When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took office as Liberia's post-war president on January 16, she outlined a number of initiatives aimed at producing tangible "deliverables" for the country's war-ravaged population during the first five months of her administration.
On Monday, four months after the Inauguration, the government issued a status report on what is called the "First 150 Days Action Plan." The four pillars of the plan, "each of equal importance", the document said, include: (1) expanding peace and security, (2) revitalizing economic activity, (3) rebuilding infrastructure and providing basic services, and (4) strengthening governance and the rule of law.
The report outlines the initiatives being undertaken in each of the four areas and includes a nine-page listing of projects color-coded to indicate those that have been completed, those that are underway and those that are about to begin.
The report issued Monday describes the 150 Day Action Plan as "the first phase of a long-term strategy for reconstruction and development" and adds:
"For the longer term, by the end of June the Government will draft an interim strategy for sustained poverty reduction and development based on internal analysis and initial consultations with representatives of the legislature, civil society, the private sector, and other groups. Later this year, the interim strategy will be debated and discussed nationwide, and ideas and priorities identified from those deliberations will be incorporated into a full long-term strategy for sustained poverty reduction and development in 2007."
