Liberia: Development Partners Warn GoL of “Negative Impacts Irregular Withdrawals” of Donors’ Funds Will Have on Country

Monrovia – At least eight members of the International Community, including six European nations, the United States of America and Japan, have reportedly written the Government of President George Manneh Weah, warning it of the repercussions that the “greater scale of irregular withdrawals” will have “potential negative impact” on the country.

In a strong-worded letter, without a letter head which is circulating on the Internet in Liberia, these diplomats said the “so-called borrowed initiative” have damaged donors’ confidence in the Liberian Government under the watch of President Weah.  

The letter, which is purportedly signed by eight diplomats representing the European Delegation to Liberia, the governments of the United States of America, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Sweden and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, told the Liberian Leader that they are “apprehensive about the potential negative impact that such conduct may have on assistance level to Liberia overall.”

They want the monies that have illegally been removed from the Central Bank of Liberia and used on projects not agreed on be “restored without delay and such unacceptable practices cease immediately.”

Below is the text of the development partners’ alleged letter to President Weah:

Excellency:

Please accept our assurances of highest esteem for you and your government, and our deep appreciation of the frank and open channel of communication between us that you have fostered.

We regret bring to your attention our receipt of a copy of the attached letter, which was sent by members of your government to the Central Bank of Liberia designating funding to be removed temporarily from a variety of accounts associated with donor programs. While some partners have been aware of particular accounts from which funding had been removed for purposes other than those that were intended and agreed, and have been addressing the issue, the letter indicates a greater scale of irregular withdrawals than was previously and collectively known.

In light of this finding, the donor partners are obligated to consider the integrity of the funding that our governments have allocated for Liberian assistance programs and ways to protect it going forward. The so-called “borrowing initiative” damages donor confidence in your government’s use of donor resources and in its ability to serve as an effective partner on development programs. We are apprehensive about the potential negative impact that such conduct may have on assistance levels to Liberia over all.

We appreciate your understanding of our concerns and your prompt action to ensure that any funding that has been removed from donor accounts for expenditures outside of agreed uses is restored without delay and such unacceptable practices cease immediately.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss this serious issue with you.

FrontPageAfrica can’t and have not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the letter.