President George Manneh Weah has proposed several bills to the Legislature to push his Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) to higher frontiers in just few weeks into the second year of his presidency.
In a press release issued Wednesday, 30 January, the Executive Mansion says President Weah has rolled out a number of legislations to underpin and guard the implementation of the flagship development mantra, the PAPD.
The Executive Mansion recalls that President Weah disclosed that bills to be forwarded to the Legislature for ratification include an Act to Ratify and Authorize the Payment by the Government of Liberia of tuition fees for all undergraduate students in all public universities and colleges while delivering his second Annual Message Monday, 28 January.
The proposed bills include the National Youth Act; The Liberia Technical Vocational Education and Training Commission Act and the Revised Liberian Bank for Development and Investment Act.
Others are the Act to Ratify the Investment Incentive Agreement between Liberia and Fouta Corporation, Act Ratifying the Agreement for the Establishment of the Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) and an Act to Amend the Revenue Code of Liberia to reform Excise Tax Law (2018).
President Weah also announced a proposed amendment to extend the time required to renew Resident Permits.
“In Liberia we have business and other people who have lived here for 30 to 50 years but have to renew resident permit every year,” he observed, and said “this will have to change.”
The President said those who resided in the country for five years or more, without a criminal record, will be eligible under the proposed amendment.“The amendment proposed, will also allow permit holders to no longer be required to obtain permits to re-enter the country,” he announced.
“We will also look into revising the requirement for annual renewal of work permits for a longer period.”
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President Weah furthered that the administration would implement a Visa-upon-Arrival program, as well as the issuance of Tourist Visas.
The Executive Mansion says these bills will serve as addendums to bills President Weah forwarded and passed into law by the Legislature in the first year of his presidency.
They include an Act to Ratify the Financing Agreement to provide additional financing for the West African Power Pool, the Local Government Act of 2018 and an Act to Establish the Land Rights Law of 2018.
President Weah said these legislations would help smoothen and enhance efforts toward accomplishing the PAPD launched October 29, 2018 with the aim to give power to the people, better the economy, create jobs, sustain the peace and improve governance and transparency.“The overall objective of the PAPD and its ultimate goal is to lift our people from poverty to prosperity,” the President indicated.
The President however extolled the Legislature for the critical support and cooperation rendered in passing into law several pieces of legislations totaling 26 that he said are relevant to the PAPD.
At the same time, President Weah has disclosed that his administration would place emphasis on the Agriculture sector as major impetus for economic revitalization.
“As we kick-start the infrastructure portion of the PADP through road construction, we also want to place a new emphasis on agriculture,” he said.
President Weah bemoaned the minute returns realized from the enormous investments put into Agriculture, stressing, “This will have to change.”
“Our international partners will agree with me that endless national and foreign resources have been and continue to be poured into Agriculture yet returns on these investments are almost negligible.”
He vowed to allot the same effort, time and energy to road projects, to programs toward agriculture development.“I will directly get involved in the programs and practical implementation of agriculture development,” he assured.
President Weah acknowledged that the agriculture sector accounts for more than 70% of household earnings, saying the PAPD can only be sustainably achieved through agriculture.
“We will craft new practical and realistic agriculture policies, incentivize the sector by providing access to credit, reducing tariffs on agriculture implements, and provide small machines, modern seeds and fertilizers,” he proclaimed.He concluded that Liberia is open for business, and that the private sector will be prioritized under his administration.–Press release
