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### Foreword — context, principles, and program design
- Liberia remains a low-income country with significant governance, economic, and social constraints; ranked 178th out of 191 countries in the 2024 Human Development Report.
- Nearly 45 percent of the population lives in multidimensional poverty.
- AAID principles: inclusiveness, sustainability, justice and equality, accountability, peace and reconciliation, and local ownership; shaped by nationwide consultations including Government, CSOs, private sector, traditional leaders, youth, People with Disabilities, Diaspora, and international partners.
- Program design:
  - Development drivers and filters approach; cause-consequence methodology.
  - Program-based approach to enable program-based budgeting and stronger linkage between outcomes and the national budget.
  - Aim: transition Liberia from a low-income country to a lower middle-income country using realistic macro assumptions.

### Executive summary — objectives, macro assumptions, and priorities
- AAID: Liberia’s fourth post-conflict medium-term National Development Plan (2025–2029).
- Formulation began in May 2024 with consultations across 136 districts, 15 counties, and 11 budget sectors.
- International alignment: Liberia Vision 2030, SDGs, Africa Agenda 2063, ECOWAS Vision 2050, Doha Program of Action (DPoA).
- Key macro projections and drivers:
  - Projected GDP growth: 5.1 percent in 2024; 5.8. percent by 2025; averaging 5.9 percent through 2029.
  - Sectoral drivers: mining, agriculture, manufacturing; mining sector expected to peak at 9.2 percent growth; agriculture projected to average 7.0 percent.
- Human capital and governance prerequisites emphasized for operational effectiveness.

### Macroeconomic framework (2025–2029) — macro goals and key indicators
- Table of AAID Macro Goals (targets between 2024 proj. and 2029):
  - Population: Growth of 10.7% — 5.6m -> 6.2m
  - GDP (billion): Growth of 37% — $4.75b -> $6.51b
  - GDP per capita: Growth of 23.6% — $849.3 -> $1,050.3
  - Debt (% of GDP): Increase of 0.3pp — 56.1% -> 56.4%
  - Unemployment: Decrease of 0.9pp — 5.9% -> 5.0%
  - Trade balance: Decrease of 66.9% — $-725.1m -> $-485.6m
  - FDI flows (net): Growth of 18% — $477m -> $563m
  - Economic formalization (jobs): Increase of 17.6pp — 12.4% -> 30%
  - TI Corruption Perceptions Index: Improvement of 10 places — 145/180 -> 135/180
  - WJP Rule of Law Index: Improvement of 10 places — 109/142 -> 99/142
  - Ibrahim Index of Afr. Governance: Improvement of 4 places — 26/54 -> 22/54
  - Average life expectancy: Increase of 3 yrs — 60 yrs -> 63 yrs
  - Mortality of children < 5yrs: Decrease of 46‰p — 93‰ -> 47‰
  - Maternal mortality (per 100,000): Decrease of 302p — 742 -> 440
  - School years adjusted to learning: Increase of 0.7 yrs — 2.4 yrs -> 3.1 yrs
  - School completion rate: Increase of 4pp — 11% -> 15%
  - Literacy rate (≥ 15 years): Increase of 4.2pp — 59.9% -> 62.8%
  - HCI: Improvement of 0.05p — 0.32 -> 0.37
  - Multidimensional Poverty Index: Improvement of 9pp — 45.0% -> 36.0%
  - SDG Index: Improvement of 7 places — 152/166 -> 145/166
- Liberia baseline macrostat and vulnerabilities:
  - Real GDP growth: 4.6 percent in 2023; projected 5.1 percent for 2024.
  - Services sector share of GDP: 37.5 percent.
  - Debt-to-GDP ratio: 55.7 percent in 2023.
  - Inflation: 10.1 percent in 2023.
  - Dual currency management challenges; growing trade deficit; reliance on imports.

### Strategic framework — pillars, drivers, filters, and scoring
- Six strategic pillars: Economic Transformation; Infrastructural Development; Rule of Law; Governance and Anti-Corruption; Environmental Sustainability; Human Capital Development.
- Plan scope: 52 programs and 375 interventions; Plan alignment: 83 percent with the SDGs.
  - Interventions aligned with SDGs: SDG 8 — 45 interventions; SDG 4 — 43 interventions; SDG 16 — 39 interventions.
- Development drivers (each worth 10 pts): Agribusiness, Roads and infrastructure, Rule of law, Education, Sanitation/public health, Tourism.
- Development filters (each worth 5 pts): Children & Youth, Gender, Employment, Formalization, Climate change, Complementarity, Business environment, Vulnerable groups, Digitization, Peace & reconciliation — scoring system with total maximum 100 points used for ex-ante project evaluation.

### Theory of Change (ToC)
- Structured link between interventions and outcomes emphasizing situational analysis, critical change points, stakeholder engagement, and monitoring.
- Primary challenge: equip human capital and introduce digital technologies to shift governance behavior and enable private sector–driven local production.

### Development pillars: selected targets and outcomes (high-level)
- Economic Transformation:
  - GDP per capita: US$1,050.3
  - Average real GDP growth rate: 5.9 percent
  - Manufacturing GDP growth rate: 5.9 percent
  - Production target: 630,000 metric tons of food and cash crops
  - Mining GDP growth rate: 8.1 percent
- Infrastructure Development:
  - Pave a minimum of 485 km of primary roads
  - Reduce travel time by 60 percent
  - Reduce transportation costs by 30 percent
- Human Capital Development:
  - Adult literacy: 62.8 percent (≥15 years)
  - Human Capital Index: 0.4
  - Life expectancy: 63 years
- Rule of Law, Governance, Environmental pillars include specific ranking and index targets (e.g., TI CPI 135/180; Environmental Performance Index 155/180).

### Financing AAID — total cost, pillar allocations, and funding mix
- Total estimated cost (2025–2029): US$8.38 billion (TOTAL ESTIMATED COST 8,381.8 as tabled).
- Funding sources and shares:
  - Government of Liberia: US$2.5 billion (30%).
  - Private sector: US$2.7 billion (35%).
  - Grants as ODA and NGOs: US$1.9 billion (25%).
  - Diaspora remittances: US$0.7 billion (10%).
- Cost by pillar (totals):
  - Economic Transformation: US$1,591.4
  - Infrastructure Development: US$2,573.8
  - Rule of Law: US$622.3
  - Governance and Anti-Corruption: US$805.5
  - Environmental Sustainability: US$422.0
  - Human Capital Development: US$2,366.8
- Annual total schedule:
  - 2025: 1,257.3
  - 2026: 1,676.4
  - 2027: 2,263.1
  - 2028: 1,927.8
  - 2029: 1,257.3

### Selected flagship infrastructure and sectoral targets
- Roads and transport:
  - Pave at least 485 km of primary roads with asphalt.
  - Rehabilitate and maintain at least 445.1 km primary road network.
  - Expand, rehabilitate and maintain at least 1,090 km of secondary road network.
  - Develop, expand, rehabilitate and maintain at least 2,500 km of feeder roads network.
  - Install 1,000 traffic signs and 20 weighbridges; establish 5 Regional Operational Hubs.
- Energy:
  - Increase national electricity access rate by 55%.
  - Operationalize 4 turbines at MCHPP; increase MCHPP capacity to 148 MW.
  - Increase energy mix by 36 MW solar; reduce total electricity loss to 10%.
- Solid waste and circular economy:
  - Develop small-scale composting of market waste with a production of 500 t/year each.
  - Increase waste recycling rates by 25%; increase number of recycling business operators by 50%.
- Health and education targets:
  - Increase coverage of primary health care by 40%.
  - Increase and maintain DTP-3 coverage above 90%.
  - Increase adult literacy (≥15 years) to 62.8 percent by 2029.
  - Enhance 20% of teachers’ capacity to deliver gender and disability transformative education; train 1,400 school principals and administrative staff.

### Economic diversification, extractives, and private sector enablers
- Commerce and industry targets:
  - Establish 4 incubators; increase business development services to entrepreneurs by 30%; increase exports by 20%.
  - Increase FDI by 50% in priority sectors (agribusiness, tourism, mining) and formalize 10,000 informal businesses nationwide.
- Extractive sector policy shift:
  - Revise the Mineral Development Agreement mechanism from a royalty-based model to a production sharing model.
  - Formalize artisanal & small-scale mining; develop mineral resource geological and geo-physical maps.
- PPPs and SOE reform:
  - Develop PPP policy and legal framework; develop corporate governance policy and legal framework for SOEs.
  - Establish Agriculture Enterprise Development Bank; increase domestic revenues by 25%.

### Governance, rule of law, and digitalization
- Governance targets:
  - CPI score improvement target: move towards ranking 135/180 by 2029.
  - Increase enrollment into the National Biometric and Identification System to 90%.
  - Migrate 80 MACs to e-procurement platform.
  - Increase prosecution of corruption cases by 40%; extend LACC services to all counties.
- Rule of law and justice reforms:
  - Operationalize alternative dispute resolution law.
  - Publish 110 Executive Orders, volumes of Liberia Code of Law revised (LCLR) and Liberia Law reports.
  - Ensure semi-autonomous status for the Bureau of Correction; operationalize the Legal Aid Act.
  - Introduce digital technologies in court proceedings management; target increase of digitalized court proceedings by 50%.

### Implementation arrangements and coordination
- Three-tiered governance for implementation:
  - National Steering Committee (NSC): Headed by the President, co-chaired by UN Resident Coordinator; meeting frequency: biannually.
  - National Coordination Committee (NCC): Headed by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning; co-chaired by Cooperating Partners Group; meeting frequency: quarterly.
  - Technical Committee (TC): Headed by the Assistant Minister for Planning; co-chaired by the UN Chief Technical Lead; meeting frequency: quarterly.
- Sub-national replication: County Development Steering Committees, Technical Coordination Groups (TCGs), and Sub-National Coordination Groups (SNCGs).
- Reporting cadence: monthly cumulative reports compiled to quarterly reports; Cabinet and pillar/sector working groups serve as formal review fora.
- Communication strategy: develop popular versions of AAID and CDAs; national communication to engender ownership.

### Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (NMEL) framework
- MFDP to oversee National M&E, establish national MEL policy, plan, manual, and data management system.
- Core components: KPIs, baselines, outputs, outcomes, annual targets, data sources; annexed Results Framework.
- Data sources and tools: DHIS2, Census, Demographic Health Survey, Open Data Kit (ODK) and combination of digital/manual tools.
- Institutional capacity targets:
  - Strengthen capacity of 1,500 statistical system related personnel by 2029.
  - Strengthen capacity of 1,500 PFM related personnel per spending entity by 2029.
  - 20 statistical products widely available by 2029.
- Reporting and learning: quarterly and annual reports; feedback mechanisms to adjust programs in real time; leverage GIS for project tracking.

### Principal risks and mitigation measures
- Identified principal risks: corruption; weak political will; macroeconomic instability; unfavorable business environment; climate change; limited private sector participation; financing gaps; social conflicts; legislative delays.
- Selected mitigation measures:
  - Corruption: anti-corruption mechanisms; whistleblower protection; empower antigraft institutions.
  - Political will: performance management systems with signed performance contracts.
  - Macroeconomic stability: fiscal and monetary discipline; debt management; stabilization buffers.
  - Business environment: streamline business registration; land tenure reforms; PPP framework.
  - Climate resilience: climate-resilient infrastructure; climate-smart agriculture; early warning systems.
  - Financing: blend public, private, concessional finance; sovereign guarantees; diaspora bonds; green bonds; DRMS II implementation.
- Selected KPIs and baselines for mitigation monitoring:
  - Inflation baseline: 10.1% (target: 5%).
  - Gross International Reserves baseline: 2.3 months of imports (target: 4 months).
  - Baseline for domestic revenue: 682,000,000 (target: increase domestic revenue by 25%).

### Annex highlights — measurable sectoral indicators (selected)
- Roads: target to pave 485 km of primary roads with asphalt; rehabilitate 445.1 km primary road network; develop 2,500 km feeder roads network.
- Energy: operationalize 4 turbines at MCHPP; MCHPP capacity 148 MW; add 36 MW solar; reduce losses to 10%.
- Solid waste: develop composting units producing 500 t/year each; increase recycling business operators by 50%; increase waste recycling rates by 25%.
- Education: in-service training to 15,800 teachers; provide incentive payment to 1,400 teachers in rural hard-to-reach areas; improve 2,134 educational infrastructures; student-to-textbook ratio target 1:1.
- Health: increase coverage of primary health care by 40%; increase epidemic preparedness from 44% to 70%; upgrade 5 county hospitals as regional hospitals.
- Social inclusion: reduce incidence of SGBV by 50%; increase access to SGBV services by 30%; reduce child labor from 28% to 10%; secure 50% of new public sector jobs for youth.

_Italic: Source — National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID); canonical PDF unit: 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf._

### FOREWORD

### FOREWORD

### Context and development challenges
- Liberia remains a low-income country with significant governance, economic, and social constraints.
- Ranked 178th out of 191 countries in the 2024 Human Development Report.
- Nearly 45 percent of the population lives in multidimensional poverty.
- High unemployment, limited infrastructure, and insufficient access to basic services are highlighted constraints.
- Liberia is endowed with vast resources (including natural and human) and a young and dynamic population—over 41.5 percent of whom are under the age of 18.

### Principles, consultations, and people-centered focus
- The AAID is underpinned by principles of inclusiveness, sustainability, justice and equality, accountability, peace and reconciliation, and local ownership.
- Shaped by nationwide consultations with stakeholders including government, civil society, private sector actors, traditional leaders, the youth, People with Disabilities, and international partners.
- Consultations reinforced the importance of a people-centered development, addressing systemic barriers and structural inequalities while prioritizing empowerment of marginalized communities.

### Strategic approach and program design
- Adoption of a development drivers and filters approach and utilization of the cause-consequence approach to ensure strategic, impactful interventions focused on measurable cross-sectoral outcomes.
- Built on a program-based approach to allow implementation of program-based budgeting, strengthening the linkage between development outcomes and the national budget.
- Aims to transition Liberia from a low-income country to a lower middle-income country using macro assumptions intended to unlock potential while remaining realistic.

### Six strategic pillars and selected targets
- The National Development Plan framework revolves around six strategic pillars: Economic Transformation; Infrastructural Development; Rule of Law; Governance and Anti-Corruption; Environmental Sustainability; Human Capital Development.
- Economic Transformation Pillar targets:
  - Increase GDP per capita to US$1,050.3.
  - Achieve an average annual GDP growth rate of 5.9 percent.
  - Diversify economic output and enhance food and nutrition security and resilience.
- Infrastructural Development Pillar targets:
  - Pave a minimum of 485 km of primary roads.
  - Increase access to affordable electricity in rural and urban communities.
- Human Capital Development Pillar focuses on education, healthcare, sanitation, empowerment of women, youth, children, People with Disabilities (PWDs), and skills training to capitalize on the demographic dividend and improve life expectancy, literacy, and workforce capabilities.

### Financing, implementation, and coordination
- Total investment required to achieve AAID objectives: US$8.38 billion, with contributions from the Government of Liberia, the private sector, development partners, civil society, and the Liberian Diaspora communities.
- Government commitments include enhancing domestic resource mobilization, pursuing innovative financing mechanisms, and leveraging international partnerships.
- Plans to develop an Integrated National Financing Framework and targeted investor maps to attract private sector investments aligned with Liberia’s priorities.
- AAID establishes a multi-tiered coordination framework led by the National Steering Committee, chaired by the President, supported by technical and sectoral groups, and dovetailed at local levels to align district and county priorities with the national agenda.

### Risk mitigation and adaptive measures
- Incorporated comprehensive risk assessments, capacity-building initiatives, and adaptive planning mechanisms to safeguard AAID resilience against external shocks and domestic challenges and to ensure flexibility in implementation.

### Acknowledgements and leadership
- Expresses gratitude to His Excellency, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., for visionary leadership.
- Thanks development partners, particularly the United Nations Country Team, the Government of Sweden, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and USAID for technical and financial support.
- Recognizes contributions of Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions (MACs), civil society organizations (CSOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), Liberia International NGOs (LINGO), Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC), Liberia Business Association (LIBA), consultants, and Ministry of Finance and Development Planning teams.

