– From Germany
The Deutsche Gesellschaft fur InternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) Gmbh signed a financial agreement of US$300,000.00 with the Ministry of Public Works to finance five small road and one bridge maintenance projects in Monrovia.
According to a release, the US$300,000 are being used for administration, supervision and works for routine maintenance of Caldwell-Louisiana, Clara Town – Jamaica Road, Neezoe – Parker Paint – Zayzay Community, A.B. Tolbert Road – Duport Road – Dillon Avenue, Older Congo Town Road – SKD Boulevard – GSA Road (Total of 41km) and St. Paul Bridge in Monrovia.
The works started in February 2019 for duration of six months. The project is implemented by the Ministry of Public Works and funds are being channeled through the newly established Office of the National Road Fund (NRF).
Minister of Public Works, Mobutu Nyenpan, underlines the importance of the seed financing by the German government for the support of road and bridge maintenance works.
He also stresses the need for continuous partnership with the German Cooperation. MPW Deputy Minister of Technical Services, Claude Langley, explains why the MPW focuses on the routine maintenance.
“Roads are technical systems like cars. Without maintenance, a car would break down very soon. Routine maintenance of roads consists of example, of cleaning drainages and culverts, small repairs of potholes, regarding and reshaping.”
The project “Capacity Development in the Transport Sector” is being implemented by GIZ on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ) and co-funded by the EU. In this context, the project supported the Liberian Government in the development of the Road Fund Act and its operationalization.
According to the project director Ulrich Thueer from the GIZ, the objective of the financial agreement is to give an opportunity to Liberian institutions responsible for road maintenance – the MPW and NRF Office – to test run the collaboration between the MPW and the newly established institution of the NRF on the whole value chain of infrastructure maintenance contracts for smaller works.
The National Road Fund Act of 2016 established the National Road Fund Office which became operational in May 2018. The National Road Fund was established to hold funds “from which disbursements will be made solely for the purpose of financing the approved Annual Road Maintenance Expenditure program and directly related costs.”
Road Fund Manager, Boniface Satu, states, “The Funding from the GIZ is the additional support to the road maintenance programme of Liberia. This clearly demonstrates international community support to Liberia. The office of the National Road Fund charged with the duty to manage financial transactions, using a sound financial management system that complies with international accepted accounting standards.
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