ROAC-FED participants posed for photo after the opening ceremony in Monrovia.-Says Gov’t’s Pro-Poor Agenda focuses on roads so as to enhance economic transformationFinance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., has assumed the presidency of the Network of National Authorizing Officers Support Unit in West Africa of the European Development Fund (ROAC-FED) in West Africa.Minister Tweah took over from his predecessor, Ansumana Touray, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs in The Gambia.Speaking at the opening of the 9th Annual ROAC-FED regional meeting in Monrovia on Wednesday, January 16, he pledged to continue the great work that has already been started by his colleagues. The three-day meeting, which began yesterday, is expected to run up to Friday, January 18.“We will build on the experiences gained since 2006 when the first ROAC-FED meeting was held in Conakry, Guinea,’’ Minister Tweah assured.The annual gathering is to provide the National Authorizing Offices and Regional Integration Organizations within the ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) Region a platform to exchange knowledge and experiences and deliberate on issues arising from the implementation of the European Development Fund’s projects.Minister Tweah, who is also the National Authorizing Officer of Liberia, said Liberia’s leadership of the ROAC–FED will work closely with other West African countries and with the European Union, to stretch the impact of ROAC-FED resources in member countries through stronger collaboration and technical meetings.Tweah used the occasion to recognize the numerous contributions of the European Union. He described the EU as a critical partner in West Africa, especially in consideration of the vital role it continues to play in the transformation of the space of the sub-region’s infrastructure.Tweah also informed his colleagues that at the just-ended Economic Conservatives and Reformist Group Africa Summit held in Brussels, he made a plea to the continent’s international development partners to move faster in closing the infrastructure gap in Africa, something he said without which there is no hope for sustained private sector-led growth.He called on West African Governments to redefine their partnership with the European Union in order to ensure sustained private sector-led growthMinister Tweah named roads and electricity infrastructure as binding constraints to Africa’s transformation and that the resource requirements for addressing these constraints are huge.Tweah revealed that the European External Investment Program has allocated around 1 billion Euros to support businesses and infrastructure in Africa.He called on his colleagues to remain in the driver’s seat for their own development and focus on technical issues that can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of development programming and delivery under the European Development Fund as well as deepening EU-West Africa partnership.Meanwhile, Tweah disclosed that Liberia has been able to address some of the critical reasons that led to EU withdrawal from the country’s road financing.He named the setting up of an Operational Road Fund, which generates about US$35 million annually, as one of those critical issues addressed.According to him, the government’s Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development focuses on roads so as to enhance the country’s economic transformation.Outgoing president of ROAC-FED Ansumana Touray said the hosting of the meeting in Monrovia coincided with a historic moment in the country’s democracy after an internationally recognized election.He said the importance of the 9th ROAC-FED cannot be overemphasized, considering the development challenges that ECOWAS countries are faced with, such as: terrorism, climate change, migration, poverty and food insecurity.These challenges, according to him, are the crux of “our engagement with the European Union. Therefore, this meeting provides us with an opportunity to discuss these mainly from the perspectives of our various national and regional indicative programs.”Touray recalled that during the 8th ROAC-FED meeting in Banjul in 2018, certain recommendations were made, namely, that ECOWAS and UEMOA (West Africa Monetary & Economic Union) Commissions should conduct a study on using implementing agencies and its impact on local EU assistance; Heads of State should be duly informed of the challenges faced by the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions in the implementation of the Regional Indicative Programs (RIPs); an efficient monitoring and communication mechanism should be set up within the framework of the EDF; set up a regional platform for monitoring RIP projects, including projects from the Africa Investment Facility and those of the EU Emergency Trust Fund; and Operationalize the ECOWAS EDF support cell and strengthen the UEMOA EDF (European Development Fund) support unit.The ROAC-FED was established to enable National Authorizing Offices of the European Development Fund to share and communicate technical and development experiences in order to enhance the effectiveness and impact of EDF.Meanwhile, the ongoing ROAC-FED meeting is being attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, Deputy Ministers of Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and representatives from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo and host Liberia.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Minister Tweah Heads ROAC-FED
