Monrovia – The Cabinet, at its regular sitting on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 critically reviewed, examined and analyzed Tier Three Performance updates from the Ministries of State for Presidential Affairs, National Defense, Internal Affairs, Public Works, Post & Telecommunication, Youth and Sports while mandating provisional approval for the creation of a National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL).
According to an Executive Mansion release, Cabinet received essentials updates of ongoing renovation works on the Executive Mansion, finalization of contractual modalities for designs cum drawings of the National Library, devolution of management role and the maintenance responsibility for the Executive and Centennial Memorial Pavilions; the preparedness of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) to fill the void amid UNMIL drawdown plan, the need to de-congest Edward Binyah Kesselly Barracks in light of the proposed rehabilitation of the Tubman Military Academy in Todee and the intervention of the AFL in critical road rehabilitation projects around the country.
Cabinet also received updates on three key focused areas under the Ministry of Internal Affairs Tier Three Performance with emphasis on Liberia’s Decentralization Support Program, National Peace and Reconciliation and National Disaster – and mandated the Ministries of Finance and Internal Affairs to develop plan for addressing the operational cost of the Service Centers.
The Cabinet was briefed on hundreds of kilometers of roads rehabilitated or upgraded, WASH and Community services provided to the Liberian people, institutional reforms to enhance sustainability for the future of Liberia’s road network and innovation through alternate seals and improved delivery allows us to provide more for the Liberian people for less.
Updates on priority projects in the ICT sector were also outlined including E-Government, the Internet Exchange Point, Universal Access Program, Postal Financial Service, the National Postal Addressing System as well as expansion of postal services in rural Liberia.
Cabinet further reviewed the Liberia TVET roadmap, TVET institutions nationwide, the National Youth Programs and Liberia’s national sporting programs. Cabinet mandated the TVET Task Force to review the plan for the reopening of the Monrovia Vocational Training Center.
Meanwhile, Cabinet has granted provisional endorsement to the creation of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), which is anchored on the Third Pillar of the Resilient Health Plan and the Post EVD recovery plan for the Ministry of Health.
Evidently, the NPHIL shall seek to prevent and control public health threats by promoting healthy outcomes and serving as a source of knowledge and expertise recognizing a center of excellence for better health outcomes for Liberians through a strong health system.
The National Public Health Institute of Liberia’s strategic roadmap encompasses a sustainable public health workforce, disease surveillance and response, laboratory system and public health diagnostics and public and medical research.
In a related development, Cabinet received preliminary briefings on the incident surrounding the running aground of the “M/T TAMAYA 1” off the coast of Grand Cape Mount County. Investigation continues.