Britain Contributes US$22M toward Rebuilding of Liberia’s Infrastructure

MONROVIA – The United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development (DFID) has made a contribution of £15 million (~ US$22 million) to the Liberia Reconstruction Trust Fund (LRTF).

Created in 2008 by the Ministry of Finance and the World Bank, the LRTF is now established as a major funding channel for donors engaged in the infrastructure sector.

The Fund needs more than US$300 million for Liberia’s infrastructure over the next 10 years.

In a statement issued Thursday, the World Bank donor coordination unit in Liberia described the DFID’s gesture as a “major boost” to the country’s reconstruction after 14 years of self-destructive civil war.

“DFID is pleased to contribute funding for the Government of Liberia’s priority of improving the country’s infrastructure, particularly roads which open up markets and increase economic activity,” said Alex Harper, DFID Representative in Liberia.

“In addition, this support is consistent with our intention to channel resources through multi-donor financing mechanisms and help the Liberia Government to reduce the management burden and substantial transaction costs associated with large volumes of projects interventions.”

The LRTF is supervised by an Oversight Committee, comprising key ministers and representatives of government, contributing donors, and other donors active in infrastructure as observers.

The Oversight Committee is chaired by the Minister of Finance, Augustine Ngafuan and the World Bank-Liberia country manager, Ohene Owusu Nyanin.

Projects are proposed by the government according to needs identified in the Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), dubbed “Lift Liberia,” which was the subject of extensive public consultations last year.

Minister of Finance, Augustine Ngafuan, co-chair of the Oversight Committee, welcomed the DFID’s contribution and stressed the fact that “rebuilding infrastructure will be absolutely critical to Liberia’s development.” He thanked the DFID and all other development partners for their help in this very important area.

The World Bank Country Manager emphasized that the Bank remains committed to Liberia’s reconstruction agenda by providing technical and financial assistance to the Government of Liberia and administering the Liberia Reconstruction Trust Fund (LRTF) on behalf of bi- and multi-lateral partners.

The DFID’s recent contribution to the LRTF follows others from Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and the World Bank’s LICUS Trust Fund.

Including the DFID contribution, the LRTF has now received funding totaling about US$55 million.

Additional contributions of around US$135 million are expected from the European Commission and Germany.

Two projects have already been approved for funding. The rehabilitation of the 15 km Cotton Tree to Bokay Town Road (part of the Monrovia-Buchanan road corridor), co-financed by LRTF’s Urban and Rural Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (URIRP) for US$9.2 million; and the Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation (EMUS) project for US$18.4 million.