Following Ellen's De-Liberianization Bill: - Liberian Entrepreneurs Meet En Mass
It seems like the Liberian business community is not taking it lightly the proposal of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf opting for the amendment of the Investment Incentive Act of 1973.
The President of the Liberia Business Association (LIBA), Samuel Mitchell has indicated that following the proposed amendment uttered by President Sirleaf during her address to the 52 nd Liberian Legislature, to repeal what is referred to as “Liberianization Act” which quarantines 26 businesses from foreign entrepreneurs and allots them to Liberians only ,Liberian entrepreneurs are expressing stern discontentment and are meeting today to strategize and plan concrete action to fight to the teeth to disallow the enactment of the President's proposal.
“Liberian business community is turning en mass today to galvanize massive support and speak in one voice against the president proposed Act .We will use the occasion to call on the president to rethink her decision for the betterment of the poverty-stricken Liberian populace who survive meanly on businesses”, LIBA boss noted.
He reiterated his call that unhindered access to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will definitely intensify the already unemployed Liberians who are living at the mercy of making businesses.
“Liberian businesses that are barley struggling from the wreckage of 14 -year internecine conflict will not be able to compete with international business tycoons; this will lead to the total collapse of their entities,” Mitchell asserted.
If the amendment is done, it would unrestrictedly allow Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into any sector of the Liberian economy, according to the proposed act.
“It will be repulsive to allow foreigners to sell ice, soft drinks and other low capital businesses; this will put us out of businesses,” market woman Deborah Howard lamented, adding, “we elected Ellen to seek our welfare and not cause hard times for us.”
Murphis Johnson, reading law averred that when this Act comes to fruition, it means that foreigners will sooner or later start to plead in Liberian courts and establish law firms. “This will also be a litmus test that would set the groundwork for foreigners to unconditionally own land and possibly be endorsed to participate in making political decision,” Johnson maintained. “The policies of government must be based on the wishes, aspirations and anticipations of the people not always from the government,” he stated.
The meeting today, according to Mitchell, is a significant gesture to harness the concern of Liberian business entrepreneurs to express their plights in one accord.
In a report analyzing the proposed Act, LIBA expounded that there is no economic data anywhere on planet earth that indicate removing restriction on foreign ownership of certain enterprises in the primary sector to improves growth and development.
LIBA used the Ghanaian Model of exclusively reserving enterprises for its nationals as a best paradigm to retort the misconception that restrictions on FDI to key sectors reserved for nationals only obstruct growth and development.
LIBA mentioned in its dossier that Sierra Leone , which adheres to the pattern that is being sought by President Sirleaf , has 5 percent less growth as compared to Liberia that has double digits. Liberia 's growth is propelled by the country's present economy policy and that the proposed amendment will make things worse for the economy, LIBA pointed out. Writes News Editor Ernest S.Maximore
Local manufacturing companies, supermarkets, stores and filling stations that are engaged in disproportionate pricing of local and imported commodities and inundate the local market with sub-standard goods need to think twice about their unscrupulous deeds or fold because a campaign is launched to expose them all or put them to their places.
The Deputy Minister for Commerce at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Frederick B. Norkeh, in an interview with Public Agenda deplored all shady escapades, and wheeling and dealing of most business houses operating in the commerce of Liberia .
Norkeh has vowed to begin railroading businesses in a vigorous campaign launched by the Minister during the last part of 2007.
According to the Minister, while touring some local and foreign owned businesses, he realized a high specter of corruption being practiced in the Liberian commercial landscape.
He pointed out that the sole motive of most business ventures nowadays in Liberia was largely profit-driven rather than customer-oriented.
The Minister revealed that when he visited a paint factory in the Gardnerville suburb, he was told by the management that Lead, a hazardous element, was one of the components used in the production of paint intended for the unsuspecting consuming public. He also said when he visited the Aminata Service Station, gasoline was being under-pumped while at some business houses at Waterside, the managements which enjoy government's duty-free privilege were profiteering in the sale of copy books.