*Foreword, National Development Plan 2025 – 2029 ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).*

### EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

### EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

### Overview
- The ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) is Liberia’s fourth post-conflict medium-term National Development Plan (2025- 2029), aimed at contributing to Liberia’s transition to a lower middle-income country.
- The AAID formulation began in May 2024 and involved extensive consultations across the 136 administrative districts, 15 counties, and 11 budget sectors, government institutions, development partners, civil society organizations, private sector, Diaspora, the youth, and people with disabilities.
- The AAID builds on lessons learned and achievements from previous medium-term development plans, notably the Agenda for Transformation (AfT) and the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD).
- The AAID is aligned with Liberia’s National Vision 2030 and international, continental and regional frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Africa Agenda 2063, ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the Doha Program of Action (DPoA).
- The AAID is built on the principles of inclusiveness, sustainability, justice and equality, transparency and accountability, emphasizing people-centered development, local ownership, cause-consequence approaches, and digital transformation.
- The AAID targets interconnected challenges, including low literacy rates (59.9%) and high unemployment, and calls for collaboration among government, private sector, diaspora, and development partners to revitalize agribusiness, enhance infrastructure, and improve education and healthcare services, inclusion, and social cohesion.
- The Plan aims to diversify economic activities, reduce reliance on exports of unprocessed commodities, support domestic manufacturing, and promote tourism and technology.
- A precondition for effectiveness is the development and effective utilization of skilled and productive human capital as well as institutional capacities; achieving these prerequisites is an intended outcome of the AAID.

### Macroeconomic Framework (2025-2029)
- The medium-term macroeconomic framework (2025-2029) aims to foster sustainable economic growth and improve citizens’ well-being amid global and national challenges.
- Key priorities: economic diversification, infrastructure development, fiscal consolidation, social protection, strengthening governance, and enhancing human capital.
- Projected GDP growth:
  - 5.1 percent in 2024
  - 5.8. percent by 2025
  - averaging 5.9 percent through 2029
- Expected growth drivers: mining, agriculture, and manufacturing.
- Sectoral projections highlighted:
  - Mining sector expected to peak at 9.2 percent growth due to new investments.
  - Agriculture projected to average 7.0 percent, contributing to food security and employment.
- Manufacturing and tourism are currently underperforming; stimulating synergies between them could substantially increase projected GDP over the planned period.
- The framework emphasizes coherent economic policy to enhance inclusive growth and stability, contributing to poverty reduction, job creation, and improved living standards.
- Operational effectiveness depends on policies and programs that leverage natural resources, improve governance, and strengthen infrastructure and social systems, while mainstreaming climate change and ensuring inclusive, sustainable growth.

### Strategic Framework and Implementation Focus
- The strategic framework provides a structured approach for addressing developmental challenges, guiding resource allocation, and promoting sustainable economic growth.
- It provides a roadmap for long-term economic transformation, guiding policy formulation, resource mobilization and allocation, and promoting accountability.
- Emphasis on mainstreaming climate change, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, and strengthening institutions and human capital.

### Challenges
- Liberia faces structural challenges rooted in past conflicts, corruption, and mismanagement.
- Liberia continues to be listed among the poorest countries in the world and faces high income inequality.
- Low literacy rates (59.9%) and high unemployment are highlighted as drivers of societal instability.

*Source: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).*

### 35.3  percent  Gini  Coefficient,  high  multidimensional

### 35.3 percent Gini Coefficient, high multidimensional

### Current socioeconomic challenges and macroeconomic outlook
- High inequality and poverty:
  - Gini Coefficient: 35.3 percent.
  - Multidimensional poverty: 45 percent.
  - Human Development Index ranking: 177th out of 191 countries.
- Sustainable Development Goals progress:
  - Only 20.3 percent of SDG indicators are on track.
- Demographics and labor:
  - Nearly 75 percent of the population is under 35.
  - 41.5 percent of the population is under age 18.
  - Most youth engaged in low productive informal jobs.
- Governance and human capital constraints:
  - Ineffectiveness in programming, planning, developing, and utilizing human capital.
  - Need to introduce digital technologies to shift governance behavior and enable private sector–driven local production.
- Macroeconomic performance and vulnerabilities:
  - Real GDP growth: 4.6 percent in 2023; projected 5.1 percent for 2024 due to improvements in agriculture and fisheries.
  - Services sector share of GDP: 37.5 percent.
  - Debt-to-GDP ratio: 55.7 percent in 2023.
  - Inflation: 10.1 percent in 2023.
  - Challenges managing a dual currency system.
  - Growing trade deficit and reliance on imports that strain foreign reserves.
- Policy priorities implied:
  - Improve governance, diversify the economy, enhance infrastructure, and attract domestic and foreign investment to address structural vulnerabilities and support inclusive growth.

### Growth and development potential
- Comparative advantages and opportunities:
  - Abundant natural resources: iron ore, gold, timber.
  - Fertile soils for cassava, rice, palm oil, rubber, and cocoa.
  - Strategic location with seaports facilitating regional cooperation.
  - Cultural diversity offering cultural and eco-tourism potential.
  - Strong international support and partnerships to develop transport, energy, and ICT infrastructure.
- Identified advantaged points (listed as in source):
  - (i) commitment to peace and stability; (ii) rich natural resources; (iii) strategic geographical location; (iv) demographic dividends from a rising young population; (v) cultural heritage and diversity; (vi) strong international support and partnerships; (vii) potential for infrastructure development; (viii) agricultural and resource-based value chains; and (ix) environmental resilience and sustainability.
- Strategic imperative:
  - Take necessary actions to ensure appropriate and expeditious responses to fundamentals driving the theory of change.

### Theory of Change (ToC)
- Purpose:
  - Structured approach linking specific interventions to desired outcomes through situational analysis and identification of critical change points.
  - Sets strategic goals and objectives aligned with Vision 2030, including necessary assumptions for change.
- Primary development challenge:
  - Equip human capital with requisite tools and introduce digital technologies to shift governance behavior and enable private sector–driven local production.
- Planning emphasis:
  - Focus on development impact, long-term effects, accountability, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable outcomes.
- Operational design:
  - AAID 2025-2029 incorporates organizational and development planning layers; key drivers include agribusiness, infrastructure, rule of law, education, sanitation, and tourism.
  - Filters (criteria interventions must address): child and youth focus and engagement, gender balance, employment, informal economy formalization, climate change, business environment, digitization, and peace and reconciliation.
  - Scoring system to assign weights to drivers and filters for ex-ante evaluation and budgeting sensitivity to development outcomes; monitoring during and after implementation to refine prioritization.

### AAID Strategic Framework
- Alignment and objectives:
  - Aligns with Liberia Vision 2030 and lessons from previous medium-term plans; emphasizes inclusivity and accountability.
  - Seeks to contribute to Liberia’s transition from low-income to lower middle-income status.
  - Vision target: over half the workforce in the formal sector and per capita income exceeding US$1,000.
- Stakeholder collaboration:
  - Strengthen collaboration with public sector, private sector, civil society, traditional leaders, development partners, Diaspora communities, and academia.
- International alignment:
  - Aligned with SDGs, Africa’s Agenda 2063, ECOWAS Vision 2050, and the Doha Program of Action (DPoA) for LDCs 2022-2031.
  - Plan alignment: 83 percent with the SDGs.
  - Plan scope: 52 programs and 375 interventions.
  - Interventions aligned with key SDGs:
    - 45 interventions aligned with SDG 8 (decent jobs and social protection).
    - 43 interventions aligned with SDG 4 (quality education).
    - 39 interventions aligned with SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).
  - SDG transition priorities: education, digital connectivity, jobs and social protection provide the greatest opportunity for accelerating attainment.

### Development pillars, targets, and key expected outcomes
- Six development pillars with goals, policy objectives, operational focus, targets, and interventions:
  1. Economic Transformation
     - Five Strategic Policies.
     - Expected outcomes:
       - GDP per capita: US$1,050.3.
       - Average real GDP growth rate: 5.9 percent.
       - Manufacturing GDP growth rate: 5.9 percent.
       - Improvement by 4 positions in the Global Competitiveness Index.
       - Production of 630,000 metric tons of food and cash crops.
       - Mining GDP growth rate: 8.1 percent.
  2. Infrastructure Development
     - Six Strategic Policies.
     - Expected outcomes:
       - Reduction in travel time by 60 percent.
       - Asphalt pavement of at least 485 km of primary roads.
       - Reduction in transportation costs by 30 percent.
  3. Rule of Law
     - Two Strategic Policies.
     - Expected outcomes:
       - World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index ranking: 99/142.
       - World Bank Rule of Law estimate: 0.1.
       - Freedom House total ranking: 90/210.
  4. Governance and Anti-Corruption
     - Three Strategic Policies.
     - Expected outcomes:
       - Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG) ranking: 22/54.
       - Corruption Perception Index ranking: 135/180.
       - Political Corruption Index: 0.79.
  5. Environmental Sustainability
     - One Strategic Policy.
     - Expected outcomes:
       - Environmental Performance Index ranking: 155/180.
       - Notre Dame Vulnerability Index ranking: 150/187.
       - Notre Dame Readiness Index ranking: 160/187.
  6. Human Capital Development
     - Four Strategic Policies.
     - Expected outcomes:
       - Adult literacy: 62.8 percent (≥15 years).
       - Human Capital Index: 0.4.
       - Life expectancy: 63 years.

### Financing the AAID
- Total estimated cost: US$8.38 billion.
- Projected cost by pillar:
  - Economic Transformation: US$1.59 billion.
  - Infrastructural Development: US$2.57 billion.
  - Rule of Law: US$0.62 billion.
  - Governance and Anti-Corruption: US$0.81 billion.
  - Environmental Sustainability: US$0.42 billion.
  - Human Capital Development: US$2.37 billion.
- Funding sources and shares:
  - Government of Liberia: US$2.5 billion (30%).
  - Private sector: US$2.7 billion (35%).
  - Grants as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and NGOs: US$1.9 billion (25%).
  - Diaspora remittances: US$0.7 billion (10%).
- Financing strategy highlights:
  - Enhance financial resources for infrastructural and human capital development.
  - Mobilize private sector investments for economic transformation.
  - Utilize ODA for education, health, governance and environmental sustainability spending.
  - Leverage Diaspora remittances for private sector investment and social development.
  - Develop an Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF).
  - Review the Domestic Resource Mobilization Strategy (DRMS).
  - Pursue climate-related financing and other emerging options.
  - Rationalize expenditure, improve public financial management, and stem corruption.

### Implementation arrangements
- Multi-tiered coordination framework:
  - Apex: National Steering Committee (NSC)
    - Led by the President and deputized by the UN Resident Coordinator.
    - Role: policy guidance and oversight.
    - Meeting frequency: biannually.
  - Second level: National Coordination Committee (NCC)
    - Chaired by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
    - Fed by the Government Pillar Working Group.
    - Role: monitor progress.
    - Meeting frequency: quarterly.
  - Third level: Technical Committee (TC)
    - Led by the Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning; Alternate Lead: Assistant Minister for Development Planning.
    - Fed by the Government Sector Working Group.
    - Role: technical monitoring.
    - Supported by Technical and Sub-National Coordination Groups and Sub-National Coordination Groups (SNCGs).
  - County-level: County Development Steering Committees to monitor implementation of County Development Agendas.
  - Additional support: development partners, private sector forums, and a robust communication strategy to reinforce collaboration and accountability.

### Monitoring, evaluation, and learning
- Establish a comprehensive National Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (NMEL) system to:
  - Institutionalize results-based planning.
  - Improve performance of the AAID and minimize implementation challenges.
  - Monitor higher-level results, Key Performance Indicators, and targets arising from interventions.
  - Undertake monitoring to assess implementation against plans and evaluations to assess extent of desired results achieved.

### Risks and mitigation measures
- Identified risks:
  - Corruption, weak political will, macroeconomic instability, unfavorable business environment, climate change, limited private sector participation, financing gaps, social conflicts, and legislative delays.
- Mitigation measures:
  - Anti-corruption mechanisms and performance management systems.
  - Fiscal and monetary discipline.
  - Land tenure reforms.
  - Climate-resilient infrastructure.
  - Robust PPP framework.
  - Financial tracking and grievance redress platforms.
  - Strengthened legislative engagement.
- Objective of mitigation:
  - Ensure accountability, stability, inclusivity, and collaboration among stakeholders to foster sustainable development and successful AAID implementation.

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID).*

### 1. INTRODUCTION

### 1. INTRODUCTION

### Overview
- The ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID) 2025-2029 is Liberia’s fourth post-war National Development Plan (NDP) and the last of three medium-term plans aligned with National Vision 2030.
- The AAID builds on lessons from the Agenda for Transformation (AfT, 2012-2017) and the Pro-poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD, 2018-2023).
- The goal of the AAID is to contribute to Liberia’s transition from a low-income to a lower middle-income country (LMIC).
- The AAID is aligned with Liberia’s Vision 2030 and international frameworks including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and its six transitions, Africa Agenda 2063, ECOWAS Vision 2050, and the Doha Program of Action (DPoA).

### 1.1 Development challenges at a glance
- Demographics and human development:
  - 41.5 percent of the population below 18 years of age.
  - 47 percent between ages 18-60.
  - 5 percent of the population is age 60 and above.
  - Liberia is ranked 178 out of 191 countries in human development (UNDP, Human Development Report, 2024).
  - Liberia is currently among the 10 poorest countries in Africa (IMF, 2024).
- Key social and economic indicators:
  - Low level of literacy: 48.3% (UNESCO, 58.6%, LHPC).
  - High level of vulnerable employment: 77.19% (World Bank).
  - Multidimensional poverty: 45.0% (LPHC).
- Root causes and effects:
  - Bad governance, the aftermath of 14 years of civil war (1989-2003), the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), and the 2019 Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) severely hindered human development and economic growth.
  - Low literacy limits productive capacities and exacerbates income and gender inequalities.
  - Poverty results from limited economic opportunities, low levels of education, and bad governance.
  - These interconnected challenges create a vicious cycle of vulnerability that perpetuates underdevelopment and can undermine peace and inclusive development.
- AAID precondition:
  - The availability and full utilization of adequate human capital and institutional capacities is the prerequisite for effectively addressing Liberia’s challenges; getting this pre-requisite in place is an intended outcome of the AAID.

### 1.2 Strategic reorientation

#### 1.2.1 Transformative Thinking and Bold Actions
- Emphasize strategic, realistic, and transformative thinking to chart a sustainable growth path.
- Move away from “business as usual” and discontinue what has consistently not worked.
- Require collective efforts from government, private sector, development partners, and the Diaspora.
- Priorities for action:
  - Revolutionize the agribusiness value chain.
  - Build modern infrastructures.
  - Uphold the rule of law.
  - Improve education, health, and sanitation outcomes.
  - Incentivize investment in tourism and ICT startups.
  - Leverage disruptive digital technologies to accelerate socio-economic progress.

#### 1.2.2 Re-Inventing Liberia’s Development Philosophy
- Shift from predominantly concessions-driven growth (solid minerals, agriculture, forestry) with no value addition toward diversification and citizen-centered approaches.
- Transition from a royalty-based concession regime to a production-sharing arrangement to promote domestic value addition, revenue generation, jobs, and sustainable wealth creation.
- Review existing concession agreements and ensure new arrangements are consistent with production-sharing.
- Promote economic diversification into:
  - Food and nonfood agribusiness value chains.
  - Tourism.
  - Digital technologies.
- Harness modern technologies to transform agribusiness and extractive industries and create skilled, better-paying jobs in the medium to long term.

#### 1.2.3 Re-Inventing the Governance Framework
- Identify governance deficiencies in three critical areas:
  - Scarcity of skilled and diversified human capital.
  - Uneven distribution of state resources resulting in high poverty and unbalanced growth between counties and regions.
  - Failure to uphold the rule of law, misuse/misappropriation of public resources, over-centralization of power and decision-making, and poor service delivery at national and subnational levels.
- Implement and fast-track the 2018 Local Government Act (LGA) to decentralize power and functions:
  - Enable sub-national authorities to collect revenue, undertake public works, allocate resources, and implement programs.
  - County Councils and County Administrators expected to collaborate in managing county affairs.
- Public administration commitments:
  - Improve administration of justice and uphold judicial independence.
  - Strengthen anti-corruption behavior to curb corruption.
  - Improve public sector accountability.
  - Undertake comprehensive rationalization of public sector mandates and functions.

