February
22, 2006
REMARKS
OF AMBASSADOR CHARLES A. MINOR
AT
THE
U.S.
– LIBERIA BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
CORPORATE
COUNCIL ON AFRICA
WASHINGTON,
D.C.
Tuesday,
February 21st, 2006
Mr.
President
Officers
& members of the Corporate Council on Africa
Friends
of Liberia
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Thank
you, Mr. President, for this initiative to get these
distinguished personalities together to discuss the
prospects for doing business in Liberia in the near
term. I am particularly pleased that you re-scheduled
the discussion, from January, when we were in Liberia,
and again from earlier this month when several
attendees were in Atlanta, to now, when we can be
present.
This
is precisely the type of events I give priority to,
for I believe that as the official Government of
Liberia representative in the United States, my role
has several facets including negotiating to remove
barriers to trade between our two countries,
advocating our economic and development interests in
this country and the commercial interest of the United
States in Liberia. In this new age of international
relations, commercial and economic diplomacy have
attained profound importance to the national interest
of most countries. And for Liberia, it is crucial.
Let
me express that differently. Today, Liberia is one of
Africa, if not the world’s most visible land of hope
and high aspirations! No where I know today there is
greater expectations and anxieties to sustain a
peaceful society, to exploit the natural endowments,
to utilize available resources and to expect favorable
support and cooperation from partners than you find in
Liberia and amongst Liberians. How are those
objectives achievable?
Recently
in the United States, there has been a high lever of
enthusiasm over Liberia, from the Hill amongst members
of Congress and their staffers to officials of the
administration at relatively high levels, from PVOs
and NGOs to universities and religious bodies. The
Press has also given a little more attention to
Liberia, but we all know that the Public’s attention
span in this country is short. As soon as cameras of
the World Press present other topics, priority
attention is shifted. At important part of my
responsibilities is to keep Liberia in focus in
pursuit of the objectives we seek.
Admittedly
our people have had a terrible past, and that too have
been the focus of attention for too long. We have had
successive governments that were unable to serve the
people, to provide the enabling environment for peace,
stability, growth, development and to enable the
Liberian people to improve their standard of living.
Just over two years ago, no one would have thought to
bring you together to have a discussion on doing
business in Liberia!
But
by the Grace of God and the intervention of some
Liberians, friends of Liberia and the International
Community, spearheaded by the United States, a
Comprehensive Peace Accord, signed in Accra in October
2003, was allowed to be implemented, with a relative
level of success. Historians and political analysts
are yet to suggest why was it that the Accra Peace
Accord for Liberia succeeded, to the extent it did,
and countless others – dozens of peace agreements,
you will recall, were negotiated and signed for
Liberia prior to the Accra Accord but were not
successfully implemented. The same is true for other
countries I will not here list.
The
Accra Peace Accord had the following objectives:
·
The formation of an all inclusive National
Transitional Government involving all the warring
factions; civil society including political parties;
·
The disarming of combatants;
·
Repatriation and resettlement of refugees and
displaced persons; and
·
Hold Presidential and National Elections and
have the country turned over to a democratically
elected government in two years.
We
are proud that those objectives were achieved. Let me
note, however, that Liberia and our International
partners paid a heavy price. Many believe that it is
this heavy price we have paid for the transition that
raise into question the level of “success”
achieved over the last two years. Over half a billion dollars were spent disarming combatants,
maintaining a large international peace keeping force
in the country, repatriating and resettling refugees
and displaced persons, albeit that activity is yet to
be completed. The holding of free, fare, transparent
and credible elections culminated the process and was
the crown jewel of entire transition process.
What
is left on the ground as the dividend of the
transition? The evidence is unclear. Most of donors’
support was administered outside the Government’s
periphery and the perception is that little of it
trickled down into the Liberian economy. We are also
aware of the well publicized malpractices, corruption
and impunity that were endemic in the system.
Unfortunately the Transitional Administration did not
make the case, neither did it pursue a remedy to
reduce the bloated civil service and improve the
remuneration of those who deserved to be paid for
honest work performed nor was there the political will
to punish perpetrators.