January 14, 2020
– tied with Panama, Gambia, among others for 93rd positionTransparency International has released its latest global rankings, showing that while Guyana is considered one of 20 countries that have made improvements it has also taken a step backwards last year.Transparency International has been one of the foremost anti-corruption voicesAccording to the index, Guyana fell by one spot to the 93rd position out of 180 countries. The index placed Guyana’s corruption perception score at 37 to tie with Gambia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Mongolia and Panama.The highest ranked Caribbean country was the Bahamas at 29th place with a score of 65. It is followed by Barbados, which received a score of 68 for anti-corruption. The next Caribbean country is St Vincent and the Grenadines, which was ranked at 41 with a score of 58.The top-ranked countries on the list were Denmark at number one, and New Zealand at number two. The United States of America was ranked at 71, with a score of 22.Last year, Guyana scored 38 and was ranked 91 out of all the countries reviewed. Over the past few months, however, much has been said about the Auditor General’s 2017 report and the sole-sourcing of contracts.The sole-sourced Demerara River Bridge feasibility studyThis includes the Public Procurement Commission investigating and red-flagging the sole-sourcing of the Demerara River bridge feasibility study. The contract in question was awarded to the Dutch company, LievenseCSO, for a feasibility study into the new Demerara River Bridge.The parliamentary Opposition had requested that the Public Procurement Commission investigate the award of the $148 million sole-sourced contract.In its report on the matter, the Commission flagged Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson for requesting from Cabinet that the contract be sole-sourced instead of being processed through the Procurement Board as the law says should be done.After agitation from the parliamentary Opposition, the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) had begun investigating the corrupt transaction. Right from the start, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had stressed the need for the unit to avoid showing favouritism to Patterson, particularly at a time when Opposition Politicians were being brought into SOCU for questioning on other matters.SOCU has since said it completed its investigation into the corrupt transaction, with the unit’s Head, Assistant Police Commissioner Sydney James confirming to this publication a few weeks ago that the file has been in the hands of the Police Legal Advisor since last year.This was confirmed when Guyana Times made contact with SOCU Head, Assistant Commissioner of Police (retired) Sydney James. In a brief interview, James noted that it has been in the hands of the Legal Advisor; Justice (retired) Claudette Singh, for several weeks.AG reportWhen it comes to the Auditor General’s report, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and now presidential candidate Irfaan Ali has been one of several public figures highlighting the fact that the report is littered with discrepancies and corruption for the 2017 fiscal year.“In the education sector, as it relates to the supply of dietary item under the Kato Breakfast School Feeding Programme, Region Eight, prices paid were significantly higher when compared to prices of similar items previously purchased by the Region. In total $33.6 million was expended on items whose prices were grossly inflated,” he had said last year.“Similarly under the $2.1 billion School Feeding Programme, eleven schools in Regions 7 and 9, couldn’t account for $52.1 million, a repeated misdemeanour that was highlighted in the preceding Auditor General report. Hence, at the Ministry of Education Tender Board level, procurement irregularities continued uninterrupted.”Ali had also highlighted parts of the report, where it was revealed that forty contracts totalling $15.9 million were awarded without the requisite Tender Board approval, of which thirty-five were awarded to one contractor at a total value of $12.8 million. “Moreover, numerous instances of overpayments were recorded. For example, two contractors, with respect to the installation of water distribution line and system, and night lighting system at the Synthetic Track and Field Facility, received $4.114 million and $4.767 million respectively in overpayments.”“In another instance, the contract for the construction of a chain link fence at the One Mile Primary School, Wismar, which was awarded by the Regional Tender Board for the sum of $12.583 million, received an overpayment of $727,000.”The corruption perception index did acknowledge, however, that Guyana is among 20 countries to have significantly improved their scores over the past seven years.
