Liberia: Finance Minister Ngafuan Trumpets ARREST Agenda Will Improve Economic and Human Development Indicators - FrontPageAfrica

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Monrovia – The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning at the start of the National Sectoral Validation for the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) said the government of Liberia is doing everything possible to enable the private sector to seize the opportunity.

By J.H. Webster Clayeh (0886729972)-websterclayeh@frontpageafricaonline.com

On July 18, 2024, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai launched the national and sub-national consultative process of the development plan with emphasis on the bottom-up approach.

As the National Development Plan is set to be launched at the end of November, representatives from Ministries, Agencies, Commissions (MACs), Development Partners, Academia, Civil Society Organizations, Youth Groups, and the Business Community came together at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town to validate the draft plan.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, validations for the County Development Agendas (CDAs) will take place simultaneously from November 11 to 16 in county capitals.

Participants will include Legislative Caucuses, County Leadership, County Councils, Ministries, Agencies, Development Partners, Persons With Disabilities, Civil Society Organizations, and groups representing Women and Youth.

The validations will help bring the crafting process of the National Development Plan to a near close after three months of consultations across all seventy-three districts, facilitated by two local think tanks: Subah Belle and Associate (SBA) and the African Development Management Associates (ADMA).

There at the event on Tuesday, Minister Ngafuan told the gathering that the validation meeting is one of the last milestones in the road map to launching and implementing the new National Development Plan (NDP) which is dubbed the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).

According to the Finance Minister, the diversification of the economy is targeting the opportunities that are more in the tourism sector which he says has a huge potential of driving private investment.

Minister Ngafuan stressed that the tourism sector and the agriculture sector are highly private-sector driven adding that the government expects the private sector to seize the opportunity.

“The ultimate goal of the AAID is to improve the economic and the human

development indicators of our people. The indicative cost of the Plan in USD is US$7,609 million of which US$2,283 million (30%) will be the contribution from the GoL,” Minister Ngafuan said.

Finance Minister Ngafuan add: “The development stakeholders such as the private sector are expected to

contribute US$ 2,663 million (35%), Official Development Assistance

(ODA) is estimated at US$ 1,902 million (25%) and remittances from

diaspora is US$ 761 million (10%).”

The Minister of Finance furthered: “It is important to note that we all have a role to play in national development. The private sector, development partners, Liberians at home and those in the Diaspora, the civil society, the youth, among others. We need to leverage our resources in the development of our country as we work towards “Leaving No One Behind.”

He added: “Our medium-term development Agenda, is largely driven by ‘ARREST’- Agriculture with a focus on agribusiness value chains; emphasizes Roads and other infrastructure in ICT, Energy, Sea Ports, and Air Transport.”

According to Minister Ngafuan, the Draft AAID that the government is validating came as the outcome of a series of consultative meetings that the government has held across the country.

“The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Development Planning is grateful for the response, support and good will received in the formulation process,” he said. 

The Draft AAID, Minister Ngafuan outlined, will lay emphasis on good governance, especially upholding the rule

of law and strengthening the fight against corruption. 

He added: “In addition, it tackles the education value chain from Early childhood Education to basic, secondary, higher learning and TVET while targeting improved health outcomes through WASH.”