Be
that as it may, on the 16th January this
year, the new Government was inaugurated. The Liberian
people are proud of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
and believe, literally and figuratively, that she is
“The Man” to write the wrong of the past, to make
the Government functional again to serve its people,
to begin the reconstruction of the infrastructure,
improve the environment for growth and development,
and not only give hope to all Liberians but to ensure
that they regain
their dignity, improve their standard of living and
enable Liberia to take its rightful place in the
comity of nations.
Ellen’s
election and induction offer another dimension to
Liberia. She is an African woman, with the education,
qualification and experience comparable to or higher
that those of the most qualified leaders the world
over. Her becoming our President offer profound
inspiration to millions of the world people,
particularly women, who constitute more than 50% of
the population of most countries. It signifies true
democracy and provides a significant role model to the
gender that has inappropriately been considered a
minority. One
of her greatest challenges will be to proportion her
time and efforts to lead and administer Liberia while
also endeavoring to empower other women around the
continent and elsewhere to rise to the challenge of
leadership with both compassion and resolute vitality.
The
Liberian Agenda
The
task ahead for the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s
administration is gigantic. Let us make no mistake
about that, the challenges are numerous:
·
The Political Challenge – Liberia has always
had a patriarchal political culture. The 21 male
politicians she defeated and those who vehemently
support them will use every chance to show she is a woman. In addition, the current Liberian Legislature is
composed of multi-parties. Its leadership is already
showing no intention of being a rubber stamp of the
President’s wishes. A few of her nominees to cabinet
and sub-cabinet positions have been rejected. The
President will have to work hard at obtaining
Legislature’s support for her policies.
·
Inadequate Administrative Capacity –
President Johnson Sirleaf has inherited a weak,
underpaid and bloated civil and public service. It
will take time to weed out those of little value,
retrain and employ a body of people with the
qualifications, capacities and drive to make the
Government functional as it should. The country does
not have the revenues presently to effectively do what
must be done and because of the long period of
hostility, adequate care must be taken not to exclude
groups and persons who may perceive her government to
be discriminating against them when she has promised
“inclusion”.
·
Security Consideration – It is an established
fact that the peace in Liberia is still fragile.
Unemployment in the country is exceptionally high and
many unemployed young people roam the streets in
search of a means to live. Many have been combatants
and are vulnerable to be misled into their previous
life style.
·
Basic social services are unavailable or in
short supply. The basic needs of most people are
unavailable or unaffordable. Health care is limited.
Many children are still not yet in schools. Public
accessibility to portable water and power is grossly
inadequate, even in the capital city.
So
every one looks to Ellen for the solutions to the
problems! She
is a strong woman, perhaps perceived even as a
“Man”. But we know the tasks to rebuild our
country belong to us all – Liberians and friends of
Liberia.
Ellen
has and is soon to announce her 150 day plan and that
will be followed by a 1000 day plan. Both plans and
the rest of her six years in office are directed to
improving the lives of Liberians - educating and
enabling Liberians to read, write and count in greater
number than what we have today; delivering better
health services; enabling them especially those in the
main cities and towns to have access to basic
necessities like portable water and electricity;
improving housing, road network and other means of
communications. Effectively partnering with foreign
businesses to exploit and market the country’s
mineral endowment; developing trade and commerce and
promoting agricultural production and distribution.
Ellen
and those around her have no intention of having a
government burdened with activities the private sector
can do better. Her selection of government officials
so far has had a strong private sector bias because
she believes the private sector is the engine of
growth and is the creator of wealth and revenues!
The
new Government is also committed to the Rule of Law,
to a very fair playing field. The Judiciary will be
independent and many of Liberia’s laws, particularly
contract laws, are similar to laws of U.S. states.
Liberia’s business and accounting practices are also
patterned after those of the United States as is the
Constitution of the Republic and Ellen intends for all
of them to be applied fairly to all concerned.
Let
me mention one point. While the new Government does
intend to respect and honor legitimate business
contracts, it is well known that many existing
Concession Agreements were negotiated at Liberia’s
disadvantage. Therefore the Government does intend to
invite parties to those agreements to have some of the
existing concession agreement revisited to ensure that
the country’s interest is protected.
We
expect, in the days ahead, strong evidence that Mrs.
Johnson Sirleaf’s Government will do everything to
make Liberia eligible for the General System of
Preference. Steps have already been taken for
Liberia’s eligible for ExIm Bank and similar efforts
are to be made for OPIC eligibility. Steps have
already been taken for Liberia’s participation in
MEGA.
