PHOTO: The vehicles assembled at the UL Fendall Campus
The Harmonization and Improving Statistics in West Africa Project in Liberia achieved another milestone by receiving 27 brand new Toyota Land Cruisers fitted with GPS.
The HISWA project is implemented by the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo Information Services (LISGIS), with funding from the World Bank, and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) as implementing partner.
Last Tuesday, 22 June 2021, UNOPS handed over 27 Toyota Land Cruisers to LISGIS to support the HISWA project, which seeks to strengthen the statistical systems of Liberia by harmonizing, producing, disseminating and enhancing the use of core economic and social statistics.
According to the Director General of LISGIS, Prof. Francis Wreh, the vehicles are intended to equip LISGIS with the needed logistics to implement the HISWA Project in the country.
Prof. Wreh furthered on by stating that all the vehicles came fitted with a complete GPS tracking system to assist LISGIS efforts to better manage these assets and to ensure that they are used for the intended purpose.
Also present in the handing over ceremony was the National Census Coordinator, Andrew Tellewoyan expressed his appreciation at the speed at which UNOPS were able to deliver the vehicles and acknowledged UNOPS as a partner of choice for future endeavors
The exact cost of the vehicles is not known as none of the speakers at the presentation ceremony were prepared to disclosed the amount spent for the purchase
Recently, controversy emerged when the United Nations Population Fund disclosed that it has received only 700,000 United States Dollars of the one million United States Dollars that LISGIS has reportedly transferred into the account of the UNFPA.
Shortly after the report, LISGIS through its Director General, Professor Francis Wreh that the balance 300,000 United States dollars, which was given in Liberian Dollars, has been deposited in an account for operation
Liberia is expected to conduct a nationwide census shortly ten years since the last census was conducted, but President George Weah recently wrote the national legislature asking for the postponement of the exercise. Report by Augustine Octavius