Liberia Government (Monrovia)
31 July 2008
A cross-section of lawmakers at joint session.
Photo Credit: James M. Garresen/Executive Mansion
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has addressed a Joint Session of the National Legislature, providing a detailed update on results from the 2008 Liberia Poverty Reduction Forum, held in Berlin, Germany on June 26 and 27.
The President informed the lawmakers that the Forum was intended to review with the country's partners the details of the Poverty Reduction Strategy, with the aim of seeking their endorsement. President Sirleaf described the exercise as a crucial step, in part, because Partners funding will be needed to help finance the Strategy. She said the conference focused on infrastructure because it is crucial to achieving the country's goals to revitalize the economy, maintaining security, and ensuring access to schools and health clinics for Liberians across the 15 counties. "We asked them to mobilize exceptional assistance to support this most expensive portion of the Poverty Reduction Strategy," the Liberian leader asserted.
An Executive Mansion release quotes the President as saying that the key Forum objectives were achieved as partners voiced enthusiastic support for the Strategy and for the PRS consultation process in which government attempted to understand and prioritize the aspirations and needs of Liberians throughout the country.
The Liberian leader spoke of new commitments announced during the Berlin Forum to support the country's emphasis on infrastructure. The European Commission (EC), Germany, and Ireland, President Sirleaf said, announced new commitments to the country's infrastructure pooled fund, otherwise referred to as the Liberia Reconstruction Trust Fund. Contributions to the Fund by the three countries total $115-million USD, expanding the infrastructure pooled fund to over 7 times its previous size. The new commitments by the European Commission, Germany and Ireland, were among several other measures announced by the country's partners towards Liberia's reconstruction through the Poverty Reduction Strategy. The new commitments also include direct budgetary support of $26-million USD provided by the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The amount which covers the three-year PRS period will be channeled through the country's budget, allowing government to determine the priorities.
The President also informed the Joint Session of the Legislature of more progress toward relieving Liberia of its debt burden. "Germany, which was a gracious host, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, signed a bilateral debt relief agreement, immediately canceling all of Germany's bilateral claims, totaling 400-million United States Dollars," the President announced. Italy, the President also told the Legislators, has announced the cancellation of US $68-million while Denmark cancelled US $35-million in bilateral debt.
Meanwhile, Liberia's debt to the African Development Bank has been cleared. The clearance, according to President Sirleaf follows a US $13-million contribution by the European Commission towards Liberia's debt to the ADB. France, the President said has also announced a contribution of US $8-million dollars contribution to the clearance of Liberia's arrears to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In a related development, the Liberian leader has called for more collaboration among the three branches of government to transform the PRS into tangible benefits for the people. "We need to focus on the roads that link farmers to markets, families to their children's schools; to health clinics; reforms to the business climate to unleash the potential of Liberians to engage in private sector activity and a capable, strong, and accountable security forces to solidify the safety of peace-loving Liberians,' the Liberian leader reminded the law-makers.
The President's address to the Joint Session of the Legislature came at the end of a closed door session between the Liberian leader and heads and representatives of the Senate and House Committees of both houses of the National Legislature. During the session, the Executive and Legislature reviewed and discussed programs at both branches of government with the aim of facilitating the work of the Executive and Legislative branches of government. President Sirleaf welcomed the frank exchanges and said she looked forward to more collaboration between them, an exercise she noted, is crucial to the successful implementation of the programs and policies of government.
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