Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 paid an official visit to Liberia along with a high level delegation from the World Bank.

Her Excellency President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, welcoming Dr. Kim on his first visit to Liberia, emphasized longstanding partnership between Liberia and the World Bank.

President Johnson Sirleaf recalled that in recent years, Liberia has received immense support from the World Bank which has enabled the Government make tremendous progress on the country's short-term plan, 'Agenda for Transformation' and the longer term plan, Vision 2030.

"The World Bank support cuts across many sectors - energy, roads, agriculture, health and education. In all of those areas we have made progress because of your support and that of other partners," the Liberia Leader pointed out to Dr. Kim.

The Liberian Leader also commented on the World Bank's support to Liberia since the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. President Sirleaf noted that  the World Bank has been exceptional in its support; noting that not only has Dr. Kim, himself a medical doctor, who has brought his personal knowledge of the health sector and organizing some of his colleagues in the sector to become partners to Liberia, but the World Bank has provided support to enable the country fight the Ebola virus.

"I dare say that the progress we have made comes from that very quick support  including the budgetary support something that we value very much", added President Johnson Sirleaf.

Speaking at a Press Conference in the Foyer of the Foreign Ministry, Dr. Kim on behalf of the World Bank Group expressed deep condolences to the Government and people of Liberia for the human and other loses sustained due to the Ebola outbreak.

"I share the sadness of the Liberian people for the many deaths the country has suffered due to the Ebola virus disease; we are with the President, we are with her Government, and we are with the Liberian people until we get to zero new Ebola cases, articulated the Dr. Kim.

The World Bank Group President expressed his enormous admiration for the Liberian Government especially President Sirleaf’s leadership in battling this terrible epidemic. He encouraged the Liberian leader to continue working with her neighbors to strengthen the regional response and promote greater regional integration. “This epidemic will not be over until everywhere and everyone in every country gets to zero new cases”, stated Dr. Kim.

Dr. Kim mentioned that the World Bank Group is committed in helping the Liberian authorities in the next 18 months in five (5) specific areas including the already provided US$200 million dollars for the Ebola crisis, support the agriculture sector which is a key pillar of the Liberian economy, help improve selected infrastructure that are critical for economic competitiveness such as urban infrastructure, access to electricity and the construction of roads and bridges that connect farmers to markets, as well as continue to work through IFC to provide liquidity to local banks to support Small and Medium - Size Enterprises and local entrepreneurs and farmers and finally help the government manage the consequences of the epidemics on the public accounts.

Dr. Kim further noted that the World Bank Group is working to bring the private sector back and stressed that they were organizing a roundtable meeting in Accra, Ghana on Tuesday, December 2, on this issue with private companies working in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea to find out what the Bank Group needs to do to help bring them back.

The World Bank Group President said that they will continue to work with their private sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC), to provide liquidity to local banks to support Small and Medium-Size Enterprises and local entrepreneurs and farmers. He announced that the IFC’s Executive Vice President Jin-Yong Cai signed a US$7.5 million loan with EcoBank – Liberia on Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Dr. Kim promised to help government manage the consequences of the epidemics on the public accounts. “We are working closely with the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank and we are preparing several tranches of budget support,” the World Bank Group President assured.