TAKING PRONOUNCEMENTS SERIOUSLY

Madam President, having listened carefully to your 2008 Annual Message, it is now timely to discuss the crucial importance of translating government pronouncements into consistent action. A few areas of inconsistency are presented in this commentary with the view that the appropriate adjustment can be made urgently.

Let us begin with the pronouncement on unemployment, as it leads to violence when it becomes high. Numerous statements have been made by government about the high priority status of reducing unemployment or increasing employment. The government can not be taken seriously about this pronouncement when there are thousands of foreigners doing basic jobs that unemployed Liberians can do.

Let us take a look at the foreigners in supermarkets and stores as well as other foreigners, especially staff persons in international agencies, who are driving vehicles that should be driven by Liberians, according to these agencies own procedures, with budgetary provisions. In fact, when a foreign employer was approached recently about his foreign employees doing simple jobs that Liberians can do, he said, “you government people are the ones who give us the work permits, so why are you asking us questions?” Of course, the foreign employer made a clear and correct point. This begs the question of what is the government doing about this rather clear problem that poses a present danger of worsening the already terrible unemployment problem? Who granted work permits to foreigners doing simple jobs that Liberian unemployed can do?

Not only does the presence of these large numbers of foreigners doing basic jobs raise doubt about government pronouncements on unemployment reduction, but serious people tend not to take the government seriously when it comes to government statements on Liberianization. Getting Liberians employed and self-employed are the two main actions to make way for Liberians.

These foreigners who are doing simple jobs that Libeians can do are making a lot of money compared to what the Liberians employed in similar jobs are receiving. Estimates for 2007 show that on the average 1000 of these foreigners are making twenty times the wages/salaries of Liberians who do similar jobs. The monthly salary bill for these foreigners is about USD 1 million or at least LD 60 million. As the foreign employers have money to employ the foreigners, government has to be able to arrange legally for the employers to get Liberians to replace the foreign employees and pay the Liberians decent wages/salaries. Madam President, why is not the government pursuing this path of unemployment reduction or employment promotion which is clearly doable?

On Christmas Day 2007, I went out to buy some large ice blocks for my Wife's Annual Christmas Party for children. The only place from the Free Port to Brewerville that had the big blocks of ice for sale was a place in Sayon Town , Bushrod Island . When I arrived in Sayon Town to buy the ice blocks, I broke down immediately upon seeing the foreign owners of the ice business overseeing the sale of the ice blocks. Madam President, no country, including Liberia , makes genuine progress when foreigners own and sell water, ice blocks and other basic items that Liberians need daily. While our government is not in the forefront making way for Liberian businesses in terms of having certain business areas for only Liberians, other governments in ECOWAS have reserved over 100 business areas for only their citizens, respectively. Ghana is a shining example where the government there is in the forefront of making way for Ghanaians in employment and business development.

Let this commentary come to a closure with the point that poverty reduction can be given a boast if privileged areas of employment and business development are reserved for Liberians, especially the underprivileged.