Executive Order No. 118 of 2023 on adoption of Guidelines and Procedures for Management of Food Reserve in Liberia

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 118 ADOPTION OF GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR MANAGEMENT OF FOOD RESERVE STOCKS IN LIBERIA WHEREAS, consistent with the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (P APD) to promote a stable macroeconomic environment enabling private sector-led economic growth, greater competitiveness, and diversification of the economy of Liberia, the Go emment of Liberia and its partners are making tremendous efforts to boost the Agriculture Sector and improve food security by working to maintain greater access to food and nutrition and for the availability of food at household level around the country; WHEREAS, in keeping with this national development initiative, the strategy of Local and International Partners involved with the Agriculture Sector and with the Government of Liberia' s own internal review and indicators on low national food production outputs, is to adopt guidelines and procedures for management of food reserve stocks, cognizant that a national food deficit will lead to a situation of nation-wide insecurity; WHEREAS, in the exercise of Executive Power vested in the President by the Constitution, the President may issue Executive Orders in the Public interest, either to meet an emergency or to correct situations which cannot wait the lengthy legislative processes; NOW THEREFORE, the Government of Liberia, with the desire to prevent a national food insecurity and food deficit and to prevent an overall national insecurity in the country, hereby issues this Executive Order No. 118 adopting the revised guidelines and procedures for effective management of food reserve stocks in Liberia to strengthen food security crises preparedness planning. 1 e tion 1: uthority nnd cope 1. I hl! uidclinc for trengthening the Enective Management of Food Reserve Stocks in I ibcria erve a a basi for the operation and use o r Food Re erve Stock in Lhe untry and provide a tep-b - tep guide for u er ; 2. The Guideline i part ofa greater effort of the Government of Liberia to s trengthen the country' food and nutrition ecurity: 3. Th Government ,vould ensure the continuous existence of national food reserves in the country to (a) meet local shortfalls in the supply of a designated agricultural commodity, (b) make timely interventions in food assistance during natural shocks or disasters such as floods, quakes, and drought and (c) address issues relati ng to the upply of de ignated agricultural commodities resulting to limit price volatility. 4. The replenishment of food stocks in the National Reserve system should be primarily financed by the Government of Liberia through budgetary allocations. 5. The Government commits to include in its annual appropriation, an allotment for replenishing national reserves, while county-level reserves should be replenished through annual production activities; Section 2: Stocking of Food I . T he Government of Liberia may purchase from the domestic market and/or import a designated agricultural commodity, for the purposes of the National Food Reserve Stock. 2. The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Agriculture and other government and international food related entities, will have the mandate to 3. address issues of food insecurity in keeping with global efforts spelled out in goal two of the global SDGs aiming to end poverty by 2030. 2 4. The Mini lry of Agriculture i a l o mandated to work along with the development partners and the Liberia ln titute for tati tics and Geo r nformation Service , and following the Guideline , lo de clop key performance indicator and track known ris~ that can jeopardize the tocking and di tr ibution of tored commodities. 5. The Ministry of Agriculture hall develop technical manuals to promote food ecurit and efficient food distribution. The technical manuals to be developed are: (a) the teTI11S and procedures of purchase; (b) Stocking procedures; (c) quality control procedures; (d) physical storage procedures; (e) destock ing procedures; (f) logi tic management procedures; and (g) monitoring and evaluation and capitalization procedures. 6. The Go ernment of Liberia through the Ministry of Agriculture shall enter into formal agreements with any bilateral or multilateral partners intended to support replenishment of the national food reserve system. 7. The Minister of Agriculture is mandated to develop Administrative and Operational Regulations to give effect to this Executi ve Order. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately. GIVEN UNDER MY HANDS AND SEAL OF OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA, THIS ~ DAY OF APRIL, A. D. 2023. Geo e M. Weah, Sr. PRESIDENT REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA 3