60 years to fix Liberia’s problems

Independence Day Orator and Finance Minister Samuel Tweh says it will take 60 years to fix Liberia’s problems. Delivering an oration at Liberia’s 171st Independence Day celebration in Monrovia Thursday, 26 July, Mr. Tweah said the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) – led government cannot solve the country’s generational challenges within six months.

According to him, Liberians are being misled to believe that the CDC government can solve all of the generational challenges within a six – year period.According to him, the administration is committed to stabilizing prices and address economic situations in the country, evidenced by the infusion of US$25 million into the economy.

He suggests that one way to stabilize the economy and ensure food security here is to invest in agriculture sector on a larger scale.Mr. Tweah observes that Liberia imports about 26 million bags of rice annually, saying it was necessary for Liberians to begin diversifying their taste.

Touching on education, Mr. Tweah notes that the number of substandard teachers that are providing instructions in Liberian schools is “too large.”But he also observes that attracting quality teachers has serious cost implications too, revealing that the fiscal space to take on 6,000 new teachers that are needed to close the teaching gap is not there.

He urges government to continue to focus on the delivery of Technical and Vocational Training programs as well as working further to strengthening college and university education.

Minister Tweah indicates that the nation’s human capital development is a big challenge that must be solved by government as it underpins national transformation.

He suggests that the quality of Liberia’s teachers, doctors and engineers will have to change radically over the next several years.Minister Tweah recommends that students placed in private and public high schools and universities around the country should at least be given preference during the award of scholarships or recruitment in the civil service.

“This approach provides some incentive for students to study harder,” he says, and adds that “scholarship should be for scholars, those willing to burn the midnight oil.”
He wants an afterschool program to be launched that focuses on a range of subjects and programs.Commenting on the health sector, Minister Tweah indicates that the 2018/19 budget has absorbed some 2,000 health workers.

By Ethel A. Tweh–Edited by Winston W. Parley