#### 1.2.4 Private Sector Driven Development
- Create an enabling environment for private-sector enterprises to thrive, including:
  - Maintaining macroeconomic stability in the medium term.
  - Improving the regulatory environment.
  - Investing in infrastructure to strengthen the business climate.
- Build a local productive sector over time through policy measures that foster a strong creative economy, promoting opportunities for women and youth and encouraging innovation and cultural heritage.
- Promote the blue economy to unlock coastal and marine opportunities including:
  - Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture.
  - Responsible salt production.
  - Marine sports and tourism.
  - Development of marine transport infrastructure to complement road transport.

#### 1.2.5 Sustainable Transformative Environment
- Recognize Liberia’s dependence on natural ecosystems and make environmental sustainability central to long-term growth, resilience, and social well-being.
- Address environmental governance priorities:
  - Illegal logging.
  - Illicit mining.
  - Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).
  - Land degradation.
- Reposition green financing and the green economy transition as drivers for public finance management and market creation.
- Unlock carbon credits and all segments of green financing (including blue) to create green job opportunities in eco and agrotourism.
- Promote growth of green enterprises focusing on climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy, and eco-friendly production.
- Increase environmental awareness:
  - Incorporate environmental education into the school curriculum.
  - Promote public awareness campaigns on sustainability with youth, women, and vulnerable groups in decision-making and action.
- Strategic focus aims to protect Liberia’s natural heritage while ensuring economic growth, social well-being, and resilience.

### 2. Country profile and growth potential (summary of highlights)
- Comparative advantages and growth potentials to be leveraged:
  - Commitment to peace and stability.
  - Abundant natural resources (fertile land, rubber, palm oil, rice, cocoa, cassava; iron ore, gold, diamonds; vast tropical rainforests).
  - Strategic geographical location with access to the Atlantic Ocean and regional trade via ports of Monrovia and Buchanan; border access to Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire.
  - Demographic dividend from a significant proportion of population under age 25 and a relatively inexpensive labor force attractive for labor-intensive sectors.
  - Cultural heritage and diversity for cultural tourism and related industries (traditional crafts, music, art).
  - Strong international support and partnerships from multilateral and bilateral partners; membership in ECOWAS, the Mano River Union, the African Union, and the AfCFTA.
  - Potential for infrastructure development in transportation (roads, rail, ports, airports), renewable energy (hydropower, solar), and telecommunications.
  - Agricultural and resource-based value chains with scope for value addition (agro and timber processing) to enhance exports, create jobs, and increase local income.
  - Environmental resilience and sustainability offering opportunities for eco-tourism and conservation-focused development initiatives.
- Topographic and climatic features described:
  - Coastal belt: low-lying plain on the Atlantic Ocean, mangroves, tidal creeks, shallow lagoons up to 40 km wide, 0–30 meters above sea level.
  - Rolling hills: transitional zone between 60–150 m, hills, valleys, fast-moving waterways.
  - Plateau: largest zone in area, interior between 200–300 m above sea level, dense forest cover.
  - Northern highlands: mountain ridges above 300 m altitude including Wologisi Range (up to 1,440 m) and Nimba Range (up to 1,385 m on Liberia’s side).
- Emphasis on harnessing these potentials through resource management, youth engagement, regional integration, and international partnerships to position Liberia as an attractive and competitive economy in West Africa.

*Source: 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - 1. INTRODUCTION*

### 3. MACRO

### 3. MACRO

### Macro assumptions and AAID macro goals
- Table 1 AAID Macro Goals (National Development Plan 2025 – 2029) — targeted changes between 2024 proj. and 2029:
  - Population: Growth of 10.7% — 5.6m -> 6.2m
  - GDP (billion): Growth of 37% — $4.75b -> $6.51b
  - GDP per capita: Growth of 23.6% — $849.3 -> $1,050.3
  - Debt (% of GDP): Increase of 0.3pp — 56.1% -> 56.4%
  - Unemployment: Decrease of 0.9pp — 5.9% -> 5.0%
  - Trade balance: Decrease of 66.9% — $-725.1m -> $-485.6m
  - FDI flows (net): Growth of 18% — $477m -> $563m
  - Economic formalization (jobs): Increase of 17.6pp — 12.4% -> 30%
  - TI Corruption Perceptions Index: Improvement of 10 places — 145/180 -> 135/180
  - WJP Rule of Law Index: Improvement of 10 places — 109/142 -> 99/142
  - Ibrahim Index of Afr. Governance: Improvement of 4 places — 26/54 -> 22/54
  - Average life expectancy: Increase of 3 yrs — 60 yrs -> 63 yrs
  - Mortality of children < 5yrs: Decrease of 46‰p — 93‰ -> 47‰
  - Maternal mortality (per 100,000): Decrease of 302p — 742 -> 440
  - School years adjusted to learning: Increase of 0.7 yrs — 2.4 yrs -> 3.1 yrs
  - School completion rate: Increase of 4pp — 11% -> 15%
  - Literacy rate (≥ 15 years): Increase of 4.2pp — 59.9% -> 62.8%
  - HCI: Improvement of 0.05p — 0.32 -> 0.37
  - Multidimensional Poverty Index: Improvement of 9pp — 45.0% -> 36.0%
  - SDG Index: Improvement of 7 places — 152/166 -> 145/166
- Rationale: Macro assumptions underpin realistic goal setting, policy formulation, resource allocation, risk management, and achievement of economic transformation goals in Liberia’s recovery context.

### Global economic context (key projections and constraints)
- IMF WEO October 2024 macro projections cited:
  - World growth: 3.3 percent in 2023; expected to stabilize at around 3.2 percent in 2024 and 3.2 percent in 2025.
  - Advanced economies growth (2024 projection): 1.8 percent.
  - Emerging markets growth (2024 projection): 4.2 percent.
  - Sub-Saharan Africa growth (2024 projection): 3.6 percent.
- Inflation and monetary environment:
  - By end-2023, inflation neared pre-pandemic levels in most economies, falling from double to single digits, except for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
  - Tighter monetary policies by major central banks influence global interest rates, exchange rates, capital flows, and investment.
- Trade and supply chains:
  - World trade annual volume change: -8.5 (2020), 10.8 (2021), with expected stabilization at 3.1 percent in 2024.
  - COVID-19 caused significant supply-chain disruptions; recovery described as steady but slow and regionally divergent.
- Debt and financial stability:
  - Many countries face rising public debt from pandemic-related spending; some developing countries at risk of defaulting, requiring international restructuring and assistance.
- Technology and energy transitions:
  - Rapid technological change (AI, automation, digital economies) reshapes productivity; developing countries lag in access.
  - Energy price fluctuations and climate risks affect inflation and production costs; green transition reshapes investment patterns.
- Demographics and population:
  - Global population in 2024 estimated at 8.1 billion.
  - Eight countries account for half of population increase; five from Africa (Nigeria, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, United Republic of Tanzania) and three from Asia (India, Pakistan, Philippines).
- International cooperation:
  - SDG and Paris Climate Agreement commitments emphasize six SDG transitions as critical global investment pathways: (i) food systems; (ii) energy access and affordability; (iii) digital connectivity; (iv) education; (v) jobs and social protection; (vi) climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution.

### Regional development context (Sub-Saharan Africa and regional agreements)
- Sub-Saharan Africa:
  - IMF WEO October 2024: SSA real GDP growth expected to remain at 3.6 percent in 2024 (same as 2023).
  - African resilience noted despite shocks (geopolitical tensions, climate, COVID, political instability).
- AfCFTA (AfCTA) expectations:
  - Operationalized in 2021; expected to increase Africa’s trade by over 50 percent by 2030.
  - Potential impacts: lift 30 million people out of poverty and increase income of 68 million people living on less than US$5.50 a day.
  - Implementation challenges: infrastructure deficits, non-tariff barriers, need for harmonized standards and regulations.
- WAEMU:
  - Expected combined economic growth of 7 percent in 2024, up from 6.5 percent in 2023.
  - Inflation back within 1-3 percent target range.
  - Goal: bring fiscal deficit back to 3 percent of GDP by 2025.
  - External reserves rebounded by US$1.8 billion in January 2024 after significant falls in 2023.

### National development context — Liberia (social and demographic findings)
- SDG performance and health:
  - Liberia ranked 152 out of 166 in the 2023 Sustainable Development Goal Index with an SDG Index score of 52.4.
  - Maternal mortality: 742/100,000 live births (high), motivating prioritization of comprehensive reproductive services and health infrastructure.
- Population totals and distribution (Liberia 2022 Population and Housing Census — LPHC):
  - Total population: 5,250,187
  - Male: 2,646,094 (50.4%); Female: 2,604,093 (49.6%)
  - Urban population: 2,862,474 (54.5%); Rural population: 2,387,713 (45.5%)
  - Montserrado County population: 1,920,965 (36.6% of national total); Montserrado urban share: 91.7%
  - Selected county examples:
    - Nimba: 621,841 (11.8%); Urban 33.7% / Rural 66.3%
    - Bong: 467,561 (8.9%); Urban 32.0% / Rural 68.0%
    - Sinoe: 151,149 (2.9%); Urban 17.7% / Rural 82.3%
  - Migration and urbanization:
    - Migrants (mainly internal) constituted 30.5 percent of the population in 2022, up from 21.7 percent in 2008.
    - Urbanization: 54.5 percent urban in 2022 (was 47.0 percent in 2008); estimated to reach approximately 60.0 percent by 2040.
    - Montserrado and Margibi counties received the majority of migrants (1,108,727); in Montserrado, Monrovia projected to absorb ~60,000 new residents every year over the next 15 years.
  - Households:
    - Male heads of households: 68.2 percent in 2022 (down from 75.7 percent in 2008).
    - Female heads of households: 31.8 percent in 2022 (up from 24.3 percent in 2008).
- Age structure and fertility:
  - Age distribution (LPHC, 2022): 0-34 age group = 74.6% of population; 0-17 = 41.5%; 18-34 = 33.1%; 35-64 = 22.6%; 65+ = 2.8%.
  - Fertility (LDHS, 2019): women 15-49 years have on average 4.2 children.
  - Total fertility trend: 7.1 in 1984 -> 5.8 in 2008 -> 3.9 (most recent series point cited).

*Source: 3. MACRO, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID, National Development Plan 2025 – 2029.*

### 2022.  This  represents  a  reduction  of  (1.9)  births

### 2022. This represents a reduction of (1.9) births

### Demographics: fertility, youth population, and demographic dividend
- "This represents a reduction of (1.9) births in 14 years."
- "At the current fertility rate, children under 15 years of age in the population will remain high in the next twenty years."
- "The youth population (15-24) is projected to increase by 34 percent between 2022 and 2032."
- Increasing youth population will create demands for economic opportunities (jobs) and social services (education, health, sanitation), challenging revenue generation, allocation, and utilization.
- Government investment in the population is required to capture the demographic dividend by shifting from a "smaller under 15 population to a more pronounced change in the productive working population."
- Working-age population share increased from 55% in 2008 to 63% in 2022, indicating an opportunity to leverage the demographic dividend.

### Dependency in the population
- Dependency defined as percentage of non-working age population (0-14 and 65+) supported by working age population (15-64).
- Overall dependency percentage: 59 percent (56% urban and 63% rural).
- Interpretation: "about 59 persons of the non-working age population are being supported by every 100 persons of the working-age population." (LPHC, 2022)

### People with disability
- Population 5 years and above with varying degrees of disability: 11.4% in 2022 compared to 3.2 percent in 2008.
- Most common forms of disability in 2022: visual and physical impairments. (LPHC, 2022)

### Economic activities and employment
- Economically active population aged 15 and above: 26.4 percent.
- Age breakdown: 35-64 years account for 13.2%; 15–34 years account for 12.3%. (LPHC, 2022)
- County concentration of economic activity: Montserrado, Nimba, Lofa, and Bong account for 66.1% of all economically active persons.
  - Montserrado: 33.1%
  - Nimba: 11.7%
  - Lofa: 10.7%
  - Bong: 10.6% (LPHC, 2022)
- Occupational composition:
  - Approximately 49.7% of those engaged in economic work are salary and wage workers.
    - Males: 24.8%
    - Females: 14.2% (LPHC, 2022)
  - Self-employment: women dominate with 54.6% of those engaged in owned businesses; men 46% (LPHC, 2022)
- Agriculture engagement:
  - Slightly more than 30 percent of all households engaged in agriculture or have at least one member engaged in agriculture.
  - 70 percent of agricultural households are headed by males.
  - County shares of agricultural households:
    - Nimba: 19.5%
    - Lofa: 15%
    - Bong: 14.5%
    - Montserrado: 10.4% (LPHC, 2022)
- Unemployment and informality:
  - Unemployment rate in 2024: 5.9 percent (LISGIS).
  - Formal employment comprised 12.4 percent of the employed population; informal employment represented approximately 87.6 percent.
  - Youth (15–24 years) not in education, employment or training: 44.2 percent.
- Agriculture sector employment share: about 42 percent of employment in Liberia (African Development Bank, Liberia Growth Diagnostics, 2023).

### Economic context: sectoral structure and recent performance
- Sectoral shares of GDP in 2022:
  - Services: 37.5 percent
  - Agriculture & Fisheries: 29.7 percent
  - Mining & Panning: 18.3 percent
  - Forestry: 8.6 percent
  - Manufacturing: 5.9 percent (LISGIS)
- Real sector growth:
  - GDP growth moderated to 4.6 percent in 2023 from 4.8 percent in 2022 due to moderation in the primary sector.
  - Growth for 2024 projected at 5.1 percent, reflecting improvement in agriculture and fishery subsector.
- Fiscal sector:
  - Fiscal deficits (US$): US$193.9m in 2022 and US$213.6m in 2023.
  - Projected fiscal balance for 2024: US$42.4m (improvement signaled).
  - Total debt to GDP ratio: 55.4 percent in 2023 and estimated to increase to 56.1 percent at the end of 2024.
- Monetary and financial sector:
  - Average headline inflation: 7.6 percent in 2022 and 10.1 percent in 2023.
  - Inflation rise attributed to depreciation of the domestic currency and international price developments for major consumables.
- External sector and trade:
  - Imports: US$1.73 billion in 2021 to US$2.22 billion in 2023.
  - Exports: US$1.03 billion in 2021 to US$1.27 billion in 2023.
  - Trade deficit: US$693.2 million in 2022 to US$961.1 million in 2023.
  - Key export commodities: iron ore, gold, timber; agricultural exports include cocoa, rubber, and palm oil.
  - Need to diversify into higher-value goods and new markets to accelerate export growth.
- FDI: Liberia positioned attractively in the region but volatility requires sustained efforts to stabilize and grow investment; regional competitors like Sierra Leone and Côte d’Ivoire are catching up.

### Macroeconomic framework 2025–2029: growth projections and sectoral outlook
- Policy priorities: economic diversification, infrastructure development, fiscal consolidation, financial sector reforms, jobs creation, social protection, improved governance, human capital enhancement, and agribusiness revolution.
- GDP growth projections:
  - 2024: expected 5.1 percent
  - 2025: 5.8 percent
  - 2026: 5.9 percent
  - 2027–2029: 6.0 percent (each year)
  - Average real GDP growth projected at 5.9 percent from 2025 to 2029.
- Sectoral growth expectations (2025–2029):
  - Mining:
    - Expected to increase share of GDP from 18.3 percent in 2022 to 20.4 percent in 2029.
    - Historical average growth rate referenced: 8.1 percent between 2005 and 2009.
    - Growth driven by maturing projects, new commitments, and production sharing regime implementation.
  - Agriculture:
    - Growth expected to average 7.0 percent between 2025 and 2029.
    - Critical for employment and food security; value-addition would significantly affect national growth and welfare.
  - Manufacturing:
    - Projected to average 6.2 percent from 2025 to 2029.
  - Forestry and services: slower growth noted, indicating structural issues and underutilization or inefficiencies.
- Regional integration and market access:
  - Liberia will leverage ECOWAS, AfCFTA, and international frameworks.
  - Adjust tariff structure to ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET) and engage ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS).
- Development trajectory:
  - AAID demonstrates transition objective from low-income country (LIC) to lower middle-income country (LMCI).