My
Friends:
Liberia
needs your help. Let me, Mr. President, ask your
permission to speak to my fellow Liberians present.
My
fellow Liberians, the task to rebuild our country is
very much ours as it is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s. We
must step up to the plate. I know there are those in
Liberia who feel Liberians in the Diaspora have been
“enjoying:” while they at home bore the blunt of
the hardship and if today, there is anything to be
enjoyed (like jobs), they must be the first to
benefit. Let me ask you not to be persuaded by those
perceptions! Development history teaches that
practically every country in the world, in its
development stage, encouraged and relied on its
citizens and nationals to learn copy and adopt
know-how, practices and technology from abroad and
introduce them at home. (The examples of Japan, the
United States and Ghana come to mind.) We have as much
right and responsibility to make our contributions to
the redevelopment of Liberia as those at home. We have
a President who expects that and has asked me to
invite you to consider even contributing your vacation
period to some worthy project at home. I call on you
to positively consider this invitation and be
responsive to the needs of our country at this
critical time in its national life. You can spend your
vacation there teaching, mentoring, providing care to
those in need, helping market women improve their
business skills, helping to streamline and improve
administrative procedures, conducting workshops,
implementing community services, coaching young
people, amongst dozens of other activities. In
addition, you can explore business possibilities that
will offer employment to other Liberians and generate
revenues.
Now I
like to speak to our friends in the business world.
Five years ago I was pursuing chartered membership in
the Institute of Directors of Great Britain and I had
to obtained the nomination of several persons who had
served on Boards of Directors and knowledgeable about
my performance as a Director. Ellen was one of those
who wrote a nomination for me. After completing my
written and oral examinations and obtaining my
accreditation as a Chartered Director, Ellen said to
me, “I know you wish to remain in the private
sector, but Liberia’s public sector needs us. Our
task is to make sure we have the environment for a
vibrant private sector, and you understand what that
entails.” I tell you honestly, Ellen believes in the
private sector and is prepared to do all in her power
to ensure its vibrancy in the new Liberia. Who will
provide the jobs our people so badly need? Certainly
not the Government, for it should be downsizing. We
invite your investment to take advantage of our
people’s quest for gainful employment. How will
Liberia generate the revenues to rebuild its
infrastructure and educate its people – We
definitely cannot be donor supported for long! We must
now turn to our friends in the private sector and
invite you to join hands with us to tap into our
resources, organize new and viable ventures to exploit
our minerals, utilize our rich land to produce
agriculture commodities and food; undertake
manufacturing for the external market, deliver
commercial services for a globalize economy. Liberia
needs financial institutions, transport facilities and
we also need more schools, technical institutions and
other human resource development opportunities.
Liberia’s
coastal and inland waters have great catches for
domestic consumption and exports. In the past
investment in fishing paid off well and it can do so
again. As a well established maritime nation, Liberia
is keen to have new partners to jointly explore
opportunities to add more value to this key sector of
our economy. The country also has great tourist
attractions along our costal towns and in the forest
belt. Our people are friendly and love Americans, and
will welcome you as investors and tourists.
Liberia’s
proximity to Europe, the United States as well as the
West African market makes the country an ideal
location to set up shop, in or out of our free zones.
Although the civil war in Liberia curtailed easy, fast
and inexpensive air transport into Liberia, they are
to be restored and together with our several Atlantic
coast ports, make movement of goods and people easy.
The dollarized monetary system, characteristic of
Liberia will be maintained in Liberia until all of
ECOWAS monetary policies are harmonized under the West
African Monetary Institute. Liberia will also continue
to allow free movement of currencies. Our investment
policies are to be revised to ensure world class
handling of investors’ business interest. Above all,
under Ellen’s leadership, you will interact with
reputable, credible and business like people in
Government who believe your dollar can be taken
elsewhere and for you to choose Liberia, we must be
meritorious. To ensure this does occur in the short
term, Liberia and its international partners already
have an agreement known as GEMAP, to provide
international experts to help manage some key areas of
interaction with investment partners.
May I
conclude, Mr. President, by thanking you for this
opportunity to invite our current and future friends
in the business community to put Liberia on your
active agenda for the near term? Your intervention
will be appreciated and we know your returns will be
satisfactory. Liberia needs you – profits can be
made there!
Thank
you.
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