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Liberia on the Move: Economic Growth, Debt Relief, and Poverty Reduction

Apr 11, 2008

The inauguration of the administration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in January 2006 marked an end to twenty-five years of misrule and civil conflict which had left the country in ruins. The Sirleaf administration has set the country on a new course, placing transparency, accountability, good governance, and economic development for all Liberians at the center of its agenda.

On Friday, April 11, 2008 Liberian Minister of Finance Dr. Antoinette Sayeh provided an overview of Liberia's progress to date and the key challenges for the future, including the acceleration of economic growth, reaching the HIPC decision point, and the completion of the Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, which lays out the goals and priorities for the next three years. Mima Nedelcovych, Managing Director, Schaffer Global Group, Robert Powell, Mission Chief for Liberia, IMF and Todd Moss, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State, provided remarks. The discussion was moderated by Steve Radelet, Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development, and Economic Advisor, Government of Liberia.