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029 (excerpts).*

### 2029.  Government  policies  and  development  efforts

### 2029.  Government  policies  and  development  efforts

### Economic projections and headline statistics
- GDP projected to increase from US$4.7 billion in 2024 to US$6.5 billion by 2029.
- GDP per capita projected to rise from US$849.3 in 2024 to US$1,050.3 by 2029.
- Growth described as a steady increase suggesting gradual recovery and expansion of the economy, with caveat that benefits must be equitably distributed for improved living standards.
- Figures 21 and 22 (as referenced) imply an approach that will enable continuous implementation of budget commitments without expanding the debt-to-GDP ratio.

### Risks and constraints to sustainable growth
- Identified constraints:
  - Infrastructure deficits.
  - Governance challenges.
  - Climate change effects.
  - Reliance on a narrow range of exports.
  - External factors: global commodity prices, international demand for Liberia’s exports, and geopolitical conditions.
- Recommended mitigating emphasis: sustained investment in human capital and infrastructure to support the AAID growth trajectory and resilience to external shocks.

### Fiscal sector policies
- Government will pursue prudent fiscal policies to guarantee macroeconomic stability, support inclusive growth, and ensure debt sustainability.
- Overarching fiscal goal: invest in productive public infrastructure to accelerate inclusive growth while enhancing efficiency in public investment through sound Public Sector Investment Policies in support of human capital development, governance, and agribusiness.
- Fiscal consolidation to enhance quality expenditure.
- Efforts to formalize the informal economy and expand the domestic revenue base.
- Expected outcome: continuous implementation of budget commitments without expanding the debt-to-GDP ratio (as illustrated in Figures 21 and 22).

### Monetary sector policies and targets
- Monetary policy stance for 2025 to 2029 focused on achieving and maintaining domestic price stability and contributing to a stable financial system.
- Tools and coordination:
  - Prudent liquidity management.
  - Coordination with fiscal authorities.
- Inflation targets:
  - Short run: a single digit.
  - Medium term: at most 5.0 percent, consistent with the ECOWAS macroeconomic convergence criterion on inflation.
- Financial deepening objective: create a conducive environment to increase private sector credit, especially for human capital development, agribusiness, and tourism.

### External sector outlook
- Projected widening trade deficit driven by rising imports outpacing export growth, associated with:
  - Expanded imports for capital and intermediate goods for agribusiness (agriculture and industry) production and mining.
- Trade deficit path:
  - Expected to widen until 2027.
  - Projected to peak at US$839.3 million.
  - Projected to gradually narrow to US$485.6 million by 2029, close to pre-Covid-19 performance.

### Core development drivers and sectoral priorities
- Primary drivers for the development period:
  - Human capital.
  - Rule of law and governance.
  - Agribusiness.
  - Tourism.
- Human capital: invest in health, education, and vocational training to equip the workforce, stimulate innovation, and raise productivity in agribusiness, tourism, and other sectors.
- Rule of law and governance: strengthen legal protection, judiciary, and law enforcement to enhance investor confidence, promote fair competition, and combat corruption.
- Agribusiness: invest in sustainable farming practices, value addition, food security, and promotion of processed cash crops (example crops mentioned: cocoa and palm oil); support local farmers with market access and technology to improve productivity and diversification.
- Tourism: promote eco-tourism and cultural tourism, develop infrastructure, branding and marketing of touristic products, and undertake campaigns to attract international visitors and generate revenue.
- Infrastructure (especially roads): characterized as development enablers that facilitate the action of other development drivers.

### Theory of Change: driving the change
- The Theory of Change (ToC) approach:
  - Conduct situational analysis of critical issues to be addressed for change to occur.
  - Establish strategic goals and objectives that guide interventions and outcomes toward Vision 2030.
  - Requires that associated assumptions are satisfied for desired change to materialize.
- ToC focus areas:
  - Tackle underperforming human capital, governance challenges, and environmental sustainability.
  - Enhance business environment and foster economic growth.
  - Identify barriers: weak institutions, inconsistent economic policies, inadequate infrastructure, and unsustainable practices.
  - Link barriers to strategic goals and interventions aligned with Vision 2030.

*Source: MFDP and IMF (National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID).*

### 2030. Key objectives include developing a skilled and

### 2030. Key objectives include developing a skilled and

### Situational analysis and critical issues
- Human capital is performing substantially below its potential.
- Institutional weakness and low civil society participation.
- Inconsistency of economic policy, bureaucratic inefficiencies & limited access to credit.
- Challenging infrastructure and SOE service delivery for communities and businesses.
- Environmental challenges from deforestation, pollution, climate change, & unsustainable practices.
- Complex challenges requiring comprehensive reforms & commitments to strengthening accountability.

### Goals and objectives
- To develop a skilled, knowledgeable, healthy and empowered population, to drive sustainable & inclusive socio-economic development.
- To establish a just [...] legal framework that [...] promotes good governance, and fosters a stable development environment.
- To build a competitive [...] economy that is private sector driven for sustainable economic growth.
- To develop modern, reliable and climate resilient infrastructure to support socio-economic development.
- To promote responsible management of natural resources, [...] & enhance resilience to environmental changes [...]
- To build accountable and effective institutions that can promote value for money service delivery, prevent and combat corruption [...]

### Proposed interventions
- Expand and modernize the educational and health system with focus on children, youth, women & vulnerable groups.
- Expand and modernize the judicial system with focus on establishing a functional rule of law environment.
- Create a business environment conducive to a resilient and competitive market based on local & regional value chains.
- Build sustainable & inclusive infrastructure for social dignity and to ignite business activities.
- Strengthen institutional capacity on environmental matters.
- Strengthen anti-corruption institutions and implement e-governance and information technologies.

### Outcomes and key statistics
- Human Capital Index 0.4
- Maternal mortality (220% ooo)
- Literacy rate (52.8%)
- Freedom House total ranking 90/210
- WJP Rule of Law Index 99/142
- GDP per capita $1,048
- World Bank Findex 70%
- Debt/GDP 56.4%
- GDP growth 6.3%
- Inflation 5%
- Reduction in transportation costs by 30 %
- Reduction in travel time by 60%
- Environmental Performance Index 155/180
- Forest Landscape Integrity Index 52/172
- Corruption Perception Index 135/180
- Political Corruption Index 0.79

### Theory of Change (ToC) summary and assumptions
- The ToC clarifies strategic focus, stakeholder engagement, and adaptability to contribute to more effective and sustainable development outcomes.
- Success hinges on several key assumptions:
  - Favourable Global and National macro economic conditions
  - Genuine government commitment to implement necessary reforms
  - Involvement of civil society, private sector, development partners and diaspora & focus on equity and inclusion
- Recommended enhancements:
  - Incorporate adaptive strategies to address unforeseen challenges, particularly governance and climate risks.
  - Develop a clearer plan for risk mitigation and coordination among stakeholders to enhance long-term impact and sustainability.

### Organizational planning vs. development planning
- Organizational planning:
  - Precedes development planning.
  - Defines and equips planning structures (vision, pillars, sectors, and institutions) with necessary resources and coordination frameworks.
- Development planning:
  - Formulates policies, programs and interventions to achieve socio-economic development in specific areas.
  - Identifies development goals, outcomes and outputs; analyzes resources and needs; outlines actions to improve living standards and economic conditions.

### Development drivers (each worth 10 pts) — roles and expected impact
- Agribusiness value chain: drive economic growth, create jobs, ensure food and nutrition security, promote sustainable practices.
- Roads and infrastructure: spur economic growth, social development, and resilience.
- Rule of law: foster stability, accountability, protection of rights, trust in institutions, enhance business environment.
- Education: enhance skills, promote good governance and economic opportunities, foster civic engagement, reduce poverty.
- Sanitation/public health: improve workforce productivity, reduce healthcare costs, enhance quality of life.
- Tourism: create jobs, boost local economies, promote cultural heritage, attract investment.

### Development filters (each worth 5 pts) — contextual factors
- Children and Youth: represent more than 50 percent of the Liberian population.
- Gender: ensure gender equality for inclusive sustainable development.
- Employment: prioritize job generation to support economic growth and poverty alleviation.
- Formalization of the informal economy: support transition to the formal sector to improve domestic resource mobilization.
- Climate change: integrate climate considerations to build resilience and sustainably utilize natural resources.
- Complementarity: foster integrated approaches and stakeholder collaboration for consistent, impactful outcomes.
- Business environment: engage private sector in policy dialogue and reforms to attract investment and empower entrepreneurs.
- Vulnerable groups: prioritize inclusion to reduce inequalities.
- Digitalization: introduce information technologies to improve governance, service delivery, and economic opportunities.
- Peace and reconciliation: promote stability, social cohesion, and equitable resource use.

### Prioritization of interventions and project scoring
- A scoring system assigns weights to development drivers and filters:
  - 6 development drivers × 10 points each = maximum 60 points (60 percent).
  - 8 development filters × 5 points each = maximum 40 points (40 percent).
  - Total maximum score per project = 100 points (100 percent).
- Weights are used to score future projects ex-ante, issue development impact certificates, and postpone or adjust lower-scoring projects.
- Outcomes of prioritized interventions will be monitored against ex-ante commitments to guide budget-sensitive allocation of resources.

### Project examples and sample scoring (selected entries)
- # Improvement of Liberian Economic Diplomacy — TOTAL 35 pts
  - DEV. DRIVERS: (i) Education, (ii) Sanitation, (iii) Agribusiness
  - DEVELOPMENT FILTERS: (i) Rule of Law, (ii) Education; (i) Complementarity, (ii) Gender, (iii) Youth & Children, (iv) Digitization, (v) vulnerable groups, (vi) Peacebuilding
- # Formalization of Artisanal & Small-scale Mining Sector — TOTAL 40 pts
  - DEV. DRIVERS: None
  - DEVELOPMENT FILTERS: (i) Youth & Children, (ii) Gender, (iii) Complementarity, (iv) Vulner. Groups
- # Improve School Feeding — TOTAL 50 pts
  - DEV. DRIVERS: (i) Agribusiness, (ii) Tourism, (iii) Education
  - DEVELOPMENT FILTERS: (i) Youth & Children, (ii) Gender, (iii) Complementarity, (iv) Vulner. Groups, (v) Digitization, (vi) Formalization, (vi) Business Environ.
- # Support to Inclusive MSME Credit to Liberian-Owned Businesses — TOTAL 55 pts
  - DEV. DRIVERS: (i) Agribusiness, (ii) Education
  - DEVELOPMENT FILTERS: (i) Youth & Children, (ii) Gender, (iii) Complementarity, (iv) Vulner. Groups, (v) Formalization, (vi) Business Environment, (vii) Climate
- # Strengthening Institutional Public Financial Management Capacity — TOTAL 60 pts
  - DEV. DRIVERS: (i) Youth & Children, (ii) Gender, (iii) Complementarity, (iv) Vulner. Groups, (v) Formalization, (vi) Business Environment, (vii) Climate
- Note: Example project totals listed in Figure 26 range from 15 pts to 60 pts as shown.

*Source: MFDP — National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 5. AAID STRATEGIC

### 5. AAID STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

### Conceptual framework and purpose
- The AAID strategic framework provides a structured approach for addressing Liberia’s developmental challenges, guiding resource allocation, and promoting sustainable economic growth. It aims to ensure Liberia’s development agenda is coherent, inclusive, and sustainable, providing a roadmap for long-term economic transformation, policy formulation, resource mobilization and allocation, and promoting accountability.
- The AAID is aligned with Liberia’s National Vision 2030 and international development frameworks, including the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
- Historical context:
  - Liberia Vision 2030 developed in 2012.
  - Two prior NDPs: Agenda for Transformation (AfT) for 2012-2017 and Pro-Poor Agenda for Development and Prosperity (PAPD) for 2018-2023.
  - AAID builds on AfT and PAPD to cover 2025–2029.

### Lessons learned from previous development plans (key implementation challenges)
- A. Monitoring & Evaluation Framework
  - Lack of a robust M&E framework to disaggregate and periodically measure progress at national and subnational levels.
  - MFDP will serve as national M&E office; AAID will use a robust M&E framework developed in collaboration with USAID/DELTA, specifying roles and responsibilities of national and subnational actors.
- B. Enhanced Decentralization through County Development Framework
  - AfT and PAPD lacked County Development Agendas (CDAs), weakening county-level ownership.
  - AAID developed in concert with County Development Agendas via participatory processes; Local Government Act of 2018 strengthens decentralization.
- C. Medium-Term Expenditure Frameworks
  - Failure to fully migrate to program-based budgeting under the MTEF impeded rollout; limited political will was a primary constraint.
  - AAID adopts a programmatic approach to facilitate program-based budgeting and better alignment between the budget and the Plan; implementation will require strong political will.
- D. Coordination linkage between national and sub-national levels
  - Coordination mechanisms (CDSC arrangement) weakened during PAPD implementation.
  - 2025-2029 CDAs for the 15 counties have revived coordinating mechanisms: (i) District Development Steering Committee (DDSC); (ii) County Development Steering Committee (CDSC); (iii) National Development Steering Committee (NDSC); NDSC and CDSC link with the AAID National Steering Committee.
- E. Risk Mitigation Measures
  - Previous plans lacked risk mitigation strategies; AfT was affected by commodity price declines and Ebola Virus Disease; PAPD was obstructed by COVID-19.
  - AAID has conducted a risk assessment and provided risk mitigation measures; corruption and citizen ownership/involvement are highlighted as critical risks to be monitored and managed.
- F. Misalignment between the NDPs and the National Budget
  - Weak link between annual budgets and Plan interventions under AfT and PAPD caused poor development outcomes.
  - In 2024 formative stage, AAID made provisions for key ARREST-related projects in the fiscal year 2025 annual budget and will continue ensuring interventions are captured in the national budget.

### County and sector priorities (consultation outcomes)
- County priorities (as proxy shares from consultations):
  - Roads (infrastructure): approximately 34 percent
  - Agriculture: 22 percent
  - Health: 22 percent
  - Education: 17 percent
  - Rule of law: 5 percent
  - Sanitation: 1 percent

### Plan formulation process (consultations and milestones)
- Launch events:
  - AAID planning process launched by the President on May 23, 2024 with the Coordination Framework.
  - Consultative process launched on July 18, 2024 leading to formulation of AAID, PSIP, and CDAs.
- Consultations and participation:
  - Participants from 136 districts, conducted in 44 assembly venues.
  - 15 county deliberations.
  - 11 budget sector engagements.
  - Online survey for diaspora participation and an exclusive consultation for people with disabilities.
- Drafting and validation:
  - Draft AAID shared with stakeholders, improved, validated, and subsequently endorsed by both the National Coordination and National Steering Committees.

### AAID strategic goal, scope and core questions
- Strategic goal: Contribute to Liberia’s transition from low-income to a lower middle-income country.
- Liberia 2030 Vision target: create a vibrant economy in which more than half of the working population is employed in the formal sector, and per capita income exceeds US$1,000.
- AAID covers the next five years: 2025–2029.
- Formulation addressed five foundational questions:
  1. Where is Liberia on key socio-economic areas? (baseline findings per pillar)
  2. Where does Liberia want to be by 2029? (macro goals, development results, targets)
  3. How will Liberia get there? (strategic policies, programs, interventions)
  4. What assurances determine achievement? (M&E Framework with key performance indicators)
  5. Which institutions are responsible? (responsibility analysis identifying stakeholder roles)

### AAID guiding principles
- Inclusiveness
- Justice and Equality
- Transparency and Accountability
- Peace and Reconciliation
- People-Centered Development
- Local Ownership
- Flexibility
- Cause-consequence focus (prioritize causes to yield sustainable outcomes and efficient public resource usage)
- Digital Transformation (embed digital transformation to fight corruption, drive progress, improve governance and living standards, and position Liberia competitively)

### AAID structure and components
- Main structural elements (as presented): Pillars; Strategic Policies; Programs; Development Drivers; Development Filters.
- Numerical elements shown: 6 (Pillars), 23 (Strategic Policies), 52 (Programs), 6 (Development Drivers), 8 (Development Filters).
- Definitions included for: Pillars, Strategic Goals, Strategic Policies, Strategic Objectives, Programs, Objectives, Interventions, Targets.

