GoL, Development Partners Conclude National Portfolio Review

Monrovia, Liberia - The Government of Liberia through the Department of Economic Management at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning has concluded a separate joint National Portfolio Review held with Development partners. 

The review was meant to review the success, challenges and the progress being made towards improving development projects and implementation across the four pillars of the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). 

It also provides the opportunity for projects, techniques, pillars, sectors and development partners to evaluate the progress made over the years, new strategies, and a new development road map of the National Development Plan. 

Speaking during the opening of each review, the Deputy Minister for Economic Management, Hon. Augustus J. Flomo thanked each development partner for the level of support shown over the years, acknowledging their full collaborations, commitments, actions and recommendations that were documented and fully implemented. 

He lauded partners for their roles and responsibilities and pleaded for stronger collaborations to learn and develop a new roadmap to systematically address issues confronting growth and development for all Liberians. 

According to him, each partner remained a very strong partner to the government of Liberia. ‘’ We are grateful as a country and government especially under the leadership of President George M. Weah as a deputy minister to help lead economic issues, give direction for good governance and redefine the objectives of national development. 

Today, we are here to look at the health of the portfolio, impact made, and look at some challenges and see how to solve them. Whether it is the challenge from the government, development Partners or implementing agencies perspectives, we all need to put hands-on desks to solve them’’ He added.    

Moreover, Hon. Flomo said that over the last ten to eleven years, there has been a lot of development support to Liberia from development partners. He also called for a more robust partnership going forward. 

Also, making separate remarks, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Liberia, Ambassador Laurent Delahousse said, the European Union is here to deliver to the people of Liberia through various programs, team work and implementation strategies. 

“We are here to help in assessing how well projects and programs are and to improve on collective performance and objectives of the National Development Plan called the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). 

Today, we are going to talk a lot about development, because beyond delivering to the people of Liberia through our programs, recently in Brussel, the name of European Union delegation was changed to European Union diplomatic mission, having been recognize as political partner due to the way we work with the government and the policy dialogue of the review”, Ambassador Delahousse said.  

Ambassador Clarie Buckley, who spoke on behalf of Ireland in Liberia, thanked the government of Liberia for providing the opportunity to review the development cooperation work and learn more about the government's long and midterm programs towards the development agenda that will improve aid effectiveness across the country. 

“Today marks a new day for Ireland to resume development cooperation and knowing that Ireland and Liberia have a long strong private history of cooperation and collaboration in Liberia with more focus in health and education engagement processes. 

Let us focus on sustainability, deeper reflections, mutual accountability and recommendations for good growth and development’’ she explains. 

Additionally, French Ambassador to Liberia, Hon.  Michael Roux also thanked the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for the level of cooperation, invitation extended to review progress of development projects and mutual relationship. 

“We are here to work for the development and prosperity of the country. France and the Government of Liberia have a long-standing relationship since 1849 where France was the first country to recognize Liberia”, Ambassador Roux revealed.  

Ambassador explained that France and Liberia cooperation and strong relationship got stronger in 2018, when President George M. Weah visited France when he was elected as President for Liberia and Liberia was included among nineteen priority countries for France development assistance. 

He said that following the visit of President Weah, there have been more positive development projects currently ongoing in Liberia.