Given the challenging complexity to govern a nation emerging from years of civil crisis with about 15 years of relative peace and stability, a growing demand for sustainable development in Liberia, and a high expectation from partisans and supporters of the tripartite Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) as well as other Liberians, a Proposed 100-Day Administrative Plan submitted to the President is precisely and concisely drawn considering the time constraint, as a demystifying approach to setting up a governance pathway being threaded to formidably establish a functioning, effective and successful leadership.
Moreover, the first 100 Days of a Presidential Administration test the leadership ability and present a mosaic of direction of the government.
It’s the picking up process of the government, which is a very difficult period of any Presidential Administration especially for a Third World country. While details of the proposed governance thematic and policy excerpts aren’t provided herewith, which could be done by the transitioning government experts, the proposed 100-Day Plan is an Administrative Policy brief to complement efforts of the President and government to succeed by eventually meeting the expectations of the people.
The Plan is broken-down into three major categories of Intervention: 1.0 National Security Intervention Protecting the Borders and the Ports of Entry of Liberia: Creating and /or strengthening a Joint Security at the borders to avoid illegal movements, illicit transactions and transportation of goods and services.
The security of the government and people of Liberia must be paramount to maintain the peace and stability in the country.
2.0 Social And Economic Intervention: With respect to a specific social intervention, embarking on a reappraised venture of social institutions especially our educational and health systems with the intend to improve policy measures, facilities, services, man-power capability and incentives will help to encourage greater number of professional pursuits and recruitment of qualified people in those areas of social development.
In continuity, the transitioning government should reconcile stakeholders and the people of Liberia. Reconciling the people through conflict resolution and management, social and cultural initiatives beginning with the first 100-Day of Weah’s Administration is attempts to foster social cohesiveness among the citizenry of Liberia.
An insightful priority must be given to such intervention to bring together our already divided society as a result of the civil crisis and the multiplicity of political parties in Liberia.
2.1 Duty-Free Shipment to Liberia: The Issuance of An Executive Order for a 90-Day duty free shipment to Liberia will increase goods and services on the Liberian Market. This will help to reduce prices for the first 100Days in power.
2.2 Reducing Tariff On Gasoline: Reducing tariff on gasoline will drop the price of gasoline thereby reducing transportation cost, which will influence the reduction in the prices of consumable goods.
2.3 An Immediate Audit of Government Payroll and Financial Institutions: The Audit of government payroll is an exercise to remove ghosts’ names from the system in order to save the government some money. The transitioning government must place a traveling ban on some heads of institutions, corporations, agencies, etc undergoing Audit. The intent of the audit is to make public officials account for state resources and to retrieve unexpended and embezzled public funds. Money collected will assist with the fiscal responsibility of the transitioning government. The Audit also sends a clear message to current officials of government.
2.4 Limit Government Foreign Travels: A highly limited Foreign Travels and limited delegations in the first 100 Days saves resources that can be redirected to some meaningful ventures of government.
2.5 A Plan to fight Corruption In the first 100 Days: The government must unveil an organized and systematic plan to fight corruption to restore the hope and future of the people.
2.6 Visa Free to Investors and Tourists: The issuance of a Visa-free program to investors and tourists within the first 100 Days will motivate investors and promote investment assessment initiatives by investors. It also encourages the visitation of tourists to Liberia. The visitation of investors and tourists will infuse money in the economy and in the long run leads to foreign investments in Liberia.
2.7 Economic Framework: Finally, the transitioning government must create a policy framework for an enabling economic environment that will reduce the size of government and expand the private sector by attracting more domestic and foreign investments for job creation leading to an evolving and expanding middle class for poverty eradication. Government should create a sustainable investment climate and development friendly policies leading to the privatization of some public corporations. With the expansion of the private sector, the need for a vocational and technical manpower arises.
3.0 Political Intervention: The following political approaches are catalogued for sustaining democracy, enhancing development, and achieving a successful government that meets the demand of its citizenry: Maintaining and strengthening the good governance institutions and policies established by the former UP-led government; Researching to reform, repeal, amend, etc. draconian statues or laws of the UP-led government for the common good of the people; Maintaining the separation of power amongst the three branches of government, but with better coordination and working relationship; Maintaining Freedom of Speech and of the Press; Fast-tracking all cases of prisoners including political prisoners to free those not found guilty. And to grant general clemency to discretional political prisoners; and Exhibiting leadership by example as the major political will.
The transitioning government doesn’t have to run after donor countries from the onset. Donor countries will run to the transitioning government when the proper things are done.
Moses Richardson, Andronicus Johnson and Samuel Bengo