The Minister of Public Works Samuel Kofi Woods has acknowledged that the lack of maintenance is seriously hampering road rehabilitation activities in the country.

Speaking at the opening of the High- Level Retreat on the Infrastructure Management of Liberia, organized by the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Public Works, the World Bank and the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), Mr. Samuel Kofi Woods, Minister of Public Works, stressed that a firmed and trusted public and private partnership would be part of the infrastructure management strategy.

This partnership, the minister said, should be developed to demonstrate commitment to advancing the provision of rehabilitation of the infrastructure and to providing basic services to the people of Liberia. The three day gathering brought together national and international partners, the government of Liberia, international and local contractors.

It also afforded them the opportunity to discuss a framework for assessing Liberia's infrastructure, financing options and examine model of accountability data-drive decision making for Liberia among others.

According to the Minister, the government has an internal implementation unit (IIU), which he believes will help to improve the standard and to reduce times require for the implementation of project and to eliminate bureaucratic bottom necks. He, however, attributed the reasons for the continual constrains to the Country's economic growth and recovery, to what Mr. Woods called the lack of maintenance of the broken infrastructure, particularly road construction and rehabilitation.

He cautioned participants of the retreat to increase realism in the infrastructure planning , and should ensured that sectarian decision making should be more transparent, people centered, participatory and accountable.

He further explained that an internal implementation unit has been set-up which is now responsible for the implementation of project funded through donors' grants. He said, this vision is to expand or cover all interventions in the road sectors and to eventually establish an autonomous road authority with a corresponding national road partner.

Mr. Woods maintained that the Out-Put Road Contract (OPRC) which is part of the national agenda to offer improved and quality infrastructure to the people of Liberia has targeted two major and economic made importance links to Liberia.

This link, the Boakay- Town to Buchanan, according to the minister, will link the capital Monrovia to the second most important port city of Buchanan, Grand Bassa County. He also named another link the Monrovia to Ganta and the Guinea border which, when decided, will link Monrovia to Kakata city, Bong and Nimba Counties, as well as linking the forest regions of Liberia and Guinea.