The body of a welder was on Sunday fished out of the Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), one day after he reportedly went missing.Dead: Timothy FraserDead is Timothy Fraser, 44, of Savannah Park Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam. Details surrounding the incident are still sketchy, however his family have expressed concern over the way the matter was reported to them.According to the dead man’s mother, Valerie Fraser, she was told three different versions about how her son died.She said on Saturday she received a phone call from someone at his work site in Mazaruni indicating that her son was missing. She said the caller claimed that her son was dressed in his welding outfit waiting on a boat to collect him at a landing but decided to go for a swim. When the boat arrived, only his clothing was seen at the landing.Later on, the family was told that Frazer had gone to another location in the interior to work.On Saturday afternoon they were told that he left to go to the waterfront and only his clothes were found at the waterfront.According to the grieving mother, when she called on Sunday she was told that her son was on a boat sitting on a chair which fell overboard and he went down.Meanwhile, Keno Fraser, who travelled to the area after the initial report, said when he saw the body it was swollen, indicating that it had been in the water for hours.Meanwhile, a post-mortem examination is expected to be performed today in Georgetown. (Andrew Carmichael)
0Shares0000Kingstone FC celebrate after winning the 2019 Koth Biro titleNAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 4 – Kingstone FC beat Allin Jua Kali 7-6 on post-match penalties after a 2-2 stalemate in regulation time to clinch the annual Koth Biro post-season tournament, played in July-August for the first time since its inception.This was the first time in over a decade that the winner of the tournament played at the Iconic Umeme Grounds in Ziwani was won via penalties. Maina Hussein, Waka Nelson, Oreso Kevin, Eugene Oduor, Brian Ochieng, keeper Juma Casillas and Christopher Muriithi scored for Kingstone while Steven Otieno’s kick was saved.Mika Odhiambo and Abura Odhiambo missed their penalties for Allin with Brian Ochieng, Rafael Ndukwe,Derric Abdundo, David Kioko, Rich Donald and goalkeeper Victor Omondi scoring.In regular time, the match was highly contested and Allin broke the deadlock after 20 minutes through Evans Juma who pounced on a rebounded ball. Kelwish Wabulukha however drew Kingstone Level six minutes to half time.Walubukha then turned provider in the second half, swinging in a cross that was connected into the net by KCB forwardr Chris Onyango to give Kingstone the advantage.But, a resilient Allin were not unsettled but pushed forward and the spanner boys equalised in the 68th minute through Walcott Walla’s well taken free-kick.With no winner in regular time, the die was cast in penalties, and Kingstone prevailed to take home the coveted trophy and a cash reward of Sh300,000.Jua Kali went home with Sh200,000 while Masa who beat Umeme Bees to clinch the third place title were rewarded with Sh75,000 with bees earning Sh50,000.Borussia’s Francis Omondi meanwhile won the golden boot after scoring five times in the tournament while Keith Imbali clinched the MVP award. Umeme’s Evans Mieno was named most promising player while the Arnold Origi golden glovesaward went to Borrusia and Mathare United keeper Job Ochieng.Kingstone, winners of the Koth Biro tournament will now travel to Tanzania to play a friendly against winners of the Ndondo Cup.0Shares0000(Visited 6 times, 1 visits today)
The gang after last year’s three peaks in three days.Last year a team from Ramelton took on the challenge , of 3 peaks in 3 days and raised over €5000 for the Irish Cancer society and the Ramelton town band .This year they’re back again and have upped there challenge to 6 peaks in 3 days!The challenge will take place on the 17 th, 18th and 19th of April, when they will tackle Nephin and Croagh Patrick in Mayo, Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Meelbeg in Down, and Muckish and Errigal in Co .Donegal. This year the aim is to raise funds for the children’s ward in Letterkenny hospital and the Ramelton town band .They are holding a tea party this Friday the 27 th in the Ramelton Town Hall from 10am till 2 pm with donations on the day.Please call in for a wee cuppa and a yummy treat.They would also like to invite the public to join them on there final climb up Errigal on Sunday the 19th April where they hope to assemble at 10.30am and start there climb by 11am. Your support will help urge them on to reach the top.WHEN SIX PEAKS IN THREE DAYS MIGHT JUST GO…..! was last modified: March 24th, 2015 by StephenShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)
4. Tottenham HotspurHighest possible position – 2ndLowest possible position – 5th3. Chelsea Highest possible position – 2ndLowest possible position – 4th2. LiverpoolHighest possible position – 1stLowest possible position – 3rd Leicester City fans react at the King Power Stadium. Can Ranieri perform similar heroics at Fulham like he did at Leciester? getty Manchester United star Anthony Martial celebrates scoring this season. Manchester United vs Crystal Palace – Saturday, November 24 (kick-off 3pm) – CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVETottenham Hotspur vs Chelsea -Saturday, November 24 (kick-off 5:30pm) – CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE Chelsea star Cesar Azpilicueta beats Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli to the ball last season. 9 9 19. HuddersfieldHighest possible position – 14thLowest possible position – 20th18. Cardiff CityHighest possible position – 14thLowest possible position – 20th17. SouthamptonHighest possible position – 14thLowest possible position – 20th Brighton star Lewis Dunk celebrates scoring away against Cardiff City. 9 talkSPORT’s Premier League commentaries This week, the 13th matchday of the campaign, we’ve got some more great games, although they’re all quite unpredictable.And Spurs hosting their London rivals at Wembley should top it all off rather neatly on Saturday evening. Newcastle United striker Salomon Rondon might just save the Magpies. 