Tuesday – Monrovia, Liberia, 6 September 2016, Acting Minister Frantz Sawyer and Deputy Minister for Trade Services, Honorable Stephen Marvie, Jr., joined the Africa Growth Initiative team headed by Mr. Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister to visit J-Palm, a burgeoning palm kernel industry set up by young entrepreneurial trailblazers, Mahmud Johnson.

The Ministry also joined other government MACs to provide updates to President Sirleaf and Mr. Blair on the economic diversification programs in agriculture, agro-business and manufacturing.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry made the economic case for the establishment of the National Single Window and Verification of Conformity projects to support trade facilitation and improve the business environment. A presentation was made at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning with several ministries and agencies in attendance. The Executive Director of the Public Procurement Concession Commission, Honorable James Dorbor Jallah, advised that given the clear leadership of the Ministry on the single window and VOC projects, it was important to go-ahead with those projects while the e-government projects related to Ministry of Justice, labor, and immigration should be put aside until those lead MACs are present. The meeting concluded on the note that MoCI will submit a brief for both projects before the issuance of the concession certificates. The briefs have since been submitted to MFDP.