Ganta, Nimba County – President George Manneh Weah has reechoed that the much publicized Pro-Poor Policy of his government seeks to build a “harmonious society” especially for the underprivileged.
Reported by J.H. Webster Clayeh 00231770745986 [email protected]
“Over the next five years, we will develop our country, unite and reconcile our people, educate and develop our youths and promote peace and human rights,” he said.
The Liberian leader was speaking in Ganta, Nimba County when the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development was officially launched.
The plan, according to the government, encompasses the country’s development plans for the next five years and it is expected to lift about a million people out of poverty to prosperity.
Holding a copy of the PAPD in his hand, the Liberian President declared: “Distinguish ladies and gentlemen, this is the book that your hope lies in; let us promote it and make sure that it works. With peace, I believe that every line of this book will be implemented.”
Samuel Tweah, Minister of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) who gave an overview of the document, said all of what Liberians have been lacking over the last 12 years has been crafted in the PAPD.
He added that the new plan would lift more people out poverty over the next five years.
“The PAPD aims to left one million Liberians out of poverty over the next five years. This does not mean that those Liberians are to be rich. No, it means that Liberians will have a stable and sustainable income to support their various livelihoods.”
In order for the PAPD to meet its goal over the next five years, the economic diversification and the private sector Pro-Poor growth are the centers of its development strategy, Tweah said.
“In the last 12 years Liberia did not meet any of the Millennium Development Goals,” Minister Tweah said.
“In the next five years Liberia and its development partners should place the country on the path to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals that now replace the Millennium Development Goals.”
President Weah later added that the plan is also in line with the African Union Agenda 2063.
The event held in the gymnasium of the Ganta United Methodist School brought together officials from the three branches of government, members of the diplomatic corps and Liberia’s development partners.
The plan, which government announced in July 2018 will remain the core development strategy until June 2023 under the Liberia Vision 2030 framework.
It replaces the Agenda for Transformation (AFT), which was proposed and initiated under the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, led administration.
Although many Liberians have criticized the Weah-led government for the long delay in submitting its National Development Plan, Minister Tweah said the formulation of the PAPD, which began March of this year, was done in ‘record time’.
Despite many contributions from regional and international development partners in formulating the PAPD, Liberia’s development partners again at the official launch pledged their commitment to the implementation for the plan.
The UN Resident Coordinator Yacoub El Hillo said, “We were privileged to have been given the opportunity to contribute and it is the responsibility as the UN family to ensure that we contribute not only to the document but the implementation of the document because that is the bottom line.”
“We at the UN are going to amend and produce a new framework for UN development assistant in order to be aligned with the PAPD.”