Liberia Private Sector Forum Attracts Key Ministers and Business Executives

7 February 2007
Content from a Premium Partner
Corporate Council on Africa (Washington, DC)
press release

Washington, D.C. — A stellar line-up of Liberian ministers and distinguished business executives will participate in the upcoming Liberia Private Sector Investment Forum on February 15, 2007 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C.

"We are very pleased with the enthusiastic response from the private sector to support the Forum. The high-level participation expected is testimony to the international business community's potential support for the development of Liberia," said Stephen Hayes, President of CCA.

The one-day Private Sector Investment Forum, hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) in cooperation and co-sponsorship with the Government of Liberia, the International Finance Corporation, and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation, immediately follows the government-to-government Liberia Partners' Forum from February 13-14, 2007.  More than twenty nations will meet in the Partners' Forum to decide the level of financial support to be given to the reconstruction efforts in Liberia.  The goal of the follow-on private sector forum is to strengthen the international business community's engagement with Liberia, based, in part, on the results of the Partners' Forum. Both events coincide with the one-year anniversary of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's historic election as Liberia's first female President and Africa's first democratically elected female Head of State.

"The stability of Liberia, and ultimately the security of West Africa will be tied to a rapid reconstruction effort made possible by both donor engagement and greater private sector investment and activity," Hayes added.

A highlight of the Liberia Private Sector Investment Forum will be the keynote address by President Johnson Sirleaf during the Forum luncheon. More than 400 participants are expected to attend.

Members of the Liberian ministerial delegation who will participate at the Private Sector Investment Forum include: Richard Tolbert, Chairman of the National Investment Commission; Antoinette Sayeh, Minister of Finance; Olubanke King-Akerele, Minister of Commerce; Dr. Eugene Shannon, Minister of Lands, Mines and Energy; Luseni Dunzo, Acting Minister of Public Works; Christopher Toe, Minister of Agriculture; and Jeremiah Sulunteh, Minister of Transport.

Also confirmed to participate in workshops and panel discussions are business representatives from companies that are presently engaged in Liberia, or that are seriously considering investing in the country. These business representatives will participate along with officials from the Liberia Reconstruction and Development Committee, the Liberia National Oil Company, the Liberian Bank for Development and Investment, and the National Housing Authority.

Confirmed private sector panelists include representatives from Acelor Mittal Liberia, Coca-Cola Company, Standard Bank, Ecobank, Kosmos Energy, BHP Billiton, Actis, and Mars Company, among numerous others.

Detailed workshop and plenary information as well as information on how to register are available on CCA's website at www.africacncl.org .

Inquiries about the Liberia Private Sector Investment Forum should be directed to Daniel Wolf at dwolf@africacncl.org. Media inquiries should be directed to Ilda Diffley at idiffley@africacncl.org

CCA, established in 1993, is a nonpartisan 501(c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa.

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