Paynesville — Despite facing criticism from critics regarding the performance of the George Weah-led government during its first term, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samuel Tweah, insists that the government has achieved significant success, and Liberians can rely on these achievements to reelect the President.
Speaking on a special edition of the Super Morning Show at the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS) on Tuesday morning, Mr. Tweah stated that the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Government has been diligently addressing the challenges it inherited in 2018.
"We are taking more success stories to the ballot box. Roads, electricity, agriculture, and many more are what the people will be voting on," Minister Tweah emphasized.
Better Concession Agreements under President Weah
During the 12-year tenure of the Unity Party, it was reported that 68 concession agreements were signed, with 64 of them being labeled as questionable.
Mr. Tweah disclosed that Joseph Boakai, the standard bearer of the Unity Party and former Vice President for 12 years, remained silent as these dubious concession agreements were signed.
While Minister Tweah did not specify the number of concessions his government has signed, he revealed that the CDC-led government has taken steps to rectify the agreements inherited from the Unity Party-led government, which he believes will benefit the people of Liberia.
Minister Tweah added, "We recently amended the Bea Mountain and ArcelorMittal agreements inherited by President George Weah. The way these agreements were structured under the former Vice President's leadership, it seems he may have overlooked them when they were approved."
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"We now have the mandate from the President to review these agreements, and the changes we made to Bea Mountain are significant. When comparing the agreements passed during Boakai's tenure to what President Weah has accomplished, it's like night and day."
"The amount of money directed towards the people has substantially increased. Grand Cape Mount County, in particular, is receiving a significant share of resources compared to previous years under the Unity Party," he stated.
According to him, the CDC-led government is enhancing concession agreements, a task he believes his predecessor did not prioritize.
"The agreements we are currently passing adhere to higher standards of governance compared to the past. We are negotiating better terms and increasing our revenue by reducing input duties. We are essentially redesigning our agreements. In the past, we were giving away too much to investors. The President has emphasized the need to bolster our revenue," he said.
In conclusion, the Finance Minister affirmed that the Weah-led administration will, in the near future, construct high schools in every district across the country.
"Since the founding of this country, 27 school districts have lacked a high school. Residents in those districts had to travel to other places to attend high school. By December, every district will have its own high school," Minister Tweah announced.
