The Government of Liberia launches its ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development here today.
By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, Liberia, January 15, 2025 – The Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, officially launches the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) and the County Development Agendas (CDAs) today, January 15, 2025, in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
The Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development, which was developed through extensive consultations with stakeholders from all 15 counties in 2024, is a national development policy that seeks to prioritize welfare of Liberians.
The Agenda focuses on six major pillars, including critical and essential areas such as agribusiness, roads and infrastructure, rule of law and governance, education and human capital, sanitation, and tourism.
The document is expected to run from 2025 to 2029, focusing on identifying the Liberian people’s aspirations, needs, and challenges.
Making the disclosure at the MICAT regular press briefing on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan revealed that the plan is going to cost about US$8.4 Billion and that any budget appropriation for this 2025 fiscal year will be guided by it.
“The plan will guide any budget appropriation in 2025, and the scope of this plan will determine where the country will be going for the next five years”, Minister Ngafuan says.
He indicates that the launch will be graced by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, leaders from 15 counties, executives of the World Bank, and other national development partners.
According to the minister, heads of various counties will read their Agenda during the occasion, and following the official launch, the government, along with its partners, will officially support the plan.
President Boakai will deliver the keynote address at the launch today and is expected to emphasize national unity, collaboration, and collective action in the successful implementation of the ARREST Agenda. Editing by Jonathan Browne
