Source: allAfrica.com
A two-day Monrovia Business Forum under the theme: "Investment Attraction and Job creation for Economic Empowerment in Liberia" for both Ghanaian and Liberia entrepreneurs, starts Tuesday and ends on September 8, 2010.
The Embassy of the Republic of Liberia in Accra and the National Investment Commission (NIC) of the Republic of Liberia in collaboration with Sharp Eye Media Ltd, a Ghanaian multi media company, and EMPRETEC Ghana, Accra, is organizing the Two-Day Business Forum, being held under the auspices of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Liberia.
According to a Foreign Ministry release, the Monrovia Forum which takes place at the Monrovia City Hall will address the issue of job creation in Liberia through the collaborative effort of Ghanaian and Liberia Entrepreneurs. It will further help in the creation of employment opportunities for Liberians and also look at capacity building in their various endeavors in Liberia.
The Foreign Ministry statement further states that the Monrovia Forum will focus on encouraging Ghanaian to take advantage of business opportunities in post conflict Liberia and also encourage Liberian entrepreneurs to partner their Ghanaian counterparts and also expand their businesses into Ghana.
As the Accra Forum revealed, the investment opportunities in Liberia are considerable. It positions any venture there direct access to the other Mano River Member Countries (Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote D'Ivoire), and also the opportunity to produce and export to other parts of the world.
Over 50 Ghanaian Entrepreneurs from Manufacturing Mining, ICT, Road Construction, Real Estate, Health, Education, Waste Management, Fishing Industry, Agriculture, etc, have expressed their interest to be part of the Monrovia Forum.
The Forum will give Ghanaian entrepreneurs the opportunity to experience at first hand the several opportunities that abound in Liberia for their business expansion, partnering Liberian entrepreneurs and also developing a strong basis for bilateral and sub-regional trade that will insure to the benefit of both countries.
The Monrovia Forum will also demonstrate the willingness of the private sector in playing a significant role in the reconstruction effort of the Liberian Government and also help create employment opportunities for Liberians.
The Special Guest of Honor will be joined by some of key Cabinet Ministers who will speak on sector topics ranging from Manufacturing Mining, ICT, Road Construction, Real Estate, Health, Education, Waste Management, Fishing Industry and Agriculture, among other topics.
The release further states that the entire Ghana and Liberia Business Communities, Business people and Associations from other Countries are to contribute in accelerating trade and investment among the peoples of Liberia and Ghana for development.
Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who has for decades had first hand interaction with Ghana and Ghanaian industries, demonstrated her wish to offer Ghanaian Entrepreneurs the Golden Opportunity to come and join hands with Liberians in the development process by opening the first ever Business Forum on Liberia at the Accra International Conference Centre on Saturday, February 20, 2010 which was organized as part of Her Excellency's State Visit to Ghana, February 19-20, 2010.
As the Accra Forum revealed, the investment opportunities in Liberia are considerable. It positions any venture there direct access to the other Mano River Member Countries (Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote D'Ivoire), and also the opportunity to produce and export to other parts of the world. The success of the Accra Forum has encouraged the Liberia Embassy, Accra, to host a follow-up Forum in Monrovia.
Meanwhile, the Liberian Ambassador to Ghana has invited the public to the opening and functioning of the Two-Day Business Forum on Investment Opportunities and Job Creation in Liberia, which will take place on 7th for the official opening of the Forum and the Exhibition of Product and service and on 8th September, 2010, will be the continuation of the Forum, at the Monrovia City Hall, in Liberia at 7:00a.m.-6:00p.m. each day, respectively.
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Everyone is a genius
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – A Einstein
Drawing the line in Liberia
Crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by handful of individuals cannot be blamed upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians! The need for post-war justice is a step toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible legal forum that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Without justice, peace shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results. - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Men with unhealthy characters should not champion any noble cause
They pretend to advocate the cause of the people when their deeds in the dark mirror nothing else but EVIL!!
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.
If Liberia must move forward ...
If Liberia must move forward in order to claim its place as a civilized nation amongst world community of nations, come 2017 elections, Liberians must critically review the events of the past with honesty and objectivity. They must make a new commitment to seek lasting solutions. The track records of those who are presenting themselves as candidates for the position of "President of the Republic of Liberia" must be well examined. Liberians must be fair to themselves because results from the 2011 elections will determine the future of Liberia’s unborn generations to come - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's greatest problem!
While it is true that an individual may be held responsible for corruption and mismanagement of funds in government, the lack of proper system to work with may as well impede the process of ethical, managerial, and financial accountability - Bernard Gbayee Goah
What do I think should be done?
The situation in Liberia is Compound Complex and cannot be fixed unless the entire system of government is reinvented.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Any attempt to institute the system mentioned above in the absence of rule of law is meaningless, and more detrimental to Liberia as a whole - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's Natural Resources
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia needs a proper system
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Solving problems in the absence of war talks
As political instability continues to increase in Africa, it has become abundantly clear that military intervention as a primary remedy to peace is not a durable solution. Such intervention only increases insecurity and massive economic hardship. An existing example which could be a valuable lesson for Liberia is Great Britain, and the US war on terror for the purpose of global security. The use of arms whether in peace keeping, occupation, or invasion as a primary means of solving problem has yield only little results. Military intervention by any country as the only solution to problem solving will result into massive military spending, economic hardship, more fear, and animosity as well as increase insecurity. The alternative is learning how to solve problems in the absence of war talks. The objective of such alternative must be to provide real sustainable human security which cannot be achieved through military arm intervention, or aggression. In order to achieve results that will make the peaceful coexistence of all mankind possible, there must be a common ground for the stories of all sides to be heard. I believe there are always three sides to every story: Their side of the story, Our side of the story, and The truth – Bernard Gbayee Goah