By Jerromie S. Walters
The Government of Liberia, jointly with its Development Partners, has kick-started a four-day sectorial portfolio performance review, which aptly captures Agriculture, infrastructure, basic services, industry, and commerce, to adjust government operations in line with the government ARREST agenda and as well recognize missteps, challenges, recommendations of the Pro-Poor Agenda (PAPD), that aligns with the current government’s agenda (ARREST).
The joint sectorial portfolio performance review commenced Monday, April 8, 2024, at Bella Cassa Hotel in Sinkor, with a presentation on Agriculture, infrastructure, basic services, industry, and commerce sectors (Liberia Project Dashboard), a presentation on NGO operation, and a presentation on PSIP Fiscal year 2018-2023. On Tuesday, April 9, 2024, which marks day two, the joint sectoral portfolio performance review will consider sectors’ engagement with education, health, energy, and environment.
On day three, April 10, 2024, the review will capture sectors’ engagement on the rule of law, municipal governance, and social development, followed by an open discussion and action point. Simultaneously, Thursday, April 11, 2024, which will mark the climax of the joint sectoral portfolio performance review, will consider public administration, transparency, and accountability.
In a remark before the different sectoral presentations, USAID Mission Director Jim Wright informed the government that what matters to him the most is hearing how the Government of Liberia is thinking about its development plans and priorities. He wants the government’s plans to increase accountability and transparency in the management of public resources.
In his opinion, this is intrinsic because corruption prevents the government and people of Liberia from realizing their goals of social and economic development and job creation while diverting donor resources from benefiting their intended recipients who are the people of Liberia. With this, he rallied the government to effectuate anti-corruption policies and prosecute those responsible for corruption.
Wright: “I strongly urge the Liberian government to implement anti-corruption policies and prosecute those responsible for corruption. USAID designs and implements our programs within the framework of a five-year strategy. We developed this strategy (and all the programs we implement) to align with and support Liberia’s strategic development initiatives. We will be designing a new strategy
which will take effect in 2025,” he articulated.
If this is to be done, he believes that the government must undertake extensive consultations with its counterparts at national, county, and district levels; with civil society private sector organizations; and with other development partners. “To be successful, we are dependent on local leadership to set the priorities, to fully participate in co-creation to shape projects, and to meaningfully engage in implementation to ensure sustainability,” he said. Mr. Wright emphasized USAID’s commitment to the government of Liberia.
Like Mr. Wright, Sweden Representative
stressed the need for accountability, not to those who are partners, but the people of Liberia. “To be accountable not the government of Sweden, the EU, American or other partners but it the girls, women and boys of Liberia because we have resources and we need to use them the better way.”
With a more robust emphasis on the need for transparency, the Swedish Boss said accountability is important to avoid the chaos of good intentions. He recommended the need for more transparency-related dialogues between the government and its partners to ensure effectiveness. He further assumed to Swedish government’s commitment to the government of Liberia.
At the same time, the UK DHM to Liberia, Kate Thompson placed a key emphasis on The need for the Government to identify her priorities. “We need to be clear about what our priorities are. What are we going to achieve and when?”
She believes that these are some of the many things the previous government agenda (PAPD) fell short of and noted that It is important that this administration doesn’t walk on a similar path. She assured the UK government of commitment to Mr. Boakai’s ARREST agenda.
Meanwhile, Georgia Wallen, Country Manager, World Bank said there’s a sense of urgency in the development of Liberia. “Development delay is development deny”, with this, she believes the review is intrinsic and doesn’t require delay. Moreover, she said It’s important to keep in mind value for money and concessional results. She emphasized the the sense of urgency, and the need to keep the people of Liberia first and foremost and prioritize their concerns.
Also at the opening of the joint sectoral portfolio performance review,
the European Union, through its representation hailed the initiative and noted that it comes at the right time. He’s convinced that the event will have a positive impact on the state and rallied the government to use the sectoral review for information exchange.
He encouraged the need for the government to add importance to the event and he hopes for more occasions of such. This is because he said they are in line with what the World Bank believes in. From his end, Spenser Weah, Head of UNDP proxy at the occasion, said the UN believes it is important to review the portfolio of government agenda. He assured the UNDP commitment to the government of Liberia and noted that the UN supports the process.