### Key stakeholders for implementation
- Public sector: policy direction, governance, public services, infrastructure, institutional frameworks; strengthen public institutions.
- Private sector: drive economic growth, employment, innovation, investment in infrastructure; support SMEs and start-ups; promote exports and human capital.
- Civil society (including NGOs): citizen engagement, accountability, advocacy for marginalized groups, transparency, good governance.
- Traditional leaders: community mobilization, advocacy, conflict resolution, cultural preservation.
- Development partners: financial and technical resources, capacity building, policy support; alignment with global development goals.
- Diaspora: financial contributions, knowledge transfer, investment, advocacy, global networks.
- Academia: evidence-based research to inform policy and innovation.

### Alignment with global, continental and regional commitments
- AAID aligned with: UN SDGs, Africa Union’s Agenda 2063, ECOWAS Vision 2050, and the Doha Program of Action (DPoA).
- SDG alignment:
  - AAID programs and interventions aligned with the SDGs at 83 percent.
  - The Plan contains 52 programs and 375 development interventions.
  - Top SDG alignments by intervention count:
    - SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth): 45 interventions
    - SDG 4 (Quality Education): 43 interventions
    - SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): 39 interventions
  - These three SDGs reflect priorities for livelihoods (employment), human capital development, and sustainable institutions.
- Six SDG transitions incorporated; distribution of SDG-aligned interventions by transition:
  - Education: 24 percent
  - Digital connectivity: 19 percent
  - Jobs and social protection: 17 percent
  - Energy access and affordability: 16 percent
  - Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution: 15 percent
  - Food systems: 9 percent
  - Implication: Prioritizing education and digital connectivity is presented as the most feasible pathway for accelerated SDG attainment.
- Alignment with AU Agenda 2063:
  - All AAID strategic policies address AU Agenda 2063 goals except Goal 9.
  - Most AAID strategic policies address Goal 17 (Full Gender Equality in All Spheres of Life) with 14 strategic policies, followed by Goal 7 (Environmentally Sustainable and Climate Resilient Economies and Communities) with 13 strategic policies.
  - Figure 34 maps AAID development pillars against AU goals (counts shown per goal and pillar).

### International synergies and commitments
- AAID incorporates outcomes from the Summit of the Future (Pact of the Future), Global Digital Pact, and Declaration on Future Generations covering sustainable development, financing for development, international peace and security, science, technology, innovation and digital cooperation, youth and future generations, and transformation of global governance.
- Liberia can leverage international alliances such as Africa Opportunity and Issues-Based Coalitions (OIBCs) led by the UN for technical expertise and development support.

*Source: MFDP.*

### 6. DEVELOPMENT

### 6. DEVELOPMENT 
PILLARS, POLICIES 
AND PROGRAMS

### PILLAR 1: ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION — Strategic Goal
- Build a competitive, diversified, inclusive and resilient economy that is private sector driven for sustainable economic growth.
- Focus: provide appropriate policy incentives for a conducive investment environment that supports local production, industrialization, employment and wealth creation, innovations, export growth, and import rationalization.

### Context and Key Findings
- Sectoral shares (as of 2022): services 37.5 percent; agriculture 29.7 percent; mining and panning 18.3 percent; manufacturing 5.9 percent.
- Exports of unprocessed raw materials: US$1.2 billion (year not explicitly restated in text).
- Total imports: US$1.9 billion in 2023, leading to a trade deficit of US$753.6 million.
- Share of people living below the international poverty line of US$2.15 a day: 35.4 percent.
- Informal sector: approximately 87 percent of the total labor force.
- Domestic context of vulnerabilities and constraints cited: rapid population growth, limited institutional capacity, poor service delivery in health and education, inadequate infrastructure, entrenched socio-cultural norms.
- Liberia’s reliance on official development assistance (ODA): 28 percent of GDP.
- Total public debt: 55.4 percent of GDP in 2023.
- Trade deficit peaked at around 22 percent of GDP between 2022 and 2024.
- Investment-savings gap: fluctuated between 26 percent and 50 percent of GDP over the past decade; domestic savings reduced from 26 percent of GDP in 2013 to 3 percent by 2020.
- Public deficit average 2011–2021: 5.3 percent of GDP.
- Terms of trade: modest average growth of 3.8 percent over the past decade.
- Recent GDP performance and projections:
  - average GDP growth of 4.7 percent from 2022 to 2023
  - projected 5.1 percent in 2024
  - projected 9.2 percent in 2025
  - projected average 8.1 percent over the medium term (2025-2029), driven primarily by mining and a recovery in the agriculture sector.
- External position and reserves:
  - current account deficit widened to nearly 24.5 percent of GDP in 2023
  - gross official reserves US$486 million — equivalent to 2.1 months of imports (Liberian Authorities and IMF estimates)
  - target: rebuild reserves to four months of imports by the end of 2029
- Exchange rate stability noted at L$190 per US dollar (period referenced as recent years).
- Manufacturing decline: share remained below 10 percent since 2010 (compared to 17 to 24 percent from 2001 to 2010).

### Investment Opportunities and Sectoral Priorities
- Agribusiness value chain: agricultural production, processing, marketing, and storage highlighted as private sector opportunities.
- Other potential private-sector areas: forestry, wood, animal husbandry, fisheries, mineral beneficiation, tourism, trade, commerce, and services.
- Special Economic Zone: government will fully operationalize by providing requisite infrastructure and incentives to facilitate value addition of agriculture products and other light and heavy manufacturing.
- Figure 35 (county-level comparative ranking) identifies private sector investment potential across counties and sectors (Agricultural Production; Agri-Processing; Forestry & Wood Processing; Fish Production & Processing; Animal Husbandry; Commerce & Services; Light & Medium Manufacturing; Mining) with categorical ratings: Limited Potential; High potential; High potential with room for boom. (Figure reproduced in source.)

### Development Filters (Box 1)
- Youth and Children: expand TVET programs; focus on industry-relevant skills, entrepreneurship, digital literacy; promote internships, apprenticeships, youth entrepreneurial programs.
- Gender: reinforce gender-based data collection; improve women’s access to credit, land ownership, business registration; entrepreneurship training tailored to women; develop marketplaces.
- Vulnerable Groups: ensure access to skills training, entrepreneurship programs, and micro-financing for people with disabilities and disadvantaged youths.
- Employment: strengthen labor market regulations; promote job formalization; expand labor-intensive sectors (agriculture, construction, tourism); promote creative and blue economies.
- Formalization: streamline business registration and licensing; offer tax incentives, social benefits, and training to encourage formalization.
- Climate Change: invest in climate-resilient infrastructure; encourage climate-smart agricultural practices.
- Complementarity: foster government–private sector–civil society partnerships; prioritize cross-sectoral programs.
- Business Environment: streamline regulations; enhance investor protections and property rights; improve financial sector regulation; expand SME access to credit via microfinance institutions and development banks.
- Digitization: expand digital government services for registration, licensing, and tax compliance; support tech startups with incubation and tax incentives.
- Peace and Reconciliation: foster social cohesion, reduce conflict, ensure equitable resource use.

### Strategic Objective
- Create a resilient economy that fosters sustainable development and improves living standards for all citizens.

### STRATEGIC POLICY 1: Economic Stability and Growth — Goals by 2029 (Figure 36)
- GDP: $6.5b (target) — $4.7b (2024 proj.)
- GDP per capita: $1,050.3
- Debt/GDP: 56.4%
- GDP growth: 6.3% average
- Inflation: 5% average
- Gross International Reserves (months of imports): 4 — 2.3 (2024)
- World Bank Findex: 70% — 52% (2022)
- 5.9% (context for this figure appears in graphic; retained verbatim as presented)
- Source for figure data: MFDP

### PROGRAM 1: Macroeconomic Stability — Objective and Key Targets
Objective: Create a stable and conducive environment that supports sustainable, inclusive, and diversified economic growth.
- Objectives / Key actions listed in source:
  1. Develop procedures and process to regularly improve macroeconomic data collection and update forecasts
  2. Develop the Liberia Economic Geography database and reports
  3. De-dollarize the Liberian economic and financial transactions
  4. Ensure that average inflation is reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent
  5. Increase Gross International Reserves from 2.3 to 4 months of imports
- Key interventions (selected):
  - Strengthening of the macroeconomic framework
  - Development of the Liberia economic geography database and reports
  - Achievement of a single Liberian dollar currency in line with ECOWAS objective
  - Transition to an inflation targeting framework and reducing inflation
  - Increasing Gross International Reserves

### PROGRAM 2: Public Financial Management — Objective and Key Interventions
Objective: Ensure that public resources are managed efficiently, transparently, and in a way that supports sustainable and inclusive economic growth, while maximizing the revenue potential.
- Key interventions and reforms:
  - Development of PPP policy and legal framework
  - Strengthening the SOE governance and legal framework
  - Implementation of program-based budgeting
  - Development and implementation of Green Financing Strategic Plan
  - Improvement of public expenditure management system and process
  - Increasing domestic resource mobilization
  - Rationalization of the productive sector tax eco-system
  - Establishment of Agriculture Enterprise Development Bank

*National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 1. Develop the PPP policy and legal framework

### 1. Develop the PPP policy and legal framework

### Overview and strategic purpose
- The chapter is embedded within the National Development Plan 2025 – 2029 (ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID) and links PPP policy and legal framework development to broader objectives: improving planning instruments and statistical products, promoting financial inclusion, creating decent jobs, and fostering economic diversification and value addition.
- Key high-level objectives across programs: provide accurate, comprehensive, and timely information to guide policymaking; create a more equitable financial landscape; promote sustainable economic growth that creates inclusive employment; and expand domestic and regional trade through diversification, modernization, and competitiveness.

### Priority policy interventions (selected items from the plan)
- Develop the PPP policy and legal framework.
- Develop a corporate governance policy and legal framework for SOEs.
- Develop the Green Financing Strategic Plan.
- Align the State Budget execution to NDP implementation.
- Ensure alignment between budget’s financial and physical execution.
- Increase domestic revenues by 25%.
- Rationalize the productive sector taxes.
- Establish the Agriculture Enterprise Development Bank.

### Planning instruments, statistical products, and capacity building
- Program objective: Provide accurate, comprehensive, and timely information to guide policymaking, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making to ensure development is sustainable and inclusive.
- Key interventions:
  - Develop an integrated planning reporting information system.
  - Develop planning legal framework.
  - Implement an integrated planning information management system.
  - Development and implementation of the development planning legal framework (listed twice in source).
  - Improvement of statistical data collection and accessibility.
  - Strengthening of the institutional capacity of the national statistical systems.
  - Development of a national human resource capacity development strategy.
- Key targets by 2029:
  - 20 statistical products widely available.
  - Strengthen the capacity of 1,500 statistical system related personnel.

### Financial inclusion targets and interventions (Program 4)
- Objective: Create a more equitable financial landscape and enhance economic well-being through access to useful and affordable financial products and services.
- Key interventions and actions:
  - Increase the number of the adult population having bank accounts and access to basic financial services.
  - Increase commercial bank branches and networks per 100,000 adults.
  - Increase the number of mobile money users.
  - Increase number of ATMs users per 100,000 adults.
  - Increase lending to housing projects.
  - Provide partial credit guarantees for housing, agribusiness and mining projects.
- Key targets by 2029 (exact targets as stated):
  - Increase the number of the adult population having bank accounts and access to basic financial services to 70%.
  - Increase Commercial Bank Branches and networks per 100,000 adults to 12.
  - Increase coverage of the population using Mobile Money to 75-80%.
  - Increase lending to housing by 20%.
  - Increase the number of ATMs to 6-8 per 100,000 adults.
  - Increase the issuance of partial credit guarantees to housing, agribusiness and mining by 20%.

### Labor market — findings and priorities (Program 5: Decent Jobs Environment / Strategic Policy 2: Labor and Employment)
- Strategic objective: Contribute to creation of an inclusive labor market by increasing access to decent and productive employment opportunities, fostering skills development, enhancing labor market governance, and promoting entrepreneurship, especially for women, youth, and vulnerable groups.
- Labor market statistics and conditions (preserve source phrasing and numbers):
  - Unemployment: 5.0% of total labor force.
  - Youth Unemployment: 1.6% of total labor force, 15-24 yrs.
  - Employers: 2% % of total employment.
  - Employment in agriculture: 43% / 42 % (2024).
  - Employment in industry: 11% / 8.33% (2022).
  - Informal jobs: 70% / 87% (2024).
  - Employment in services: 47% / 52.39% (2022).
- Additional labor market indicators (Table 3):
  - Proportion of informal employment in total employment: Male (%) 82.69, Female (%) 92.68, Total (%) 87.6.
  - Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities: 11.6, 13.6, 12.6.
  - Proportion of youth (aged 15–24 years) not in education, employment or training: Male (%) 41.2, Female (%) 47.2, Total (%) 44.2.
- Contextual findings:
  - Young people aged 15 -24 years constitute 23.6 percent of the population (LPHC, 2022).
  - Approximately 87 percent of citizens are engaged in informal employment, including subsistence agriculture.
  - Agriculture’s share of total employment constituted 42.0 percent at the end of 2023 (AfDB, African Economic Outlook, 2024).
  - Nearly 45.0 percent of the working population has never completed primary school; less than 15.0 percent have completed secondary education.
  - Around 19.0 percent of young Liberians are neither working nor in school.
  - Child labor: secondary data puts the number of working children around 300,000 aged 5-14 years.
  - 14.8 percent of young people aged 15-24 years were engaged in salary/wage employment (LPHC, 2022).
  - Minimum wage at $0.85 per hour (currently under review); official workweek is 40 hours.
- Key interventions and targets by 2029 (Decent Jobs Program):
  - Improve job creation environment.
  - Improve workforce planning.
  - Implementation of the Decent Work Act.
  - Formulation of Human Capacity Development Strategy.

### Commerce, industry, and economic diversification (Program 6 / Strategic Policy 3: Commerce and Industry)
- Strategic objective: Foster industrial development and expand domestic and regional trade through diversification, modernization, competitiveness, and entrepreneurship; prioritize agriculture value chain, manufacturing, and tourism.
- Economic structure and recent data:
  - Manufacturing: 5.9% of GDP.
  - Services: 37.6% of GDP (source also states services account for 38.4 percent elsewhere in the chapter; preserve both presentations as they appear).
  - Trade deficit: 12.5% of GDP.
  - Formalized Jobs: 30% / 20% (2024).
  - net FDI flows: $563m / $477m (2024).
  - Global Competitiveness Index: 130/137 / 134/137 (2018).
  - Credit to private sector: 20.1% of GDP.
- Contextual findings:
  - Economy heavily reliant on a few sectors: services, agriculture, and mining contribute 38.4 percent, 28.6 percent, and 18.8 percent respectively (chapter statements).
  - Manufacturing contribution weak: about 5.9 percent of GDP (LISGIS) of a GDP of about $3.9 billion in 2022.
  - Manufacturing average growth rate over past three years: 0.14 percent.
  - Imports in 2023 estimated at around $2 billion, up from $1.7 billion in 2022. Key import composition (ranges as stated): food and beverages (20-30%), fuel (25-30%), machinery and equipment (15-20%), and consumer goods (10-15%).
  - Primary manufacturing outputs remain limited (bottled water, beverages); manufacturing largely assembly of imported components, minimal processing of local raw materials.
- Key manufacturing outputs (Table 4 — selected figures preserved exactly):
  - Cement (mt): 2021 534,993; 2022 474,187; 2023 500,877.
  - Beverages (liter): 2021 17,239,963; 2022 16,366,299; 2023 26,848,331.
  - Bottled Water (gal): 2021 1,120,947,013; 2022 1,094,928,382; 2023 1,195,903,438.
  - Services w/o electricity (kw): 2021 272,691,852; 2022 275,131,939; 2023 469,743,200.
- Targets and interventions by 2029 (Economic diversification and value addition):
  - Establish 4 incubators.
  - Increase business development services to entrepreneurs by 30%.
  - Increase exports by 20%.
  - Increase capacity-building initiatives in manufacturing and market access by 30%.
  - Establish and operationalize two logistic centers with a focus on agribusiness.
  - Establish and operationalize at least two additional special economic zones, with focus on agribusiness and manufacturing.
  - Increase by 50% the formalization of commerce and industrial activities.
  - Increase FDI by 50%, especially in agribusiness, tourism and mining sectors.
  - Interventions to support these targets include: incubators for emerging industries, inclusive business development services focused on youth and women, trade agreements and partnerships, training on international quality standards and green production, investment in shared processing facilities (logistics, cold storage, packaging), operationalization of industrial parks and special economic zones, formalization efforts, attraction of FDI for priority sectors, and supporting franchising investment through the Diaspora.

