Liberian President has told international investors that Liberia is open for business that will leave an indelible mark on the country and its people, not business as usual.
President Joseph Nyuma Boakai said unlike normal politicians, he’s not interested in the next election but in the next generations, therefore, he will move aggressively to transform Liberia that will leave a lasting legacy.
The president said he has seen what has happened to Liberia where investors have milked the country’s resources with no tangible benefit to Liberia and its people.
“…so, this time when we say Liberia is open for business, we are saying Liberia is open for business in a different way…,” he stressed.
President Boakai spoke Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Dallas, Texas, the United States of America at the US-Africa Business Summit.
“I live in Liberia and I saw the Mano River mining; I saw LMC investment in Tubmanburg, Yekapa, Bong Mines in Bong County, and today you go there, they are all ghost cities; no life, no opportunity for the people, nothing to show that some investments were made there,” President Boakai intoned
However, the president said he would not blame the investors but to a large extent blamed Liberians, especially past governments for not insisting on doing the right things for the benefit of the country.
He said this time, investment in Liberia would not only benefit investors but the country and its people as well. “They will leave something on the ground that we can remember,” President Boakai said.
Boakai: “I want to signal to all potential investors because the resources there are resources we need for unborn generations and the development of our infrastructures.”
Continuing, he said, “For all good purposes, you look at Liberia, you can hardly get anywhere; and what we are saying, we appreciate investments and look forward to it but we want to appeal to all potential investors and current investors, that it is not going to be business as usual, Liberia will have to insist on making sure that we get the benefit of investment in our country; that our resources that leave the country must leave a mark for the prosperity of our country.”
He furthered that “we are not going to clap our hands and say, yes there were jobs provided for people, yes very good, but what do we see after that?”
The president reiterated that Liberia is open for business but with a new look for partnership.
He noted that the investors Liberia has attracted, themselves have not been very honest, adding that some of them are investors who love shortcuts so they encouraged shortcuts.
However, he said his administration will deal with that because it is the government’s business to create an environment to protect everybody in Liberia and not just government officials who want to take shortcuts.
He warned that those who want to take shortcuts are doing it at the risk of their jobs, “because this time around, Liberia is open for business for all to make sure that things work for all… the people who live in Liberia will also enjoy a beautiful country, you can go to places because we will work toward building our infrastructures, we will make that we make use of all of the possibilities that build a good country; so, we will protect investors.”
President Boakai hopes that people who will invest in Liberia will ‘think Liberia, love Liberia and together build Liberia,’ thereby leaving a legacy for the young people to know that they have a future.
Meanwhile, President Boakai has congratulated the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) on its 20th anniversary celebration with a call for long-term strategic planning and investments in Liberia.
As part of his remarks during the breakfast meeting held on May 6, 2024, the Liberian Leader underscored the impact the MCC Compact has had on developing countries, including Liberia over the past two decades.
He spoke about the tremendous benefits that the Compact has brought to key sectors such as electricity, healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
He noted that the program’s impact on Liberians has been important, bringing access to basic services that were previously unavailable.
The program’s impact, President Boakai noted, empowered the poor and promoted shared values through a focus on improving land rights and access, increasing girls’ primary education enrollment and retention, and improving Liberia’s trade policy and practices.
He furthered that the MCC has been instrumental in empowering women and girls, increasing their access to education and healthcare, and providing them with opportunities for economic advancement.
Boakai noted the challenges of implementation and promised to work acidulously to ensure Liberia’s readiness to improve its scores.
The Liberian Leader emphasized the need for local ownership and building systems to improve critical sectors for sustainable development.
The breakfast meeting was attended by Presidents and officials of Malawi, Cape Verde, Kosovo, Liberia, Botswana, Lesotho, Sierra Leone as well as high-level business leaders, investors, donors, MCC Board Members, and US-Government Officials.
