The Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town was a scene of interactive discussions among international partners, President George M. Weah and his cabinet ministers during the “Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development” National Steering Committee Meeting.
The meeting, which was chaired by President George M. Weah, was intended to know how impactful the PADP is on Liberians, how donor funds are spent and a way forward since it was it was launched in 2018. The meeting’s theme, “Building Forward Better”, was an interactive discussions among the participants.
On October 27, 2018 CDC-led government launched the “Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD)”, which is a national development plan for the years 2018 and 2023.
“The PAPD is a framework for inclusion, more equitable distribution of our national wealth, and a rights-based approach to national development,” President Weah said. “It aligns our national plans with the African Union Agenda 2063 and the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the vision of ECOWAS.”
The development of the PAPD was a broad-based consultative process that included all stakeholders, including agencies of the government, development partners, the UN systems, Civil Society organizations and the private sector, according to the President.
President Weah said that the “aim of the PAPD is to place Liberia on a higher trajectory of inclusive economic growth, secure peace and democracy, reduce poverty, solve infrastructure constraints in roads, electricity, port and telecommunications; improve agriculture, transform governance, improve the business climate and provide the means for private sector-led growth.
“The PAPD remains the best expression of our collective ambition to achieve peace, prosperity, and national development and address the critical constraints to growth, such as regional disparity, low human capacity, and the poor distribution of our national wealth.”
Since its launch three years ago, it has been impactful on the country and citizens.
“Over the last three years, tremendous efforts have been made to meet the expectations of the Liberian people through massive investment in road infrastructure, the expansion of the electricity network in both rural and urban areas, investment in health and education. In health we have moved to provide new health facilities and to address challenges to the quality of care,” he said.
“In education, we are building nearly 100 new schools and have taken steps to bring more Liberians into higher education by abolishing payment of tuition fees at public colleges and universities and have reduced the burden on parents by having Government pay the West African examination fees for 12th graders.
“ln 2019, while on the path of our development, macroeconomic shocks that began in 2018 gravely affected the PAPD. This shock was followed by the COVID pandemic, which the world is now living with. Considering these challenges, the government had to revise and recalibrate the ambitions of the PAPD.
“Despite these revisions, the PAPD remains on course and has been able to achieve a lot, while still dealing with numerous challenges. In the course of these recent difficulties, we moved swiftly as a government to prioritize public expenditure and aggressively grow domestic revenue.
“As you may be aware, the implementation framework of the PAPD requires a National Steering Committee, which is the highest level of the PAPD governance and coordination structure, chaired by the President of the Republic of Liberia. The Steering Committee also includes leaders of the other two branches of the government—the Legislature and the Judiciary—and our development partners.
“It is important that we come together to take stock of what we have achieved collectively over the last three to four years of the PAPD and face the challenges of the future together. I am glad that we have all gathered here today at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex to hold this important Steering Committee Meeting on the gains, challenges and future of the PAPD.
“Before we begin the formal business of the Steering Committee, let me on behalf of our leadership express my deepest gratitude to the Cabinet, to our development partners, and to friends of Liberia for the tremendous support towards the implementation of the PAPD. Let me especially thank the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for coordinating with all stakeholders to arrive at this Steering Committee meeting after holding several pillar and sector meetings.
“Let us all deliberate in the spirit of frankness and openness, knowing that, when united, we can resolve the many problems and challenges that confront us as a nation, a government, a people and as partners.
“On this note, I now declare this first Steering Committee meeting of the PAPD open for discussion.
Responding after the President declared the meeting open, Sweden Ambassador, Urban Sjostrom, encouraged the government to be transparent and fight corruption, noting that due to global crises and the war between Russia and Ukraine, donors releasing funds will be on a slow pace, urging Liberia to practice independent status and refrain from dependency syndrome.
The international partners, cabinet ministers, especially Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, mesmerized the audience on the impact of the PAPD on the country, how donors funds are spent and a way forward. Justice Minister, Education Minister, among others, did a PowerPoint presentation on the PAPD.