### Synthesis: linkages to PPP policy and legal framework
- Developing the PPP policy and legal framework is positioned as a cross-cutting enabler for:
  - Mobilizing private finance and foreign direct investment (targets include increasing FDI by 50% in priority sectors).
  - Supporting infrastructure and service delivery needed for industrial parks, logistic centers, and incubators.
  - Facilitating alignment of State Budget execution with NDP priorities and ensuring financial and physical budget execution are synchronized.
  - Complementing corporate governance reforms for SOEs and the Green Financing Strategic Plan to crowd-in private and blended finance.
  - Advancing targets for financial inclusion and housing finance through structured PPPs, partial credit guarantees, and specialized financial institutions like the proposed Agriculture Enterprise Development Bank.

_Italic: Source — 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - 1. Develop the PPP policy and legal framework (National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID)._

### 1. Implement a business regulatory reform.

### 1. Implement a business regulatory reform.

### Objective
- Reform and modernize business and regulatory frameworks to create a transparent, predictable, and supportive environment for businesses and investors, enhancing overall economic efficiency and competitiveness.
- A business-enabling environment aims to attract investment, promote entrepreneurship, enhance competitiveness, facilitate trade, build resilience, encourage sustainable practices, and empower communities for sustainable economic growth and improved living standard of citizens.
- Accomplishing this objective ensures increased household and national income and sustained development.

### Key interventions (PROGRAM 7: Business Enabling Environment)
- Implementation of business regulatory reforms, especially in the mining and lottery sectors
- Strengthening of institutional capacity in business practices and digital compliance tools
- Expansion and modernization of One Stop Shop business registry
- Development of a robust national intellectual property ecosystem
- Support to inclusive MSME credit and insurance products to Liberian-owned businesses, especially for youth and women focusing on agribusiness, tourism and mining
- Development of investment and re-investment incentives in priority sector, especially agribusiness, mining and tourism
- Improvement of accreditation and certification system and facilities
- Implementation of AfCFTA signed legal instruments and best practices

### Specific policy actions and targets
- Implement a business regulatory reform.
- Strengthen the institutional capacity with training of at least 50 officials.
- Decrease the time to establish a company to 24 hours.
- Implement the national intellectual property ecosystem.
- Increase inclusive micro finance support to Liberian owned businesses by 30%.
- Rationalize and develop investment and re-investment incentives.

### Focus areas and expected outcomes
- Targeted sectors: mining, lottery, agribusiness, tourism, and MSMEs (with emphasis on youth and women).
- Digital compliance and One Stop Shop modernization to reduce procedural frictions and business start-up time.
- Intellectual property ecosystem development to support innovation and investor confidence.
- Inclusive finance expansion to increase access to credit and insurance products for Liberian-owned businesses.

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 5. Revise the Mineral Development Agreement mechanism

### 5. Revise the Mineral Development Agreement mechanism

### Key targets by 2029
- (Listed as "Key targets by 2029:" in source)

### Key interventions
- Formalization of artisanal & small-scale mining production
- Development of mineral resource geological and geo-physical maps
- Support to climate responsive mineral production and value chains
- Improvement of mining business environment
- Improvement of gender and safeguarding frameworks and environment social impact processes for concession communities
- Expansion and modernization of oil and gas storage
- Strengthen local capacity in upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas development
- Revision of MDA mechanism from royalty-based model to production sharing model

### Program 11: Extractive Industry — Objective and rationale
- Objective: Leverage the extraction of natural resources to drive sustainable economic growth, create jobs, and contribute to national development, while ensuring environmental sustainability and community well-being.
- Rationale: Mining can play a critical role in transforming economies, particularly in resource-rich countries, but it requires responsible management to maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts.

### Policy implications and priorities inferred from interventions
- Shift fiscal framework for extractives: revise the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) mechanism from a royalty-based model to a production sharing model.
- Formalize artisanal & small-scale mining to improve regulatory oversight, revenue collection, and worker/community protections.
- Build geologic and geophysical data foundations via development of mineral resource geological and geo-physical maps to inform licensing, exploration, and planning.
- Integrate climate responsiveness into mineral production and value chains to align extractive activities with environmental sustainability goals.
- Strengthen the mining business environment to attract investment while safeguarding local communities.
- Enhance gender and safeguarding frameworks and environmental social impact processes specific to concession communities to mitigate social risks.
- Expand and modernize oil and gas storage and strengthen local capacity across upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas development to capture more value domestically.

*Source: 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - 5. Revise the Mineral Development Agreement mechanism*

### 1. Pave at least 485 km of primary roads with asphalt

### 1. Pave at least 485 km of primary roads with asphalt

### Objective and program context
- Program 14: Road Network and Safety
- Objective: Expand and modernize road infrastructure by undertaking construction of climate-resilient roads, upgrading of roads and bridges, and maintaining the existing stock in order to enhance accessibility and connectivity of rural and urban areas, while strengthening social inclusion.
- Emphasis on fostering public-private-partnerships to explore toll systems and enhance road safety to protect lives, ensure the smooth movement of goods and people, and to support national economic growth and social well-being.
- Focus areas: creating safer roads, improving traffic management, and promoting road safety awareness across the country.

### Key numeric targets (by 2029)
- 1. Pave at least 485 km of primary roads with asphalt
- 2. Rehabilitate and maintain at least 445.1 km primary road network
- 3. Expand, rehabilitate and maintain at least 1,090 km of secondary road network
- 4. Develop, expand, rehabilitate and maintain at least 2,500 km of feeder roads network
- 5. Upgrade, pave and maintain at least 125 km of urban and community roads
- 6. Establish 5 Regional Operational Hubs

### Key interventions (Program 14)
- Expansion, rehabilitation and maintenance of primary roads
- Expansion, rehabilitation and maintenance of secondary roads
- Expansion, rehabilitation and maintenance of feeder roads
- Establishment of the National Road Authority
- Expansion, rehabilitation and maintenance of urban and community road
- Promote public-private-partnerships, explore toll systems, and enhance road safety measures

### Road safety and sector challenges (diagnosis)
- Identified three critical issues requiring urgent attention:
  - Poor Road Safety:
    - Need for comprehensive and sustained enforcement of regulations (driver and vehicle testing protocols)
    - Strengthening road traffic regulations to raise standards required of drivers, vehicles, and commercial transport operators
    - Improving infrastructure design and construction to meet safety standards, increase climate resilience, and handle expected traffic volumes
    - Introducing traffic engineering and management schemes, particularly in urban areas like Monrovia (traffic signals, road signs, designated lanes)
  - Over-Reliance on Cars:
    - Need for mass transit solutions (e.g., bus rapid transit or other efficient, affordable, accessible public transport)
    - Integrated land use and transport planning to support public transport and reduce dependence on personal vehicles
  - Rising Transportation Costs:
    - Mitigating fuel costs via policies promoting fuel efficiency and alternative energy sources
    - Safeguarding road infrastructure through axle load controls and planned routine and periodic maintenance; establish sustainable financing mechanisms with user contributions
    - Identifying alternative modes of transport (rail, inland water transport, mass transit) to create cost-effective, environmentally friendly options
- Decentralization challenges:
  - Insufficient budgetary allocations hindering logistics and tools required for service delivery
  - Need to improve budgetary allocations and enhance logistics and capacity (training, equipment, maintenance facilities)

### Road safety and transport-sector policy actions (Program 14 / broader transport policies)
- Improvement of road safety for all
- Improvement and enforcement of bridge usage compliance
- Improvement of driver licensing and vehicle registration
- Improvement of port trade facilitation and control services
- Expansion and modernization of port facilities
- Improvement of airport services and safety to promote business and tourism services
- Construction of climate-smart warehouses in four counties
- Expansion, upgrade and modernization of airport facilities
- Development and decentralization of driver testing and licensing centers
- Decentralization of vehicle registration at county service centers
- Expansion and modernization of inclusive mass public transport services
- Supporting the construction of four multi-purpose bus terminals
- Expansion and modernization of railways
- Supporting the adoption of low-emission transport facilities and technologies

### Transport and logistics performance indicators (Strategic Policy 8 goals by 2029 as presented)
- Transport services (% of commercial service exports):
  - Target: 1%
  - Baseline: 0.39% (2022)
- Logistics Performance Index:
  - Target: 3/5
  - Baseline: 2.4/5 (2022)

### Program 15: Transport Services and Safety — key numeric targets and actions
- Objective: Create an efficient, reliable, and sustainable transportation system that supports economic growth, trade, and development by facilitating the movement of goods, services, and people.
- Key numeric targets / project list:
  - 1. Install 1,000 pieces traffic signs across the country
  - 2. Install 20 weighbridges
  - 3. Driver licensing and vehicle registration processes modernized across the country
  - 4. Upgrade James Spriggs Payne Airport
  - 5. Improve RIA facilities and safety in compliance with air traffic regulations
  - 6. Establish four climate-controlled warehouses across counties
  - 7. Establish four multi-purpose bus terminals
  - 8. Rehabilitate five domestic airstrips
  - 9. Expand the railway from Yekepa to Guinea border
  - 10. Expand and modernize four ports and one dry-port in Nimba

### Cross-cutting expected outcomes and rationale
- Improve accessibility and connectivity of rural and urban areas, strengthen social inclusion, and support national economic growth and social well-being.
- Reduce transportation costs, improve access to markets, and boost regional and international trade through improved road, rail, and port infrastructure.
- Stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and enhance national development via a robust logistics framework and efficient transport network.

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 1. Increase national electricity access rate by 55%

### 1. Increase national electricity access rate by 55%

### Objective
- Ensure that reliable, affordable, efficient, and sustainable electricity is accessible to all sectors of the economy, to facilitate economic growth, and improve quality of life, and social equity. (Program 17: Energy Resource Development and Management)
- Aligns with the Liberia Energy Compact commitment to universal access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy by 2030 in partnership with development partners.

### Key targets by 2029
- Increase national electricity access rate by 55%
- Operationalize 4 turbines at MCHPP
- Increase capacity of MCHPP to 148 MW
- Increase energy mix by 36 MW solar
- Reduce total electricity loss to 10%

### Key interventions
- Upgrading of electricity regulatory framework and database management system
- Rehabilitation of Unit One of Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant (MCHPP) and Saint Paul 2 and Gbedin Hydro
- Expansion of regional, businesses, and communities’ electricity distribution
- Implementation of Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention (RESPITE)
- Supporting the provision of reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable electricity to underserved and remote areas in Liberia by leveraging off-grid solar solutions
- Improvement of the electricity distribution network to reduce electricity losses

### Rationale and expected outcomes
- Electricity services are critical for industrialization, enhancing productivity, and enabling the delivery of essential services such as health, education, and ICT.
- Developing indigenous low-cost renewable energy resources is crucial to satisfy growth in demand for electricity, reduce the cost of supply, and enhance energy security.
- Investing in renewable energy, expanding access to underserved areas, improving energy infrastructure reliability, regulation, and building institutional capacity of the energy MACs are main areas of focus in the medium term.
- Expected outcomes include increased access to reliable electricity nationwide, lower supply costs through renewables (including the specified 36 MW solar addition), and reduced system losses to the target of 10 percent.

### Implementation priorities and sequencing
- Prioritize regulatory and database upgrades to improve sector governance and monitoring.
- Complete rehabilitation works at key hydropower assets (MCHPP Unit One, Saint Paul 2, and Gbedin Hydro) to enable operationalization of 4 turbines and reach 148 MW capacity at MCHPP.
- Deploy Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention (RESPITE) and off-grid solar solutions to accelerate access in underserved and remote areas.
- Expand distribution networks to regional, business, and community consumers to increase uptake and reduce bottlenecks.
- Upgrade electricity distribution network components and operations to achieve the loss-reduction target of 10%.

### Monitoring metrics (indicative)
- National electricity access rate (target: increase by 55% by 2029)
- Number of operational turbines at MCHPP (target: 4)
- MCHPP capacity (target: 148 MW)
- Solar capacity addition to energy mix (target: 36 MW)
- Total electricity loss (target: 10%)

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### Box 3:     Rule of Law and Development Filters

### Box 3:     Rule of Law and Development Filters

### Development filters (priority areas for Rule of Law pillar)
- Youth and Children:
  - Expand access to inclusive, safe, and child-friendly legal and justice services.
  - Develop specialized youth and child justice programs including legal aid, child protection services, and juvenile justice.
  - Implement practices that safeguard minors during legal proceedings and create youth-centered legal awareness campaigns.
- Gender:
  - Strengthen access to justice policies specifically supporting women and girls to exercise their rights fully and equitably.
  - Enhance rule of law institutions and legal frameworks to address gender-specific challenges.
  - Expand resources and training to improve sensitivity to gender sensitive issues within the judiciary and law enforcement.
- Vulnerable Groups:
  - Ensure legal and law enforcement services are accessible to people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and marginalized communities.
  - Develop specialized support services, such as witness protection and safe homes, to enhance equitable access to justice.
- Employment:
  - Increase women’s participation in the administration of justice via fair recruitment, targeted skills training, improved working conditions, and mentorship—particularly for those deployed in rural or underserved areas.
  - Promote women’s participation within law enforcement.
- Formalization:
  - Formalize legal professions by streamlining registration for small-scale practitioners and community-based legal aid.
  - Enhance climate justice through legal frameworks safeguarding natural resources and environmental rights within the justice system.
- Complementarity:
  - Promote partnerships among government, private sector, and civil society for cross-sectoral initiatives (joint advocacy on legal reforms, coordinated training on human rights, integrated victim support services).
- Business Environment:
  - Promote a secure and transparent business environment by enhancing legal protections for local and international businesses, including access to dispute resolution services, contract enforcement, and anti-corruption measures.
  - Develop frameworks that protect property rights, secure investments, and uphold fair competition, supporting the Liberianization policy by empowering local enterprises.
- Digitization:
  - Leverage digital technologies to enhance transparency, efficiency and transparency in the rule of law (e.g., digital records to reduce bureaucracy and improve service delivery).
- Peace and Reconciliation:
  - Strengthen reconciliation processes and peaceful social conditions to enable effective functioning of legal institutions and reduce tensions that could lead to conflict.

### Justice sector: current situation, challenges, and opportunities
- General context:
  - The justice sector is a complex system influenced by Liberia’s history of civil conflicts and ongoing governance challenges.
  - Since the civil wars ended in 2003, rebuilding efforts have been slow and uneven due to multifaceted challenges.
- Institutional capacity constraints:
  - Judiciary (Supreme Court and lower courts) struggles with inadequate funding, limited resources, and insufficient training for judges and personnel.
  - Liberia National Police (LNP) faces corruption, inadequate training, inadequate compensation, and general distrust from the community.
  - Correctional system suffers from overcrowding, poor conditions, and lack of effective rehabilitation programs.
- Access to justice issues:
  - Judiciary inefficiency leads to prolonged pre-trial detention and inaccessible legal representation for the impoverished.
  - Geographic isolation, poverty, and lack of awareness hinder access for marginalized populations in rural areas.
  - Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms often operate outside the formal legal framework, creating inconsistencies.
- Rule of law and human rights concerns:
  - Corruption and political influence undermine the rule of law; violations include arbitrary detention, police brutality, and restrictions on freedom of expression.
  - Women face significant barriers: widespread gender-based violence, weak enforcement of protective legislation, and limited access to education and healthcare.
  - Children face child labor, trafficking, inadequate educational opportunities, and inconsistent reintegration for former child soldiers.
- Opportunities for reform:
  - Continued collaboration with international organizations can provide funding and technical support.
  - Legal reforms, community engagement, integration of technology, and strengthening accountability mechanisms can improve efficiency, transparency, and trust.

