“The ARREST Agenda is here to take Liberia to the finish line of SDG’’ says Hon. Dehpue Zuo

Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Management, Hon. Dehpue Zuo has expressed optimism regarding the “ARREST Agenda” of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, taking the country to the “finish” line of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030.

The SDGs Goal 1, established by the United Nations in 2015, calls for an end to poverty in all its manifestations by 2030. It also aims to ensure social protection for the poor and vulnerable, increase access to basic services and support people harmed by climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.

The Deputy Finance Minister for Economic Management made the disclosure during the launch of the World Bank Liberia Poverty Assessment report on Monday March 18, 2024.

The report was launched under the Theme: Towards a more inclusive Liberia at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex Oldest Congo Town.

The objective of the report is to assess the level and cause of poverty in a country and recommend strategies to reduce poverty and promote shared prosperity on a livable planet.

Poverty in Liberia remains a formidable challenge, with over half of the population still living below the poverty line, the report added.

Hon. Zuo who proxied for Finance Minister Hon. Boima S. Kamara said that one of the fundamental aspects of International Development is the issue of poverty reduction.

According to him, Liberia, being a rich resource country, its people are still experiencing high level of poverty, stating also that the country is a “contradiction”, to the rest of the world in terms of development.

He also thanked the World Bank for the report, and said it will be a resource tool for the successful implementation of the government’s ARREST program.

Moreover, the Bank Boards of Directors' requests poverty assessment to be undertaken every five years in countries to help inform and shape the country partnership framework (CPF).

For her part, the World Bank Country Manager to Liberia, Ms. Georgia Wallen said the 2020 Liberia Poverty Assessment comes at an important time for Liberia, “a moment of transition marking the early days of the new Administration with six years left for delivering on Liberia’s Vision 2030 and the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals.”

According to her, the Poverty Assessment report is looking to “crucial years ahead and can be valuable input for the new National Development Strategy and the Bank’s new Country Partnership Framework.”

However, she explained: “the launched of the report comes as Liberia transitions from one administration to another, and also from one development agenda the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD) to the ARREST agenda an acronym representing Agriculture, Roads, Rule of Law, Education, Sanitation, and Tourism.”

She noted that while the findings of the Poverty Assessment are stark and sobering, the report will be useful for driving intensified action to address the worsening situation of poverty facing millions of Liberians, particularly the most vulnerable.

‘’The World Bank and the Government of Liberia share a common ambition, rooted in the Bank’s mission to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity on a livable planet’’ she explains.

The report captures that after decades of relative peace more than half of Liberia’s population still lives in poverty, reflecting the scars of a devastating civil conflict and Ebola crisis. It noted that poverty was much more pervasive in rural areas of the country.

It added that areas in and around Monrovia are some of the least poor in the country.

The launch, held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex was attended by Liberia Deputy Minister for Economic Management, Hon. Dehpue Zuo, World Bank Country Manager to Liberia, Ms. Georgia Wallen, UN Resident Coordinator, Ms. Christine N. Umutoni, National Coordinator for Social Protection, Mr. Aurelius Butler, Foreign Mission, Government officials, and development partners.