Liberia Economic Policy Dialogue Activity   2

The aim of this activity is to strengthen policy-making capacity within the Government of Liberia (GOL) and facilitate the design and implementation of specific reforms to promote private sector-led, broad-based economic growth and development. While the country has made some progress over the last decade, it still faces a difficult business climate that is constraining broad-based private sector development. Without private sector-led, broad-based inclusive, economic growth and development, the prospects of addressing high unemployment and poverty will be limited. Improving the business climate will not only require reforming key policies, but also enhancing technical capacity within the government to develop and lead such reforms. USAID envisages that this activity will both seek to work on key issues affecting the business climate and the establishment/strengthening of capacities within the government. Its focus will be the promotion of reforms to reduce transaction costs and corruption, improve trade facilitation, increase liquidity in the rural sector and promote exports in value-added products. This activity is expected to work on policies centered on port improvements, establishment of viable special economic zones, streamlining of concession processes and technical capacity-building within the government to undertake policy analysis, design and implementation. While USAID will lead this effort, it expects to enlist the support of other development partners in close consultation with the GOL. The main driver for this effort will be the appetite and desire of the GOL to prioritize these reforms and capacity-building in economic policy-making.