7. WatfordHighest possible position – 6thLowest possible position – 10th6. BournemouthHighest possible position – 6thLowest possible position – 10th5. ArsenalHighest possible position – 4thLowest possible position – 5th getty 13. West Ham UnitedHighest possible position – 12thLowest possible position – 14th12. BrightonHighest possible position – 10thLowest possible position – 13th 9 Southampton last tasted victory in the league at Crystal Palace The Premier League is back with a bang as Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea take each other on, live on talkSPORT.It’s a mouth-watering match and could have huge ramifications for both teams’ hopes of glory in the English top-flight as they attempt to hunt down Manchester City. 9 9 16. Crystal PalaceHighest possible position – 14thLowest possible position – 20th15. BurnleyHighest possible position – 13thLowest possible position – 19th14. Newcastle UnitedHighest possible position – 13thLowest possible position – 19th 9 9. EvertonHighest possible position – 6thLowest possible position – 11th8. Manchester UnitedHighest possible position – 6thLowest possible position – 10th Only Arsenal (51.2%), have a better win rate in Premier League London derbies than Chelsea (50.6%) and Spurs (35.3%) 9 9 11. Wolverhampton WanderersHighest possible position – 9thLowest possible position – 12th10. Leicester CityHighest possible position – 6thLowest possible position – 12th But how can the Premier League table look at the end of the gameweek? Using data from Sportsvisualized.com, talkSPORT.com reveals the highest and lowest potential position for each team at the end of this round of fixtures.You can see the results, below…20. FulhamHighest possible position – 16thLowest possible position – 20th Liverpool’s defence has made great strides since van Dijk’s arrival and Gomez’s return to full fitness 1. Manchester CityHighest possible position – 1stLowest possible position – 2nd
The public and anglers in Donegal have been warned to keep an eye for a rare species of salmon that has returned to Irish waters in ‘unprecedented numbers’ according to Inland Fisheries Ireland.The state agency, which is responsible for conservation and management of inland fisheries resources, has called on the anglers and members of the public to report sightings of Pacific pink salmon.Although they were first recorded in Ireland in 1973, they were very rare in Irish waters until 2017, and in the past week have been spotted in more southern parts of Norway, prompting fears they could appear in Irish waters once again. As they only have a two-year life cycle, numbers of the species have since fallen, but sightings of them returning to Irish rivers have sparked concern that they might negatively impact some of the native Irish species swimming in Irish water.Head of research and development at IFI, Dr Cathal Gallagher, said: “The potential presence of pink salmon in Irish rivers again is of ongoing concern to Inland Fisheries Ireland, as its presence in large numbers may negatively impact some of Ireland’s native species.“Despite only very limited information being currently available to assess such threats, the climatic and environmental conditions in Ireland are considered quite amenable to facilitate the establishment of Pacific pink salmon populations in Irish river systems,” he added.Pacific pink salmon are migratory species of salmon, which are native to river systems in the northern Pacific ocean, and nearby regions of the Bering Sea and Arctic ocean. The species has also established populations in rivers in the northern-most parts of Norway. and in the far northwest of Russia.Anglers who catch pink salmon are being asked to take a photograph, tag the fish, do not return the fish to the water, and keep them for the IFI, which will arrange for them to be collected.Donegal anglers urged to report sightings of ‘rare’ salmon species was last modified: June 27th, 2019 by Staff WriterShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)
curt hopkins Guide to Performing Bulk Email Verification According to a new study by Semiocast, Asia is now the region that produces the most Twitter posts, surpassing North America, which declined 7% in the last three months. Asia rose 5.5% in the same time period, to 37%. It is also the fastest-growing region in terms of Twitter use. The U.S. is still number one in terms of countries, with 25% of Twitter messages, down from 30% in March. But the second and third positions belong to Japan and Indonesia with 18% and 12% respectively. Indonesia knocked Brazil out of third position.South Korea enters the top 10 at the 7th position. More than 2% of messages are sent from South Korea, up from 1% three months ago. India, the fourth Twitter nation in Asia, represents less than 1% of messages. The company did the geolocation study as a proof of value for Semiocast API, the company’s multilingual geolocation message processing technology that launched today. The Paris-based real-time web data service surveyed 2.9 million messages on one day, June 22. A Comprehensive Guide to a Content Audit The Dos and Don’ts of Brand Awareness Videos
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Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro on Monday asked several former legislators to immediately vacate the government quarters they have been occupying despite their tenure getting over.The quarters currently occupied by former MLAs are to be allotted to newly elected legislators who are facing difficulty in staying in the State capital.Mr. Patro told media persons that the occupied quarters may be denied water and electricity supply to ensure that they are vacated without delay.As many as 21 former MLAs had been overstaying in government quarters despite several notices being issued by the General Administration Department and the State Assembly. A few former MLAs are also in possession of more than one government house, said sources.
