A high-level delegation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is visiting Liberia this week.
The delegation arrives in Liberia Monday, June 18, 2018 for a two-day visit, a press statement from the MCC said over the weekend.
The delegation will highlight progress on project implementation under the compact signed October 2015 between the Governments of Liberia and the United States of America.
MCC Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Nash will lead the delegation. It will also include Acting Chief of Staff Chris Dunn and MCC Resident Country Director Kateri Clement.
Mr. Nash and the delegation will hold meetings with senior level officials of the Government of Liberia to discuss continued support for compact project implementation, among other activities.
The US$257M MCC compact with Liberia was designed to increase economic growth, reduce poverty and improve the lives of Liberians by increasing access to reliable and affordable electricity, and strengthening the electricity sector, as well as improving planning and the implementation of road maintenance.
Progress under the compact has already been made at the Mt. Coffee Hydropower plant, in which MCC provided US$147 million and was the single largest donor to the rehabilitation.
Destroyed during the wars, the hydropower plant’s four turbines are now online and can produce 88 megawatts of power – more than doubling the country’s generation capacity.
Additional compact projects focus on ensuring electricity reaches homes and businesses.
MCC’s compact also provides for the construction of a state of the art training center; the construction and equipment for a new Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) customer service center to improve service delivery; and the establishment of the Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC).
The compact will also contribute US$15M to match the Government of Liberia’s funding for critical road maintenance on the primary network.
In addition, US$5M is being provided for data collection and capacity building around road maintenance management at the Ministry of Public Works.
Through the Road Project, traffic and road condition data are being updated, and Liberia’s first Five-Year Road Maintenance Plan is being developed.