In reaction to the unscrupulousness of those businesses, the Minister said he was constrained to restore sanity and business best practices by levying fines against the institutions concerned within the region of US$5, 000 to US$15,000.
Recounting his experience in the past year with the business entities, Minister Norkeh expressed serious reservation about their service delivery, but was quick to point out that he would exert all efforts as a professional Industrial Management Specialist to forge closer links with all local and foreign owned businesses.
He said he initiated a lot of problem-solving strategies that resulted into the optimization of operations, while collaborating with various international agencies such as UNIDO and the World Bank to build a modern laboratory that will enhance efforts by the Ministry of Commerce to curtail the entry of unsafe and inferior goods into the commerce of Liberia .
He leapfrogged the streamlining of the business registration process for which $2.5m had been ear-marked to sustain the project. Dr. Norkeh, an Industrial Management Specialist with a Phd in Public Administration and Masters in Industrial Technology coupled with sixteen years experience, has come to the Ministry of Commerce to re-invigorate employee development and develop a merit system that will enhance productivity.
Journalists Benefit From CEMESP's Training
The Center for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP) is expected to conduct a day-long workshop on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for Liberian journalists.
The workshop which will take place at CEMESP'S headquarters is meant to provide basic understanding of these rights to journalists, so that they can properly report on issues involved in this sector.
According to CEMESP'S Executive Director Malcolm Joseph, journalists would be in a better position to report on impacts and abuses of these rights, if they fully understand the issues involved with them.
Some 25 journalists from print and electronic media in and around Monrovia are expected to be in attendance.
Similar work was held by CEMESP late in November for journalists in the Grand Kru area.
These activities are being supported by a grant from the Norwegian Funds for Human Rights.
The workshop is a further expression of the United Nations Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, which was adopted in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) on 16 December 1966, and entered into force 3 January 1976.
Promotion of these rights are drawn from a background that human beings can better enjoy freedom from fear and want if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy thee rights,CEMESP Executive Director noted.
Expert Scrutinizes Liberia Insurance Industry -By Helroz Zorleh
Mamadee Dorbor an expert in insurance has underlined a several issues that he said have the potentials to make the country's insurance industry unfavorable.
He told a press conference in Monrovia that the Liberia new trend of direction in the insurance industry will remain ineffective so long the Commission of Insurance continues to function as a Bureau at the Ministry of Transport.
“To have viability plus sound and effective marketing in the industry, the position of Commissioner must be independent with no intereference”, Dorbor noted
He added: I think that should be the way forward because the reflection is to have. Dorbor added.
He pointed out that Liberia being a country awakening from the shackles of war, the Commission at the Ministry of Transport should maintain an autonomous bureau status. Dorbor also recommended for the establishment of a board of directors that would serve as the liaison of insurance companies in the Country.
Addressing reporters, Dorbor pointed out that there were multiple problems including the absence of speed limit, careless driving and the application of excess speed by drivers which accordingly have served as factual root causes of some tragic accidents in the Country.
“For instance, you have a cab operator driving a vehicle at an excess speed, seven persons positioned in the car, three of them are at the front while four more persons are placed at the back thus making the driver uncomfortable to drive; that's a risk”. He told newsmen.
He said it was expected that more of these deaths could occur at the end of the road reconstruction “because the roads are not good and drivers are running at a very high speed and they would definitely run even higher when the roads are smoother than before.”
Dorbor then called upon the government of Liberia to work out a modality to underwrite a positive measure that would create a level of encouragement for foreign insurers in the Country's insurance industry.
Meanwhile the Federation of Road Transport Union [FRTUL] has conceded that there was no effective national insurance policy that would protect both drivers and passengers. FRTUL claim also that there was no third party insurance and as such, benefits are not given to accident victims.
According to the FRTUL, accident rate in the Country was as far moving into an frightening and alarming progression with virtually less attention given to accident victims. FRTUL fears that this could excel to a worrisome situation if nothing is done to involve the third part system.