Monrovia, Liberia – The African Development Bank and the government of Liberia have signed a 40 million dollar loan agreement for the development of the Mano River Union road and the Liberian government’s transport facilitation program.
The African Development Bank’s Country Director, Benedict Kanu, signed the loan agreements on behalf of his organization, and the Liberian government’s representative and Minister for Finance and Development Planning, Boima Kamara, signed on behalf of Liberia.
Benedict Kanu, the African Development Bank’s Country Director, stated during the signing event that the funds would be utilized to construct a 97-kilometer road in Liberia and link bridges amongst the MRU states.
According to him, the program’s fourth phase included upgrading the bitumen standard on 48.5 kilometers of roads in Liberia and 39 kilometers in Sierra Leone.
“The program is intended to help improve the standard of the roads connecting Beudu to Koindu in Sierra Leone, linking Liberia and Guinea, and the John Davies Town to Zwedru section on the Fish Town-Zwedru axis in Liberia. It will also finance feasibility studies for building 97 kilometers of roads in Liberia. Other project components include cross-border infrastructure between Liberia and Sierra Leone, developing socio-economic infrastructure, and providing support to women and youth associations to promote much-needed private enterprise.”
According to the AFB Country Manager, the project will empower women in the program coverage area by promoting agricultural production and marketing, income-generating activities, and other indirect outcomes. During the construction phase, for example, more than 2,000 jobs will be created, with thirty percent of those jobs going to women, he added.
On behalf of President Joseph Boakai, the Liberian government, Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Boima Kamara, expressed gratitude to the African Development Bank for the collaboration between the ADB and Liberia.
According to him, the MRU road development signing ceremony and the transportation facilitation program are an extension of the infrastructure support that Liberia requires to create an environment that is conducive to the country’s population’s continued growth and development.
“Phase four involves upgrading 48.5 kilometers of road in Liberia and 39 kilometers in Sierra Leone. This is a crucial step beyond the Batumi level. We see this as a sign of increased support for the MRU between the two countries because it will also fund feasibility studies for the construction of 97 kilometers of roads in Liberia, as well as other project components like the development of socioeconomic infrastructure, the rehabilitation of cross-border infrastructure between Liberia and Sierra Leone, the provision of services to women because gender is an important consideration, and the consideration of youth associations’ involvement to encourage much-needed private enterprise.”
“Another important element is to stimulate agriculture productivity by creating farm-to-market roads, which will gradually improve the lives of our people with the increase in the prices of agricultural commodities. We believe that, in the broader scope of things, the creation of 2,000 jobs with 30 percent comprising women will take our infrastructural development to another level.”
The signing ceremony was graced by Public Works Minister, Roland Giddings; Dekpue Zao, Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Management; and members of the senior management team at the Ministry of Finance, among others. The signing ceremony for the 40 million United States Dollar loan agreement was held at the 10th floor conference room at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in Monrovia during the weekend.
Reported by: Augustine Octavius
Contact: +231777463963
Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com
