Foreign Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan has hailed the World Bank for its contribution to the progress of Liberia.

Speaking on behalf of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Monday at an occasion marking the opening of the World Bank Liberia Country Office in Oldest Congo Town outside Monrovia as the keynote speaker, the Foreign Minister noted that it will be absolutely impossible to talk about the progress of Liberia under this regime without dedicating at least a chapter to the critical and pivotal contribution of the World Bank.

“The World Bank has been with us from the time from the very beginning and has remained a friend indeed to Liberia through thick and thin. In those difficult years of the start of the regime, the WB assisted us through many and various interventions aimed at building the capacity of the government and responding to the ever growing aspirations of the Liberian people. The World Bank was the biggest partner that that assisted us in crafting our development frameworks - the IPRS and the PRS, and the recent Vision 2030 and its five-year slice – the Agenda for Transformation”, he added.

Cutting the ribbon to the building, Foreign Minister Ngafuan stated that ribbons are usually not cut to retrogression: “…..they are cut to signify progress and forward march.  In this case, the progress of  transitioning from a smaller and crammed facility at Mamba Point to a bigger and better facility in Oldest Congo Town. “

He continued: “So on behalf of H. E. Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia who could not attend this ceremony due to prior competing engagement, I want to extend the fullest appreciation of the Government and people of Liberia to the Country Manager of the World Bank , Mrs. Inguna Dabraja, and  through her, to the Country Director as well as the entire Management of the World Bank for this significant development.”

He described the ceremony as being significant in many respects: “Firstly, the establishment of a new and better Office Complex in Liberia by the the World Bank represents a huge vote of confidence in Liberia’s future. By this you the WB has joined others including the British Government that last year reopened its Embassy in Liberia with resident Ambassador after almost two-decade of closure as well as Sweden, Qatar and Brazil, among others. Secondly, the movement of the World Bank’s Country Office from Mamba Point, considered the diplomatic enclave, tof Oldest Congo Town   far away from the diplomatic enclave and the center of the city testifies to the ever deepening stability and security that Liberia has been experiencing for a little more than ten consecutive years.. That diplomatic missions and international organizations can choose to have their offices in areas like Sinkor, Congo Town and elsewhere is a strong testimony to the enormous progress that is being made everywhere in Liberia.”

The World Bank’s new office is located within the German Embassy compound. The building was originally built for a German company that developed the iron ore resources during the earlier stages of the Bong Mining operations in Bong County.

In his remarks, World Bank Liberia Country Director Yusupha Crookes said the relationship between Liberia and the World Bank-- and indeed, the IFC and MIGA -- has been an extraordinarily productive one.  

“Allow me to give a quick thumbnail sketch.  Liberia received its first funding from the World Bank in January 1964 for the construction of two new roads – the Monrovia-Roberts International Airport Highway and a road from Monrovia to the western region – as well as for the procurement of equipment and material to maintain Liberia’s entire road system. Road development at the time had a significant role in the country’s economic growth and prosperity and, of course, the road sector plays a pivotal role in the country’s development agenda today.  In this regard, we salute the leadership of Liberia for continuing to embrace far reaching plans and actions to improve and extend the network to all key geographic areas of the country”, the World Bank official stated.

He said that beyond roads, the World Bank funded a number of development projects throughout Liberia until the outbreak of war. He stated that though the civil crisis could not allow the Bank to continue its activities, but the Bank at the close of the war and with the ushering in of a democratically elected government, resumed its operations in Liberia.

Said Mr. Crookes: “Following re-engagement with Liberia, the Bank funded the Liberia Emergency Infrastructure Project in June 2006. This project sought to reconstruct part of the country’s devastated infrastructure through restoring vital transport links and resuscitating bulk water supply services.”

Earlier, World Bank Liberia Country Manager Ms. Inguna Dobraja in her welcome remarks said that over the time, the Bank has seen strong growth in the size and depth of our program in Liberia - a growth that was foreseen after the country’s successful completion of the HIPC process in 2010.  She added that the expansion of the Bank’s program has also meant an increasing demand for more and better quality office space to accommodate additional staff on the ground: “Today, this is our new reality.”