### Selected performance indicators (as presented)
- WJP Rule of Law Index ranking: 99/142; 109/142 (2024)
- WB Rule of Law: Percentile Rank: 30; 19.5 (2015)
- WB Rule of Law: Estimate: 0.1; -0.9 (2023)
- Economic Freedom: 120/100; 130/163 (2023)
- Personal Freedom: 85/164; 91/163 (2023)
- Human Freedom ranking: 99/164; 104/163 (2023)
- Freedom House total ranking: 90/210; 97/210 (2024)

- Law enforcement statistic: 110 police officers per 100k population
- Criminality score ranking in Africa: 18/54; 23/54 (2023)
- Global Finance Safest Country Index: 49/134; 53/134 (2023)
- Power Index: 137/14; 5; 140/145 (2024)  (as presented)
- Security & Rule of Law Index: 43/100; 48.8/100 (2023)
- Global Peace Index: 63/170; 69/163 (2022)

- Migration-related estimate: an influx of largely undocumented migrants to Liberia (estimated between 40,000 and 60,000), primarily engaged in agriculture in forested border areas (Nimba, Grand Gedeh, River Gee, and Maryland).

### Key targets by 2029 (listed in the document)
1. Operationalize alternative dispute resolution law
2. Publish 110 Executive Orders, volumes of Liberia Code of Law revised (LCLR) and Liberia Law reports
3. Ensure semi-autonomous status for the Bureau of Correction
4. Increase Liberia’s compliance with human rights rating by 80%
5. Include human rights in educational curricula
6. Amend Vehicle and Traffic Law of Liberia
7. Operationalize the Legal Aid Act

### Key interventions and policy measures
- Support enactment and operationalization of the alternative dispute resolution law.
- Revision of constitutional and legal regimes.
- Establish an integrated legal codification system for supreme court opinions and other statutes.
- Introduction of digital technologies in court proceedings management.
- Empower the Bureau of Correction to become semi-autonomous and improve Corrections Services.
- Strengthen judicial ethics and public confidence.
- Expansion, modernization and decentralization of justice services with a focus on GBV, juvenile and family courts.
- Strengthen traditional/community justice mechanisms.
- Strengthen access to justice services for PWDs and other vulnerable persons.
- Passage and operationalization of the Legal Aid Act.
- Mainstreaming and domestication of gender and human rights laws into national legal instruments.
- Conduct policy reforms for rule of law institutions.

### Program-level objectives and priorities
- PROGRAM 22: Justice Policy Reform and Decentralization
  - Objective: Enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, and fairness of the justice system across the country.
  - Actions: Revise legal frameworks, improve capacity of judicial and law enforcement institutions, decentralize services to ensure justice services are available to all citizens, particularly in rural areas; promote local governance, improve the doing business environment, strengthen community engagement, ensure accountability and transparency.
- PROGRAM 23: Enforcement of Human Rights
  - Objective: Ensure equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
  - Actions: Implement policies to combat discrimination, promote gender equality, protect marginalized groups, strengthen legal frameworks and institutions that uphold equal rights, enhance access to justice, and foster public awareness of human rights issues.
- Strategic objective (Justice and Human Rights): Focus on strengthening legal institutions, promoting human rights awareness, ensuring access to justice, holding violators accountable, fostering reconciliation, and supporting civil society to build a just and equitable society.

### Public safety and national defense targets by 2029 (selected)
- Decrease the number of crimes per 100,000 inhabitants by 20%
- Zero tolerance to road accidents provoked by alcohol and drug consumption
- Increase access to safety services by 20%
- Decrease incidents of fire outbreaks by 30%
- Decrease the occupation rate of the prison system by 20%
- Establish and operationalize 5 regional security hubs
- Construct at least 4 fire stations with support facilities

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 8. Construct and operationalize at least 10 border plazas (posts)

### 8. Construct and operationalize at least 10 border plazas (posts)

### Program 24: Public Safety Readiness — Objective and Key Interventions
- Objective: Establish a comprehensive framework to prepare for and respond to emergencies effectively, including enhancing law enforcement and emergency services capacity, developing rapid response protocols, conducting regular training exercises, fostering community resilience through awareness programs and partnerships with local organizations, and improving infrastructure and resource allocation for disaster management.
- Key interventions:
  - Strengthening administrative and operational capacity of public safety institutions
  - Expansion, modernization and decentralization of public safety services
  - Expansion, modernization and decentralization of women and children safety services
  - Expansion and modernization of immigration services
  - Development and implementation of the drug and substance abuse action plan
  - Implementation of National Emergency Preparedness and Response
  - Expansion, modernization and decentralization of fire services
  - Improvement of national disaster preparedness and response
  - Improvement of community engagement
  - Recruitment, training and equipping security sector personnel as required

- Specific targets referenced:
  - Construct and operationalize at least 10 border plazas (posts)
  - Construct and operationalize 1 training academy
  - Train and equip 40% security sectors personnel
  - Key targets by 2029 (program-level aggregation of the above)

### Program 25: Sovereignty of the National Territory — Objective and Key Interventions
- Objective: Protect and uphold the integrity of Liberia’s borders and resources, strengthen armed forces capabilities, foster a professional military that respects human rights, collaborate with international partners for capacity building and intelligence sharing, enhance disaster response mechanisms and community resilience, and integrate defense strategies with national development goals.
- Key interventions:
  - Building and equipping national defense operational facilities
  - Renovation and construction of AFL housing units
  - Development of the National Security Strategy
  - Securing national defense assets
  - Development and operationalization of AFL Welfare and Pension Policy
  - Amendment of 2008 National Defense Act
  - Activation of the AIR Wing
  - Supporting International Peace Mission Preparedness

- Specific targets by 2029:
  - Maintain high level of preparedness for the AFL
  - Increase participation in peacekeeping missions by 20%
  - Develop the National Security Strategy
  - Renovate and equip 7 barracks across the country
  - Construct and equip at least 2 Defense facilities
  - Revise AFL welfare and pension scheme

### Governance and Anti-Corruption Pillar — Context, Indicators, and Strategic Policy 15
- Strategic Goal: Build accountable and effective institutions to promote value-for-money service delivery, prevent and combat corruption, and deepen decentralized governance.
- Emphases: decentralization, generation and use of quality data for evidence-based planning, citizen-centered governance that is inclusive, gender-sensitive, participatory, transparent, and accountable.
- Strategic Policy 15: Transparency and Accountability — Strategic Objective: Foster a governance environment supported by digital technologies where public officials are held accountable for their actions and decisions.
- Selected governance indicators and ranks (as presented):
  - Corruption Perception Index ranking: 135/180 → 145/180 (2023)
  - Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance: 22/54 → 26/54 (2023)
  - BTI Governance Index: 50/137 → 59/137 (2024)
  - Foundations for economic opportunity: 55/100 → 46.8/100 (2023)
  - Political Corruption Index: 0.79 → 0.88 (2023)
  - Participation, Rights & Inclusion Index: 65/100 → 60.6/100 (2024)
  - BTI Political Transformation ranking: 40/137 → 47/137 (2024)

- Liberia: CPI Score (2012 - 2023) — Table 7 values shown:
  - Year sequence and CPI Score: 2012 41; 2013 38; 2014 37; 2015 37; 2016 31; 2017 32; 2018 28; 2019 28; 2020 29; 2021 26; 2022 25; 2023 25
- Key observations from the text:
  - CPI score declined from 41/100 in 2012 to 25/100 in 2023; CPI 2023 ranked Liberia at 145/180 countries.
  - 47 percent of people interviewed thought corruption increased in the previous 12 months; 53 percent of public service users said they paid a bribe in the last 12 months leading up to the survey.
  - Constraints: inconsistent implementation of Liberia Freedom of Information Act, accountability institutions lacking independence and resources, weak rule of law, and lack of political will.

### Program 26: Expansion and Modernization of Governance and Audit Services — Objective and Key Interventions
- Objective: Enhance efficiency, transparency, and accessibility in public service delivery by leveraging technology and innovative practices to streamline bureaucratic processes, reduce corruption, and foster citizen engagement; strengthen institutional capacities to align governance frameworks with contemporary needs and challenges.
- Key interventions:
  - Mass enrollment into the National Bio-metric and Identification System
  - Implementation of the electronic government systems, including procurement (eGP)
  - Development of a price index database for common user items
  - Implementation of an internal audit management system
  - Digitalization and protection of national documents and records
  - Decentralization of archival services
  - Strengthening institutional capacity to enforce transparency standards
  - Ensuring compliance to EITI standards
  - Enhancement of auditing quality and compliance to international auditing standards

- Specific targets by 2029 (Program 26 and related):
  - Increase enrollment into the National Bio-metric and Identification System to 90%
  - Migrate 80 MACs to the e-procurement platform
  - Develop and operationalize price index database
  - Implement an internal audit system for local government and revenue-sharing law
  - Digitize national documents and records system
  - Strengthen institutional capacity to enforce transparency standards
  - Full compliance with EITI standards
  - Achieve a 50 percent increase in unqualified audit opinions in the public sector

### Additional governance targets and anti-corruption measures (by 2029)
- Strengthen and operationalize the election management system
- Improve civic and voter education through public engagements
- Implement public sector governance reform
- Strengthen sector-specific legal regimes
- Enhance technicians’ capacities
- Increase prosecution of corruption cases by 40%
- Extend coverage of LACC services to all counties
- Strengthen transparency institutions capacity

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (AAID); canonical PDF provided.*

### 9. Strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman

### 9. Strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman

### Key targets and interventions (by 2029)
- Key targets by 2029:
  - Strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman.
- Key interventions:
  - Strengthening the elections management processes
  - Enhancing civic and voter education and public engagement
  - Conducting public sector reform
  - Promotion of the implementation of sector-specific legal regimes
  - Enhancement of internal, sectoral, and local government technical capacity
  - Decentralizing anti-corruption services
  - Strengthening and decentralization of freedom of information services
  - Enhancement of compliance with the national Code of conduct
  - Strengthening the Office of the Ombudsman

### Program 27: Sustainable Democratic Governance Reform — objectives and measures
- Objective: Strengthen democratic institutions and practices to ensure long-term stability and inclusivity.
- Strategic intent and expected outcomes:
  - Enhance the rule of law, promote human rights, and ensure fair electoral processes.
  - Build a more representative governance structure by empowering marginalized groups and promoting civic engagement.
  - Decentralize decision-making to empower local authorities and strengthen capacities to address community needs.
  - Ensure fair distribution of resources and services across regions to reduce urban-rural disparities.
  - Foster participatory planning and development initiatives to improve infrastructure, public services, and economic opportunities at the local level.
  - Result: strengthened public administration and local governance system contributing to national cohesion and sustainable development.

### Public administration context and diagnostic findings
- Centralization and institutional overlap:
  - Central government comprises more than 100 ministries, agencies, and commissions plus 20 state-owned enterprises, almost all with central offices in Monrovia.
  - Mandates-and-functions review (2010–2012) revealed overlapping mandates and underperforming functions; redesignations occurred but the process led by the Governance Commission, in collaboration with the Civil Service Agency, has not been completed.
  - Some ministries, agencies, and state-owned enterprises have overlapping mandates, unclear functions, or weak administrative structures.
- Human resources and civil service challenges:
  - Significant gaps exist between job requirements and the skill levels of current job holders.
  - Conditions of service feature arbitrary wage disparities and politicized staff configurations.
  - Human resource practices include weak professional requirements and uneven compliance among MACs; salary structures and rewards are arbitrarily determined, low, and rarely linked to performance.
  - Civil servants express dissatisfaction due to (a) poor conditions of work, (b) lack of mentoring/training/development, and (c) limited opportunities for impact and service recognition.
  - Resulting risk: attrition to non-civil service careers (World Bank, Public Sector Modernization Report-Liberia, (No. ICR00005745 (2022)).
- Centralization effects:
  - Centralization of political, administrative, and fiscal governance in Monrovia has culminated in entrenched socio-economic inequality and undermines political stability by heightening feelings of exclusion.
- Decentralization institutions and service delivery:
  - The Local Government Act calls for county councils, county administrations, and governance structures for cities and townships; effectiveness depends on functioning of these structures.
  - County service centers (one-stop-service delivery shops) were established to provide services such as registration of businesses and vehicles, issuance of birth certificates, traditional marriage and divorce certificates, alien work permits, and psychosocial counseling services, but sustainability and functionality issues remain.
- Land and boundary disputes:
  - Boundary disputes are long-standing, linked to land rights, drive conflict, obstruct investment, and threaten national security and development.
  - The Liberia Land Authority (LLA) has the mandate to identify, map, and register public, private, and community lands.
  - MIA, LLA, and LISGIS will collaborate to resolve land and boundary disputes and legislate a roster of harmonized boundaries to prevent future disputes.

### Strategic actions and targets across related programs (selected)
- Land Governance and Management (Program 28) — Objective: Sustain peace and enhance community social cohesion through effective and efficient land governance and management services.
  - Key targets by 2029:
    - Demarcate and harmonize local government boundaries
    - Identify and operationalize local communal farming and agricultural sites for new agri-business investors
    - Digitize 30% of new and existing land deeds
    - Develop a National Spatial Plan
    - Establish the National Cadastre
  - Key interventions:
    - Support development of local communal farming, agribusiness value chain, and trade fairs
    - Support identification and marketing of local tourist sites
    - Creation of physical boundary delimitations and urban toponymy
    - Strengthening rural and urban spatial planning
    - Implementation of the minimum standards for chartering cities
    - Establishment of the national cadastre
    - Strengthening institutional capacity in land management and governance
    - Strengthening Deed titling services
    - Establishment of a Land Management Information System
    - Strengthening land and real property valuation
- Public Service Decentralization (Program 29) — Objective: Enhance local governance and empower communities.
  - Key targets by 2029:
    - Establish the Ministry of Local Government
    - Provide capacity building support to all local government administrative structures in the counties
    - Empower and digitize county service centers
    - Implement the revenue sharing Act in all counties
    - Automate and operationalize the performance management system
    - Implement a unified legal identity system
  - Key interventions:
    - Capacity building of Local Government Administrative Structures
    - Creation and operationalization of the Ministry of Local Government
    - Establishment and empowerment of county treasuries and county development planning units
    - Strengthening municipal structures and empowering municipalities to deliver services
    - Improvement of fiscal devolution through establishment of an implementation roadmap for the revenue-sharing law of 2021
    - Constitution and operationalization of the local government fiscal board
    - Rehabilitation, strengthening, and modernization of county service centers across the country
    - Digitization and institutionalization of performance management System across the country
    - Implementation of a unified legal identity system
- Peace and Reconciliation (Program 30) — Objective: Foster social cohesion and healing.
  - Key targets by 2029:
    - Establish a war and economic crimes court
    - Improve Liberia’s Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index (SCORE) rating from 6.6 to 8.00
  - Key interventions:
    - Improvement of civic education and awareness
    - Enhancement of social cohesion and peaceful co-existence
    - Strengthening community engagement on non-violent approaches
    - Strengthening early warning response system
- Foreign Affairs and diplomatic/consular services (Programs 31–32) — Strategic objectives and targets by 2029:
  - Increase Liberia's visibility across borders; effective accession to the Continental Free Trade Zone completed.
  - Increase by 15% the number of Liberians working in international organizations.
  - Compliance with the 1st assessment for graduation from LIC to MIC.
  - Increase of 50% of visa for business purposes; 100% increase of visa for tourism purposes (Figure 53 goals by 2029).
  - Specific targets and interventions:
    - Develop and operationalize E-visa system and services
    - Decrease the time for consular services by 50%
    - Implement a unified legal identity system for passport issues
    - Increase issuance of touristic and business visas by 30%
    - Increase investments from the Liberian Diaspora by 20%
    - Increase the number of Liberians in international organizations by 15%
    - Domesticate all signed global and regional legal instruments
    - Strengthen diplomatic representation abroad and operationalize an E-Visa system
    - Support implementation of a unified legal identity system for passport purposes
    - Strengthen engagement with the Liberian Diaspora

### Governance performance indicators (as presented)
- Governance Efficiency: 140/180; 149/180 (2023)
- Global Sustainable Competitiveness: 127/180; 132/180 (2023)
- Chandler Good Government Index: 108/113; N/A (2023)
- Women in Local Government: 135/141; N/A (2022)
- Local Government Index: 0.7; 0.43 (2022)

### Environmental context and risks relevant to governance and decentralization
- Forest and land resource statistics and pressures:
  - Liberia has approximately 4.5 million hectares of tropical rainforest comprising 43 percent of the remaining Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem of West Africa.
  - Liberia has established five (5) Protected Areas (PAs) to conserve at least 30 percent of its total forestland; seven (7) additional Proposed Protected Areas (PPAs) have been designated for PA status.
  - Current deforestation rate in Liberia is 30,000 hectares per year.
  - From 2013 to 2023, 96 percent of tree cover loss in Liberia occurred within natural forests.
- Environmental governance challenges that interact with land governance:
  - High rates of noncompliance with forestry and land laws undermine effectiveness (Forest Trends, Liberia Forest Concession Review (2024)).
  - Mining (gold, diamonds, iron ore), logging, charcoal production, and chainsawing cause deforestation, land degradation, water pollution, and wildlife habitat destruction.
  - Land tenure insecurity and land-related conflicts threaten peace, obstruct investment, and undermine national security and development.

