The United Nations Development Program has observed that Liberia is still among the lowest human development category, with food insecurity of 31.9 percent and less than 33 percent having access to electricity.
The UNDP’s Head of Governance, James Monibah, said there is a high poverty rate in rural Liberia and poor infrastructural developments are prominent in the rural parts of the country.
Mr. Monibah made the observation at the opening of a one-day economic forum organized by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning with funding from the United Nations Development Program in Congo Town on Thursday, September 29, 2022.
The UNDP Head of Governance said there is a need for collective efforts aimed at improving the Liberian economy and the human living condition in the country.
“Poverty reduction efforts have been hampered as a result of Covid-19, in 2020, this was evident because more than 100,000 people were made poorer thus making their situation even worse. This is why we commend the government for its recent efforts aimed at rolling out an accelerated program so as to improve economic performance .”
According to Mr. Monibah, the government has been in the full front of addressing long challenges on the infrastructural development in the rural areas and the inequality interns of investment in the urban and rural areas in the country.
“The implication of the acceleration programs by the Liberian government will go a long way in the reduction of poverty especially in rural Liberia because it will enable the people to gain access to basic social services, improve the security and peace in the country which will eventually enable them to also gain access to the global community.”
In remarks, the Deputy Minister for Economic Management at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Augustus Flomo, said the forum is aimed at formulating and monitoring Liberia’s economic policies. According to him, because of the challenges, the first reform was to reduce the wage bill of the government in order to make salaries current in the public sector.
Mr. Flomo noted that the reform was followed by the payment of debts and stopped borrowing from the Central Bank of Liberia because the entire economy was severely challenged. He added that despite all the challenges and reform, the government was working to restore basic social services and doing some infrastructural development.
Mr. Flomo explained that another task of the government was to reduce inflation in order for the people to enjoy the worth of their money.
The forum, held under the theme: “Reviewing Progress Report on the 2019 National Economic Dialogue,” brought together members of the diplomatic corps, local and international partners, civil society organizations and members, line ministries, and agencies.
Reported by: Augustine Octavius
Contact: +231777463963
Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com
