Monrovia – President Ellen Johnson on Wednesday, August 11, 2016 received the Executive Director of the Africa Group 1, Louis Rene Peter Larose at her Foreign Ministry Office in Monrovia.
According to an Executive Mansion release, President Sirleaf welcomed Mr. Larose and acknowledged that the Bank has been supportive of Liberia’s development and also rendered extraordinary interventions during the Ebola crisis.
President Sirleaf also stressed the need for direct budget support to Liberia as the country has met all of the requirements to receive such support from the World Bank. She noted that full support of the World Bank is still important for Liberia because the country is still exhibiting signals of fragility and thus needs attention.
She further pointed out that support from the World Bank is consistent with the Agenda for Transformation and other development plans. President Sirleaf concluded by calling on the World Bank and other partners to give attention to and support the pending 2017 general and Presidential elections.
For his part, Mr. Larose indicated that the World Bank appreciates Liberia’s development challenges and that he was in the country to know the specific developmental needs of Liberia for the Bank’s intervention. “I sincerely believe that support and intervention must be based on the needs of a country and via GDP measurement of indicators. I also think that conflict and post-conflict nations should not be measured at the same standards with progressing middle- income nations”, Mr. Larose noted.
He congratulated President Sirleaf for the leadership shown in the battle against Ebola and pointed out that her name will go down in history as a leader who overcame a difficult challenge. He also acknowledged the transformation the country has achieved under President Sirleaf’s leadership.
Mr. Larose committed the World Bank to standing with Liberia and directing its support based on the needs of the country. He warned that more attention and focus should be given to nations still in fragility including Liberia and also assured that the country will receive direct budget support from the World Bank.
World Bank to Support Liberia’s Economy
The World Bank is poised to support Liberia’s economy after it was affected as a result of meltdown in the global economy and the deadly Ebola virus.
The Ebola and global community prices that are affecting the economy brought the country at the rate of zero percent.
But speaking to journalists on his second meeting with Liberian officials, the World Bank Executive Director for Liberia Louis Rene Peter Larose said he would personally present the plight of Liberia to the World Bank upon his return to Washington.
“We need the World Bank to fast track its assistance to Liberia,” Larose said when met with the minister of Finance and Development yesterday.
Presenting his position on the plight of the country at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Finance and Development, the World Bank Executive said “My priority is for Africa. But we are faced with the situation of what can we do for Africa and Liberia?”
“Because your case demands special attention. I have met with the Central Bank of Liberia. We discussed the possibility of making budgetary support, these are the things that I am going to tell the World Bank,” he added.
He said he was already met with the country Director of the World Bank and told her “We need action, action. At the end of the day I have to defend and promote the interest of Liberia.”
He said he is in the country to see how best the World Bank can move the development agenda forward focusing on the plight of the Liberian people.
“We are concerned about the lives of the people I see a huge potential within the republic of Liberia but nevertheless we have to address the challenges. The world bank will help the republic of Liberia providing it with support, making sure that it transforms people’s lives” he said.
Responding, the Finance and Development Minister Boima Kamara expressed thanks and appreciation to the World Bank Executive stating that their support is needed to support the economy at this critical juncture.
He named the construction of the Robert international Airport (RIA) and roads as some of the major priorities of the government.