Monrovia, Liberia – The government of Liberia and the African Development Bank have signed a 40 million dollar loan agreement for the development of the Mano River Union road and the government’s transportation facilitation program.
The loan agreements was signed by Boima Kamara, the Minister of Finance and Development Planning of Liberia, and Benedict Kanu, the Country Director of the African Development Bank, on behalf of his organization.
The funds will be used to construct the 97-kilometer road in Liberia and link bridges connecting the MRU states, according to Benedict Kanu, the Country Director of the African Development Bank, who spoke during the signing ceremony.
He claimed that upgrading the bitumen standard on 48.5 kilometers of roadway in Liberia and 39 kilometers in Sierra Leone is the program’s fourth phase.
“The goal of the program is to raise the caliber of the roads that connect Guinea and Liberia, as well as the John Davies Town to Zwedru segment on the Fish Town-Zwedru axis in Liberia. These roads connect Beudu to Koindu in Sierra Leone. Additionally, it will fund feasibility studies for building 97 kilometers of roads in Liberia. Cross-border infrastructure development between Liberia and Sierra Leone, the creation of socioeconomic infrastructure, and support for women’s and youth associations to encourage much-needed private enterprise are additional project components.”
The AFB Country Manager explained that the project will empower women in the program coverage area through stimulation of agricultural production and marketing, income-generating activities, and other indirect outcomes, including the creation of more than 2,000 jobs during the construction phase , of which 30 percent are for women.
Minister of Finance and Development Planning Boima Kamara expressed gratitude to the African Development Bank on behalf of President Joseph Boakai, and the government for the collaboration between the ADB and Liberia.
According to him, Liberia needs infrastructure assistance to create an environment that fosters the growth and development of its citizens. This is why the signing ceremony for the MRU road construction and the transportation facilitation program is an extension of that support.
”The phase four, which is the important step beyond the Batumi standard, will entail the upgrade of 48.5 kilometers of road in Liberia and 39 kilometers in Sierra Leone. We view this as an expression of greater support for the MRU between the two nations because it will also finance the feasibility studies for the building of 97 kilometers of road in Liberia and other project components, including rehabilitating cross border infrastructure between Liberia and Sierra Leone , developing socio-economic infrastructure, and providing to women as there is a gender dimension, as well as taking into consideration the involvement of youth associations to promote the much needed private enterprise.”
“Another important element is to stimulate agriculture productivity by creating farm-to-market roads, which will gradually improve the lives of our people with the increase in the prices of agricultural commodities. We believe that, in the broader scope of things, the creation of 2,000 jobs with 30 percent comprising women will take our infrastructural development to another level.”
The signing ceremony was graced by Public Works Minister, Roland Giddings; Dekpue Zao, Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Management; and members of the senior management team at the Ministry of Finance, among others. The signing ceremony for the 40 million United States Dollar loan agreement was held at the 10th floor conference room at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning in Monrovia during the weekend.