PBA IMAGESChe’Lu Bar and Grill-San Sebastian recovered from a poor start and pulled off an 83-79 come-from-behind win over AMA Online Education Thursday in the 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig.RK Ilagan shot 6-of-11 from threes as he provided the lift for the Revellers with 22 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Samboy de Leon flexed his veteran know-how in the fourth quarter where he uncorked seven of his 21 markers that went with six boards and two dimes.ADVERTISEMENT View comments NEXT BLOCK ASIA 2.0 introduces GURUS AWARDS to recognize and reward industry influencers Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. Globe Business launches leading cloud-enabled and hardware-agnostic conferencing platform in PH NCAA volleyball: Arellano caps off elims with nipping of San Sebastián 2 ‘newbie’ drug pushers fall in Lucena sting Che’Lu-San Sebastian spoiled the rousing debut of new AMA playmaker Robbie Manalang, who poured 28 points, three rebounds, and two assists in the loss.Genmar Bragais also had 16 markers and 13 boards, while Carlo Escalambre got 13 points and five rebounds.The loss, which was the Titans’ third straight, also hurt more with Andre Paras spraining his right ankle with 5:56 left in the game.The Scores:CHE’LU BAR AND GRILL-SAN SEBASTIAN 83 — Ilagan 22, De Leon 21, Calisaan 12, Batino 11, Bulanadi 8, Faundo 6, Jeruta 2, David 1, Costelo 0, Santos 0.ADVERTISEMENT AMA ONLINE EDUCATION 79 — R. Manalang 28, Bragais 16, Escalambre 13, Matillano 10, Porter 7, Paras 5, Antonares 0, Carpio 0, Garcia 0, Jordan 0, P. Manalang 0, Salonga 0.Quarters: 18-21, 35-39, 56-58, 83-79. Typhoon Kammuri accelerates, gains strength en route to PH Slow and steady hope for near-extinct Bangladesh tortoises MOST READ John Lloyd Cruz a dashing guest at Vhong Navarro’s wedding LATEST STORIES Trending Articles PLAY LIST 00:50Trending Articles00:50Trending Articles01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:29Police teams find crossbows, bows in HK university01:35Panelo suggests discounted SEA Games tickets for students02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City Brace for potentially devastating typhoon approaching PH – NDRRMC Kammuri turning to super typhoon less likely but possible — Pagasa Coach Stevenson Tiu, however, saidChe’Lu-San Sebastian’s performance left a lot to be desired after the team fell behind 7-21.“We’re supposed to lose with the way we played the game,” he lamented. “Every game, we start slow. Whatever adjustment we do, that’s always the case.”FEATURED STORIESSPORTSWATCH: Drones light up sky in final leg of SEA Games torch runSPORTSLillard, Anthony lead Blazers over ThunderSPORTSMalditas save PH from shutoutLuckily for Tiu, Michael Calisaan, who also chipped in a double-double with his 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Alfred Batino, who got 11 markers and 11 boards, were solid down low to aid De Leon in the clutch and survive the Titans’ barrage.“We just decided to go to the veterans and thankfully, they responded,” he said of Revellers, who rose to 2-1. Read Next