PHOTO: President Weah posing for photo with his cabinet

Monrovia, Liberia-The President of Liberia, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, has told members of the cabinet that the year 2021 is a year of performance, commitment and diligence, urging all cabinet members to strictly execute his agenda, the Executive Mansion has reported.

Addressing the cabinet at its first sitting for the year on Thursday, February 4, 2021, Dr. Weah warned that there will be zero tolerance for non-performing cabinet members and other government officials.

“This year and onwards, you must implement my agenda to stay on”, President Weah warns. This buttressed and confirmed the President’s position in his address to the nation on January 25, 2021 to dismiss any minister or official of government who fails to perform.

The Liberian Chief Executive said agriculture, the second flagship program of the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD), remains a priority as his government embarks on making Liberia food secure and improving the livelihood of Liberians.

President Weah, who is expected to attend this year’s agriculture fair in Gbarnga on February 12, 2021, mandated the Minister of Agriculture, Jeanine Cooper, to ensure all government farms are cultivated, according to the Executive Mansion press release.

“Madam Minister, please make sure we develop and cultivate our farm lands throughout the country this year. Let’s begin with the 5,000 acres in Grand Cape Mount. I will lead the entire cabinet to plant rice and crops by April this year,” Dr. Weah said.

Commending Min. Cooper, the Liberian President said: “I was told you are the best in terms of changing the dynamics of agriculture in the Country, and that you can help make my dreams of “made in Liberia” come true. You have so far exhibited that. I want you to do more”.

The Liberian Chief Executive urged all members of the cabinet to get involved in agriculture saying: “Living by example is cardinal. If we are to achieve our goals in transforming the agriculture sector, we need to participate in it fully.”

President Weah then commended members of the cabinet for submitting detailed reports on their various achievements, he promised to peruse them before acting on a way forward insisting people who don’t perform will take the bench as there would be no sacred cow.

The cabinet also discussed and approved the President’s tour which begins on February 12, 2021 in Bong County. The first phase of the tour will take him to Bong, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Maryland and Grand Kru Counties.

President Weah is expected to hold town hall meetings with locals, county caucuses and administration, as well as commission projects including roads, administrative buildings and housing units.

Also during the tour, Dr. Weah is expected to become the first ever President of Liberia to visit and interact with residents of Gbi and Doru where one of his farms is located.

Additionally, the cabinet received and discussed recommendations from the universal periodic human rights report.

Following cabinet’s review, the Minister of Justice and other line ministries including Gender, were mandated to accept and make recommendations to the international body in cognizance with Liberia’s laws and traditions.

President Weah Boosts Electricity Expansion With Executive Order #104 Exempting LEC From Custom Duty, Others

Monrovia, Liberia – Consistent with his commitment and passion to accelerate the spread of electricity across the country, the President of the Republic, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, has issued an Executive Order that exempts the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) from Customs duty, GST on generation, transmission and distribution equipment, material and fuel.

Executive Order 104, which was issued February 3, 2021 seeks to reactivate Executive Order #9 which has since expired at the time the Government of Liberia is creating every avenue to expand its use of hydroelectric power generated at the Mount Coffee facility to deliver affordable Electricity to customers.

President Weah said the Executive Order was in the interest of national reconstruction and development.

The Liberian Chief Executive maintains that the Executive Order is an imperative because the LEC, during its transition from the use of fossil fuels to hydro power to generate electricity, faces external market forces and risks that increase the costs of operations of the entity.

President Weah asserted there is still a need to minimize the cost of fuel to enable the LEC provide electricity to the general public at a reasonable cost.

He said some of the costs, which are associated with the purchase, delivery, storage and use of fossil fuels, particularly Heavy Fuel Oils (HFO), represent a significant expense to LEC, which slow investments in the transition to the wider use of hydroelectric power in Liberia.

President Weah also intimated that it was necessary for the LEC to achieve what he calls “higher levels of operational and financial efficiencies” to enable it distribute electricity at affordable rates to customers.

Customs Duties and GST on petroleum products are a LEC cost category which have the potential for volatility that adversely impacts the monthly expenses of the Corporation.