By Jackson C. Clay, Jr.
The World Bank and the Government of Liberia have launched the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) Consultations in Monrovia.
MFDP Minister, Samuel Tweh World Bank official, Dr. Henry Kerali
The program which was launched June 1, 20128 at the World Bank country office in Congo Town, brought together some senior World Bank officials, the International Finance Corporation and the government of Liberia represented by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Samuel Tweah.
Speaking during the launch, World Bank Country Director for Liberia, Ghana and Sierra Leone, Dr. Henry Kerali says the Country Partnership Framework is a program that would provide support to Liberia over the next five to six years within various sectors of the country.
“We have about seventy Million dollars per year, fifty percent is grant and fifty percent is credited to Liberia in a number of areas. We have started the process of the country Partnership Framework and we are now at a stage where we need to make consultations with the government, civil society, the media and other development partners,” Dr. Kerali said.
For his part, Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), Samuel Tweah said the government of Liberia considers the World Bank as one of its trusted partners in the drive to transform the country.
Minister Tweah stated that the government of Liberia sees the launch of the Country Partnership Framework as an opportune moment to reset, recalibrate and recharge the donations of the World Bank particularly at a time when the nation itself is developing its own national resources.
Minister Tweah asserted that the government of Liberia looks forward to invest significantly into road infrastructure, the Human development of the country and the educational system of the country as well.
“We look to partner with the World Bank, the African Development Bank and other partners in the agriculture space to improve value addition and make the necessary investment,” Minister Tweah said.
At the same time, World Bank Liberia Country Manager, Larisa Leshchenko said the strategy being used by the World Bank for the CPF is well-aligned with the Government of Liberia’s own vision.
Leshchenko indicated that the World Bank is currently concentrating on working in areas like roads, infrastructure, and power supply, distribution and transmission which according to her would allow the private sector to develop much better in the country.
“Our strategy is built around three key pillars. The government or institutional capacity to create transparency and accountability for the public sector for a better private sector, our second pillar is investing into the human capital of this country through education and the third pillar is looking at bridging the gap between rural and urban development,” Leshchenko noted.
She noted that the World Bank would ensure that the benefits of the country are equally distributed across the country, because according to her there are some areas of the country that are deprived of development.
The World Bank Liberia County Manager asserted that the third pillar of the strategy would serve as glue so as to bring the country together in terms of improved access to services.
She narrated that in the next coming days, the World Bank intends to go all out across the country for a nationwide consultation on the CPF.
Leshchenko indicated that these consultations are intended to hear from the people themselves about how they think about the program and to provide the World Bank a better way of implementing this program.
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