MONROVIA, June 28 (LINA) – United States Ambassador Christine Elder has commended the Government of Liberia for the formulation of its “Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) which focuses on improving the living standard of Liberia’s most vulnerable population.
Elder said by helping the poor to get on their feet, Liberia can also accelerate the development of a middle class that is essential for sustained growth and broadly shared prosperity.
According to Elder, the IMF program that Liberia is negotiating can help stabilize the economy while preserving existing necessities in healthcare and education upon which Liberia most vulnerable depend.
The U.S. Ambassador said at the USAID Liberia Development Conference, which opened in Monrovia on Thursday, that the program will also drive needed reform of Liberian public sector wage bill and its monetary and fiscal policies and institutions.
« Our recent Country Cooperation and Development Strategy reflects continued commitment of the United States to help Liberia achieve the goals outlined in President Weah’s Pro-Poor Agenda,” she said.
Elder disclosed that the US Government has also formulated a strategy that will guide U.S development initiative in Liberia for the next 5 years so that it aligns with the pillars of the Pro- Poor Agenda.
Speaking on the success of the USAID Liberia Development Conference, the American envoy emphasized: “As stakeholders, each time we look back and evaluate honestly how effective certain decisions or initiatives have been, we are always reminded that development is an iterative process that requires the capacity to change overtime and build on success.”
She said development is as well learning from mistakes with the ultimate goal of developing more viable policy options and law, citing that it also requires cooperation among all branches of government, consultation among stakeholders in society, research and analysis, planning and strategic capacity, and evaluation and monitoring.
Elder expressed optimism that discussions emanating from the USAID Liberia Development Confab will contribute to advancing collective efforts to combat poverty and help steer Liberia on its journey to self- reliance.
The conference, the U.S. Ambassador recounted, builds on the national development conference sponsored by USAID and other partners in 2017. That Conference, according to her, was Liberian-owned and Liberian-led, indicating that the overwhelming majority of participants were Liberians with deep knowledge of the nation’s development challenges and how to improve them.
She expressed the U.S. Government’s satisfaction that ‘Liberians will once again take the lead in proffering proposals for overcoming the huddles to successful policy implementation.
