houses and chain businesses in and outside Monrovia.
The ministry also took a bold step when it ordered the Management of Arcelor Mittal-Liberia to pay aggrieved former workers Three Hundred and Eight Thousand United States Dollars (US$308,000) constituting total and final settlement for unfair labour practices meted against them by the Management. Ministry mandate was contained in a ruling read by the Minister of Labour, Cllr. Charles H. Gibson at a press conference attended by the Ministry of Justice, National Bureau Concession and the leadership of the aggrieve workers at the Ministry of Labour in Monrovia.
In October of 2020 the Aggrieved former contractors of Arcelor Mittal Liberia submitted a complaint to the Ministry of Labour (hereinafter Ministry) requesting the Ministry intervention into alleged unfair labour practices which, they claim are being meted against them by the Management of Arcelor Mittal Liberia (hereinafter AML). After initial meetings by Minister Charles Gibson with both AML management and the complainant , the matter was turned over to Deputy Minister Hannah Karbo, who jointly spearheaded intervention with Assistant Minister Zeo Mensah. However after a prolonged stalemate, the matter was transferred to the Assistant Minister for Labour Standards, Atty. Welma Blaye Sampson, with specific instruction to investigate the matter and submit findings in keeping with the law.
2021 LOW:
The ministry hit yet another low in the year under review with the US In Trafficking Report found that Liberia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking although it is making significant efforts to do so.
The report recommended increase efforts to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases, including internal trafficking cases and officials accused of complicity and urge Liberia to train law enforcement and judicial officials on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting trafficking cases under the 2005 anti-trafficking law.
The government was also encouraged to amend the 2005 anti-trafficking law to remove the requirement of force, fraud, or coercion in child sex trafficking cases and also to amend the 2005 anti-trafficking law to prescribe penalties for adult trafficking that are sufficiently stringent and commensurate with the penalties for other grave crimes.
Minister Gibson came under fire over a controversial decision to declare illegal, a strike action staged by the workers of the National Transit Authority (NTA) in front of the Foreign Ministry.
Critics came down hard on the minister for stating that his ministry had not been informed about the protest when it is the Ministry of Justice responsibility to make such claims.
Nevertheless, the minister cautioned the NTA workers that any go-slow must be done within their premises; but staging a protest before the Executive Mansion meant that it is not just a labour issue rather it is politically motivated.
The minister went on to say that the next time an illegal strike take place in entities under their supervision of UWUL and when it is established that the workplace union is ignorant of the rule, the Ministry will suspend their license.
GRADE:
C-
2022 OUTLOOK:
Will 2021 Liberia improve its effort to clamp down on human trafficking?
MINISTRY OF MINES & MINERALS REGULATORY AUTHORITY
THE LOWDOWN:
The statutory agency of government in charge of administering the mining sector of Liberia also has direct oversight responsibility in the energy sector as well as a similar role in developing the water resources of the country. The Ministry functions in the area of policy formulation for the energy, hydrocarbon and water sectors of the country.
Minister Gessler Murray acknowledged during the previous year under review that the country’s current energy infrastructures were in deficit. As a result, have not been able to meet the load demand of the consuming public both in terms of affordability and reliability of energy supply.
Much of the infrastructure deficit the minister referenced was mainly in the area of distribution, both in terms of on-grid and off-grid systems. The ministry has been challenged in the area of electricity generation. At the moment, the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant which was rehabilitated from a pre-war capacity of 65MW to 88MW is the primary source of electricity.
Liberia currently has an installed capacity of 126MW from the Hydro and HFO Thermal generation. Thus, much emphasis is now being placed on the potential significant boost in power transmission with the arrival of the CLSG Transmission Line.
However, the Cote d’Ivoire,-Liberia-Sierra Leone- Guinea interconnection project powered out of Ivory Coast is expected to mark a milestone in post-conflict Liberia energy delivery services as it is expected to fill the dry season generation gap during which time the Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant operates at a very low efficiency due to low water level.
On the mining front, Murray took local miners across Liberia to task amid reports that many were not adhering to the mining code and regulations that govern the extractive sector of the country.
According to Murray, the code and regulations of the extractive sector of Liberia consist of straight measures which provide a lot of benefits for miners in terms of safety and risk management, especially when adhered to. About 45 miners were in early February trapped under debris when the walls of an illegal artisanal gold mine in Gbonepea, Tappita caved-in on them. About eight bodies have so far been discovered. Hopes of recovering others alive continue to diminish by the day as the lack of earth-moving machines and other equipment to aid in the rescue mission continue to pose a challenge to the ongoing rescue mission.
2021 HIGH:
During the course of the year under review, Minister Murray trumpeted the rail corridor project with neighboring Guinea as a new window of opportunity for both sides.
During a Cabinet presentation, the Minister Murray said the rail would be a win-win for both countries. The US$20 billion rail road project would allow ores from Guinea transported thru Liberia for exportation to bring economic benefits, including jobs, infrastructure and collaboration.
The biggest news in the mining sector for the year under review came after the government and ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel company, signed an amendment to the Mineral Development Agreement (‘MDA’) which paves the way for the expansion of the Company’s mining and logistics operations in Liberia.
With the MDA amendment coming into effect, the ArcelorMittal Liberia will significantly ramp up production of premium iron ore, generating significant new jobs and wider economic benefits for Liberia.
The expansion project – which encompasses processing, rail and port facilities – will be one of the largest mining projects in West Africa. The capital required to finalise the project is expected to be approximately $0.8 billion, as it is effectively a brownfield expansion.
As the largest foreign investor in Liberia, ArcelorMittal Liberia has invested over $1.7 billion in the country over the past 15 years. More than 2000 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase, with Liberians envisaged to fill the majority of the roles created.
Days after the announcement of the deal, Ivanhoe Liberia, the company acting on behalf of High Power Exploration (HPX) in Liberia to ship iron ore from the Nimba Mountain in Guinea via rail through the port of Buchanan, said AML should not feel concerned by its presence in Liberia, as HPX is more than willing to work along with AML to improve the mining sector in the subregion.
HPX acquired the rights to the Nimba project concession in late 2018 early 2019 at a time when iron prices were around $65 compared to today’s $94. The company says it acquired these rights through a competitive process with several competing bidders run by the consortium of BHP, Newmont and Areva which owned these rights. At that time the Government of Guinea had already made it clear for quite a while that Nimba ore could be exported through Liberia as long as certain conditions were met. “We are in no way competitors as Arcelormittal is not so much a mining company but it is a steel company, HPX believes that having 2 major new investments being developed in parallel, involving Arcelor’s $800 million and HPX/SMFG’s $600 million in Liberia alone, is of course much better for Liberia but it is also better for AML.
At the same time, AML says it is not threatened by the announcement by HPX and the Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) regarding positive results of its pre- feasibility study for the Nimba Iron Ore Project.
2021 LOW:
During the course of the year under review, Minister Murray was forced to dismiss allegations that the Ministry granted license to operate in protected areas of Liberia.
The minister said the Ministry respects laws establishing and governing protected areas across the Country. His statement is in reaction to the recent dredge mining in the Gola Forest National Park.
In a bid to address the issue, the ministry launched an operation seizing dredge machines and removed miners from Protec
