The World Bank is said to have committed to providing additional financing in the amount of US$50 million to address challenges in Liberia’s education sector, according to Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel Tweah.
Minister Tweah made the disclosure on Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at a ceremony in Monrovia, which marked the official launch of the process leading to the formulation of the Ministry’s Strategic Plan for 2019 to 2023.
The Liberian Finance Minister’s disclosure of a US$50 million commitment comes just days after the World Bank denied a recent report by the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authorities (NaFAA) that it had committed US$21 million for a new fisheries project in Liberia.
NaFAA had made the disclosure from Washington DC after its Director General had a meeting with senior World Bank officials.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Tweah says Human Capital Development is a major priority under the Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development. He stressed that this will be reflected in the MFDP’s new strategic plan.
Minister Tweah expressed delight about the conceptual framework and target objectives of the plan.
He said that under the new MFDP’s Strategic Plan for 2019-2023, it was his hope that the Ministry can work with the entire government and various development partners to find a way that they can determine whether they’re delivering in meeting different benchmarks.
He explained further that a cardinal aspiration of the new Strategic Plan is to turn the Ministry into the most efficient and effective service delivery with the aim of ending delays in processes at the Ministry.
“Human capital development is a major priority under the PAPD, including quality education and health.
Speaking further, Minister Tweah indicated that under the PAPD, government is focusing on improving the road infrastructure in the country, because without roads, Liberia’s growth outlook will continue to remain a challenge. Therefore, he disclosed, investment in road infrastructures is also vital under the PAPD.
Additionally, he named electricity and ports as other priorities well articulated in the PAPD which the Ministry’s Strategic Plan for 2019 to 2023 will seek to address.
The Finance Minister pointed out that discussions are ongoing with investors to expand the capacity of the LEC where over 2,000 transformers and transmitters will be brought into the country, instead of the targeted 300 pieces.
Electricity infrastructure, he went on to say, is a challenge for the country and a priority under the PAPD. He explained that the CLSG lines will be fully operational by 2020 and government will be able to import and to export power.
He expressed optimism that the mode of delivery will have to be effective and efficient in the midst of enormous challenges government is faced with.
He added that it was important to look at what entities were doing from a logically point and to have it tied to the PAPD.
Doing so he said will enable government to look at what problem it can solve, and to be able to solve the critical ones subject to resource limitation.
The gathering included development partners and representatives of Ministries and Agencies of government, as well as, officials and technicians of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning. Report by Augustine Octavius