Veep Boakai wants direct funding for LACE

Vice President Joseph N. Boakai has stressed the need for the Government of Liberia’s direct funding to the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) to ensure it remains vibrant in Liberia’s development agenda.

Vice President Boakai says the quality and timely delivery of development projects across the country by LACE is a success story he wants all Liberian institutions to emulate.

According to a press release from LACE, VP Boakai spoke Wednesday, June 17, during the opening program of a 3-day management, board and staff annual retreat taking place at the Baptist Seminary on the Robertsfield Highway.

He lauded the World Bank, European Union, and other donors for funding the work of LACE over the years, noting that a Liberian institution has positively partnered with development partners in achieving some of Liberia’s development goals through the implementation of community driven empowerment and livelihoods projects in areas of actual needs.

The Vice President averred that mainly in leeward counties, LACE has made remarkable impact on the lives of locals by implementing community-based projects that include construction of clinics, schools, youth centers, guest houses, market buildings, WATSAN and bridges, among others.

“I remembered on one occasion when we had this small controversy with the American school in the old road community. LACE moved in swiftly with the quality construction of additional classrooms for the Haywood mission school, and that project was completed in just three months,” the Vice President said.

In separate remarks, LACE Executive Director Julius Sele, and Board Chairman Peter Kamei, who are attending the retreat along with a team of administrators and board members revealed plans by LACE management to ensure the full decentralization of operational activities and structures across the country.

Executive Director Sele said the significance of the retreat was to carry out a proper assessment of LACE’s activities, capacities and to improve upon the Agency’s project delivery schemes funded both by the Government of Liberia and donor organizations.

He added that LACE is an integral part of the government’s agenda for transformation aimed at alleviating poverty amongst locals in rural and urban communities.

LACE is an autonomous Agency of the Government of Liberia funded by development partners, including the World Bank, African Development Bank (ADB) and among others; with the objectives to improve the living standards of poor communities through the provisions and strengthening of basic social services and to promote a community-based development approach. Press Release