Letter from the President

This Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) is truly ours - home grown by all of us. This roadmap for our future reflects the inputs of citizens from all of Liberia’s 15 counties, from market sellers in Ganta to government Ministers in Monrovia, from women and men, boys and girls, members of every political party, every age group, every tribe, and every sector.

The process of developing the PRS is a sign of how far Liberia has come in a few short years. The ideas in this document emerged from an unprecedented series of county consultations, where we broke from our history of Monrovia-dominated government and truly listened to the people of our great nation. The process has been open, collaborative, and peaceful, proving that we Liberians can and do resolve our differences amicably.

In those county-level meetings across the country, Liberians spoke of building a country where a child can live in safety, go to a school with qualified teachers, get clean water and medicine, and study by electric light. The PRS lays the groundwork for making sure that the child’s parents have a fine road to carry their goods to market, and can participate in a local government that is vested with increasing responsibility and resources.

Reducing poverty is not something this government can do alone. It is something we all must do. The private sector - businesses small and large - will increasingly be the engine of growth and jobs. Civil society will continue to serve as a watchdog. The Legislature will be responsible for passing the legislation to build our reform efforts into the bedrock of our institutions.
 
Our development partners deserve many thanks for the support given as we crafted the PRS. We ask them now to refocus their policies and programs in alignment with the strategy. Their help will be needed to meet the unfunded portion, to give us the ability to build the roads, and the schools, and the clinics of which we dream.

Perhaps the most difficult task falls to the citizens of Liberia. Government can strive to create an enabling environment, but our people must seize these opportunities and work hard to make our collective dream a reality. I believe that our people will do just that.
I am confident that this PRS - representing as it does the hard work and input of all Liberians - will be a framework that will guide us toward rapid, inclusive, and sustainable development.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
President, Republic of Liberia

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