Your Excellency; Honorable Ministers of the Cabinet; distinguished officials; esteemed colleagues; Ladies and Gentlemen.
Hearty congratulations to the Government and the people of Liberia for today’s endorsement of the new national development plan, the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID). On behalf of the World Bank, thank you again for the opportunities to engage on early versions of the draft. Several aspects of the new plan that are noteworthy.
First, this plan is ambitious. Liberia is committing to lifting per capita income roughly 25% in five years. This is far beyond the “Business as Usual” scenario, embracing an ambitious program of policy action and accelerated delivery of results for the people of Liberia. This will mean that growth alone is not enough – Liberia will need inclusive growth, with job creation and increased delivery of essential services for Liberians nationwide.
Second, the strategic orientations of the AAID are bold. The Strategic Directions orientation outlines the need for fundamental adjustment in Liberia’s development model – towards increased productivity and value addition, unleashing the private sector as the engine of growth. In particular, the AAID aims to take on deeply challenging constraints to development – particularly related to rule of law, governance, accountability, and transparency. Not often are these issues positioned so urgently at the core of a national development strategy. This is impressive and important. They will require bold action to unlocking a new development paradigm for Liberia, and we look forward to working closely with you on the governance agenda. We note that important actions are already away.
Third, we would like to especially appreciate that Liberia’s AAID plan is decidedly people-centered. It highlights Liberia’s young, hopeful population – with the vast majority under the age of 35. It aims to be inclusive, with strong focus on women and youth as well as awareness of the need to deepen efforts to reach vulnerable communities, including disabled Liberians. Shared prosperity is an essential ingredient.
Finally, the strategy has estimated cost of $[8.4 billion dollars], with [$5bn] expected to come from the Government of Liberia. Domestic resource mobilization will play a pivotal role. The outlook also acknowledges the critical role of mobilizing private investment – and also details the urgency of reform to foster an enabling environment to boost business creation, firm growth, and jobs. It acknowledges the role of development partners, where selectivity prioritization will be vital to make the most of scarce concessional resources.
With roughly five years left to scale results for Liberia Rising 2030, time is of the essence. The World Bank is driven by urgency to deliver impact in the race to 2030 – not only in Liberia, but in developing countries all around the world. We look forward to working with you to advance an ambitious agenda that delivers tangible results. Your inclusive approach will remain important during implementation. Congratulations again for today’s event – an important step forward for Liberia.
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