Monrovia, Liberia - Liberia’s Finance and Development Planning Minister Hon. Samuel D.Tweah Jr, says collectively, the government and development partners can land strong on the implementation of the PAPD. The PAPD is Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development. He also spoke about progress in the Area of Governance and Transparency.
Minister Tweah was speaking at a one-day PAPD Leadership Meeting on Thursday March 16 in Monrovia.
Said Minister Tweah, “This shows that we’re on the path to closing strong. Because one reason for which we have called this meeting is to see how can we finish off on the PAPD.”
Minister Tweah further speaking on the significance of the gathering said while we are few months towards the close of the PAPD a technical review of all of the pillars of the Agenda was highly necessary to access the level of performance as well as to identify the challenges and opportunities during these years of implementation.
Minister Tweah disclosed that there were ongoing conversations to look at what he called “re-engineering the governance structure of the PAPD” which aim at achieving a strong close.
He further acknowledged some inherited challenges. He applauded President Weah’s government for sustaining the peace in the absence of 16,000 peacekeepers that left before the advent of this government. “But we suffered the macroeconomic consequences” he said. “ We’ve been able to manage the peace even though we do not have peace keepers here. However, we have also lost the monetary and economic value that came with their physical presence.”
Additionally, the Finance Minister extolled development partners for the continuous support towards the PAPD but thought that there was a need for enhanced alignment between partners and government relative to executing the development agenda.
Speaking earlier, the United Nations Resident Coordinator to Liberia, Christine N. Umotoni, assured the government and partners of the UN’s support and thank the leadership for the leadership discourses which she said is a critical part of ensuring the effectiveness of development assistance.
She emphasized that “as we edge closer to the end of the PAPD implementation period it becomes clear that it would be beneficial to all partners that it ends successful, relevant and strong.” She added that as the PAPD is now in in its terminal year, there is a need to to focus on areas of strong gains while ensuring that gaps are addressed to facilitate a stronger ending.
Meanwhile, Madam Umotoni advised on the strengthening and re-enforcing the existing leadership framework for better coordination between government and development partners.
The one-day PAPD leadership meeting brought together Ministers of Government, Ambassadors and representatives of different international development partners.