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID, Chapter 9 and related program sections.*

### 1.09 Gt of CO₂ emissions.

### 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - 1.09 Gt of CO₂ emissions.

### General context and environmental challenges
- Liberia is home to some of West Africa’s most diverse flora (plants) and fauna (animals) but faces threats from construction of human habitats, deforestation, mining, and agricultural expansion.
- Illegal hunting and poaching put several endangered species at risk of extinction and reduce ecosystem services such as water purification, soil fertility, and climate regulation.
- Soil and coastal erosion are major issues, particularly in low-lying coastal areas; rising sea levels and sand mining have accelerated coastal erosion, threatening infrastructure, homes, and livelihoods.
- Mangroves are crucial for fish spawning, biodiversity habitat, and storm-surge buffering; coastal erosion impacts these ecosystems.
- Wetlands and urban drains are prone to flooding, particularly during the rainy season; inadequate drainage, poor urban planning, and dumping of waste in waterways exacerbate flooding. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of flooding events.
- Solid waste generation and management:
  - Approximately 1,300 tons of solid waste is generated daily, primarily from urban areas, with Monrovia accounting for about 600 tons daily (UN-Habitat, 2018).
  - Waste composition: organic waste (60-70%), plastics (10-15%), and metals, paper, and hazardous materials.
  - It is estimated that only about 40 percent of solid waste generated is collected in urban areas; collection rates are lower in rural areas (World Bank, 2019).
  - It is estimated that less than 10 percent of households benefit from organized waste management services in rural areas.
  - Most waste is dumped in open sites, including streets and drainages, or burned; Monrovia’s largest landfill at Whein Town can no longer withstand the volume of solid waste.
  - Waste management infrastructure shortages include collection vehicles and disposal facilities; private sector investment in solid waste is low.
- Improved Cook Stoves (ICS) market:
  - Liberia’s market for Improved Cook Stoves (ICS) is still in its early stages, with limited access to affordable cooking gas mainly in urban areas.
  - The government has committed to providing 580,000 ICS by 2030 to reduce emissions through cleaner cooking energy.
  - Policy emphasis includes protecting forests, improving health, promoting culturally relevant technologies, ensuring a just transition, supporting traditional biomass while encouraging sustainable forest management and local stove production to create jobs and livelihoods.

### Climate change, GHG emissions, and projections
- Climate change impacts described: more severe storms, increased droughts and freshwater stress, flooding, warming, rising ocean levels, species loss and migration, reduced food and cash crop yields, health risks including heat stress, increases in mosquito-borne diseases and malnutrition, increased poverty, displacement, and climate-induced deaths.
- UNDP (2019) findings: climate change negatively impacts productivity of the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sectors and their supply chains in Liberia (increased crop loss/failure due to extreme weather, warmer temperatures, droughts, floods, changing rainfall patterns, increased pests, weeds, and pathogens).
- Liberia’s GHG emissions (2015):
  - Net GHG emissions amounted to 5,695.16 Gg CO2e (Liberia’s Second National Communication, 2021).
  - Emissions by sector: Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land-Use sectors account for 54 percent of total emissions; Energy sector 20 percent; Industrial Processes Product Use sector 19 percent; Waste sector 7 percent of total emissions.
  - If no new climate change mitigation measures are implemented, Liberia’s net GHG emissions are projected to increase by 59.3 percent by 2050.
- The document notes global contribution by Liberia to climate change is almost negligible but rising due to population growth and deforestation.
- Emphasis on aligning actions with: National Policy and Response Strategy for Climate Change, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), and Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

### Strategic objectives, key targets, and measurable commitments by 2029
- Strategic Objective: Develop strategies that enhance climate resilience while reducing GHG emissions from all sources, increasing carbon sinks, and promoting sustainable development.
- Key targets by 2029 (environmental governance and climate-focused):
  - Decentralize the Environment Protection Agency Services.
  - Strengthen the environmental legal and regulatory framework and its enforcement.
  - Increase by 50% the number of recycling business operators.
  - Increase DRM by at least US$ 500,000 by monetizing climate assets.
  - Develop the 2025 NDC with ambitious 2035 targets.
  - Ensure implementation of the NDCs.
  - Achieve full compliance of at least 75% of registered corporations to sustainable production patterns.
- Program-specific key targets by 2029:
  - Forestry, Ecosystem Conservation and Restoration:
    - Reduce the national deforestation rate by 50%.
    - Restore at least 10,000 ha of degraded forestlands including coastal wetlands and mangrove ecosystems.
    - Catalogue 100% of water catchments in forest areas.
    - Increase urban canopy cover in 5 cities (Paynesville, Monrovia, Buchanan, Gbarnga and Gompa) to 50%.
    - Plant 2,000,000 trees along major roads in six counties.
    - Increase the sustainable production of value-added wood products by 20%.
  - Renewable Energy:
    - Strengthen regulatory framework for renewable energy.
    - Increase renewable energy supply by 20%.
    - Support at least 500 small and medium enterprises with renewable energy solutions.
    - Support with renewable energy to more than 160,000 households and public social infrastructures.
    - Increase private sector off-grid and community-based renewable energy solutions by 10%.
    - Support adoption of more than 200,000 affordable improved cook stoves (ICS) by households.
  - Waste management:
    - Increase waste transfer stations by 10%.
    - Develop two new landfill sites.
    - Increase waste recycling rates by 25%.
    - Increase by 50% the number of recycling business operators.

### Key interventions and implementation measures
- Expansion, decentralization and modernization of environmental services.
- Increasing the coverage and accuracy of the national GHG inventory and ensuring that it includes carbon stocks.
- Support the development of innovative financing models to mobilize climate and biodiversity resources.
- Construction and equipment of institutional facilities and a Climate Change Early Response Center.
- Strengthening environmental legal and regulatory framework in compliance with the NDC.
- Strengthen institutional and human capacity to implement, coordinate, and enforce environmental policies and plans.
- Promotion of the circular economy.
- Forestry and ecosystem actions:
  - Management of National Parks and improvement of land use planning around Protected Areas (PAs) and Proposed Protected Areas (PPAs).
  - Gazettement of proposed protected areas (feasibility studies).
  - Expansion of marine and coastal ecosystem protection services and conservation of terrestrial inland water and coastal and marine areas.
  - Restoration of degraded forestlands, increasing urban canopy and planting additional trees in green corridors.
  - Implementation of the National REDD+ Strategy.
  - Implementation of reforestation including mangroves and afforestation activities in degraded areas.
  - Improvement of national programs and policies to enhance forest carbon stocks in line with the NDC.
  - Reduction of human-wildlife conflict and halting human-induced extinction of threatened species.
  - Conservation and protection of water catchments around hydropower and municipal water supply sources.
  - Sustainable management of coastal erosion.
  - Expansion and modernization of the FTI compass.
  - Development of environmentally sustainable wood value chain.
  - Promotion of sustainable community forest management, including guidelines for sustainable resource extraction.
  - Restoration of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and marine and coastal ecosystems.
- Renewable energy actions:
  - Strengthening the regulatory framework for renewable energy.
  - Increasing rural renewable energy supply and supporting SMEs with renewable energy solutions.
  - Promoting private sector off-grid and community-based renewable energy solutions, including off-grid/mini-grids.
  - Establishment and promotion of a robust national program on solar energy and other energy-efficient lighting technologies.
  - Implementation of a resilient energy generation mix plan.
  - Development of off-grid small hydropower plants (HPP) and on-grid ones.
  - Reconnection of Monrovia clients to the national grid.
  - Supporting the adoption of cleaner cooking technologies, particularly ICS.

*Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/cr/2025/english/1lbrea2025004-source-pdf.pdf*

### 5. Develop small-scale composting of market waste with a production of 500 t/year each.

### 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - 5. Develop small-scale composting of market waste with a production of 500 t/year each.

### Solid Waste Management: Program 36 — Objective and Rationale
- Objective: Improve the sustainability and efficiency of the solid waste management system to minimize environmental impacts and promote alternative uses for waste, including recycling and reuse.
- Rationale and expected benefits:
  - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and waste treatment processes, contributing to climate change mitigation.
  - Generate economic opportunities through recycling, composting, and energy recovery, creating jobs and stimulating local economies.
  - Minimize health risks by controlling disease vectors and reducing exposure to hazardous substances.
  - The AAID aims at sustainably improving solid waste management for the overall benefit of Liberia.

### Key target (project-level)
- Develop small-scale composting of market waste with a production of 500 t/year each.

### Key interventions (Program 36)
- Rehabilitation, expansion and modernization of key waste management infrastructure and services including transfer stations and final disposal facilities.
- Development of a landfill gas recovery system at Cheesemanburg Landfill.
- Supporting the participation of the private sector in waste management.
- Supporting the increase of waste-to-energy initiatives.
- Supporting the transformation of urban waste into compost manure.
- Improvement of healthcare waste management practices and reducing waste incineration.
- Promotion of private-public partnership (PPP) and other ventures that attract financing for infrastructure investments in the waste sector.

### Key statistics and contextual links to human capital and development priorities
- Human Development Index (HDI) 2023/24 score for Liberia: 0.487; global ranking: 177 of 193 countries.
- Liberia’s multi-dimensional poverty index (MPI) reduced by 26.2 percentage points from 71.2 percent in 2013 to 45.0 percent in 2022 (LPHC, 2022).
- Rural MPI poor: 72 percent; Urban MPI poor: 22.5 percent.
- Largest contributors to multidimensional poverty: living conditions (42.8%), health (40.1%), education (17.1%).
- Male-headed households MPI poor: 46.5 percent; Female-headed households MPI poor: 42.3 percent.
- Intensity of poverty: male-headed households 58.7 percent; female-headed households 56.0 percent.
- County poverty rates (selected): River Cess 76.9%, Gbarpolu 72.0%, Grand Bassa 67.9%, Grand Kru 63.9%, Bong 63.0%, Lofa 62.9%, Sinoe 62.2%; national average: 45 percent; Margibi 42.9%; Montserrado 20.5%.
- Literacy and education indicators:
  - Approximately 33.1% of the population is illiterate.
  - Net enrollment ratio (MoE, Education Statistics, 2021-2022): 46.3 percent.
  - Adult literacy (15-49 years) targets/values: 80 ♂♂ /60 ♀♀; reported 65.9/52.3 (2022).
  - Gross enrollment rate (GER) in 2021: ECE 76 percent, primary 61 percent, junior and senior secondary 46 percent.
  - In 2021, about 1.4 million students enrolled in 6,249 schools served by around 71,000 teachers.
  - Approximately 36 percent of all teachers are untrained.
  - Student-to-qualified teacher ratio: 69 to 1.
  - Of 56,736 classrooms, 49.8% are complete solid structures; 33% are fenced; 66% have hand-washing facilities.
- Health indicators:
  - Access to healthcare nationally: around 70 percent (MoH, 2023).
  - Maternal mortality: 742 per every 100,000 live births.
- Education financing:
  - Education spending: 2.6 percent of GDP (2021).
  - Public expenditure on education share: 13.8 percent (target: 20 percent).
  - Government spending on children and youth in public schools: 57 percent of total education spending.
  - Household spending on public schooling and development partners’ financing: 24 percent and 19 percent of spending, respectively.
  - Household spending shares in primary and secondary education: 35% and 33% of total spending respectively.

### Strategic linkages and filters relevant to waste management interventions
- Climate change: promote climate-smart interventions and adopt climate justice principles in adaptation and resilience measures.
- Complementarity: align WASH, agriculture, and energy interventions to accelerate education and health outcomes (e.g., composting supports agriculture and WASH-related environmental health).
- Business environment and formalization: encourage eco-friendly and ethical business operations and facilitate inclusive registration and formalization of micro, small and medium enterprises (relevant for private-sector participation in waste management and compost production).
- Gender and vulnerable groups: ensure inclusion of women, girls, PWDs and other vulnerable groups in access to opportunities created by waste sector initiatives (jobs, training, entrepreneurship).

*Source: 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 1. Enhance all managerial staff capacity

### 1. Enhance all managerial staff capacity

### Overview and primary objectives
- Strengthen school leadership, management, and accountability to ensure educational institutions operate effectively and efficiently, provide high-quality education including technical and vocational training, and foster a conducive learning environment.
- Improve school quality standards and ensure safe, protective, gender- and disability-responsive learning environments.
- Increase training and pathways in STEM and digital education to develop a capable 21st-century workforce.

### Key targets by 2029 (selected targets from the content unit)
- Enhance 20% of teachers’ capacity to deliver gender and disability transformative education
- Increase recruitment of female psychosocial and career counselors at all levels by 40 percent
- Provide relevant STEM equipment to 50% of upper basic and secondary schools
- Equip 30% of TVET centers and HEIs with functioning IT infrastructure
- Train 1,400 school principals, and administrative staff in leadership, management and accountability

### Key interventions (sector-wide, as listed)
- Enhancement of school management capacity
- Strengthening teachers’ capacity to deliver gender and disability transformative education
- Recruitment and deployment of female psychosocial and career counselors at all levels
- Implementation of skill-based health education and strengthening the role of girls’ and boys’ health clubs
- Provision of relevant STEM equipment to upper basic and secondary schools
- Equipment of TVET centers and HEIs with IT infrastructure, including internet connectivity and computers
- Strengthening enforcement of the code of conduct to tackle school-related GBV in education institutions at all levels

---

### PROGRAM 37: Educational Institution Management
- Objective: Ensure that educational institutions operate effectively and efficiently, provide high-quality education including technical and vocational training, and foster a conducive learning environment.
- Program intent: Improve school quality standards; ensure healthy, safe, and protective learning environments for all; increase training and pathways in STEM and digital education.

---

### PROGRAM 38: Teacher Capacity
- Objective: Ensure the deployment of a functional, qualified, and motivated teaching workforce by enhancing teachers’ professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
- Key targets by 2029 (listed actions):
  - Provide in-service training to 15,800 teachers (continuous professional development – CPD)
  - Provide incentive payment to 1,400 teachers in rural hard-to-reach and hard-to-stay areas
  - Provide National Trade Test certificate to 1,500 TVET trainers
  - Professionalize 2,000 teachers through certification and licensing
- Key interventions:
  - Undertaking teachers’ continuous professional development
  - Provision of incentives to attract and support the deployment of qualified teachers in underserved areas
  - Provision of incentives to professional education volunteers across the sector
  - Development and rolling out a system for teacher licensing

---

### PROGRAM 39: School Facilities
- Objective: Create a safe, inclusive, and conducive learning environment to enhance access and equity in education service delivery; interventions will be responsive to gender and PWDs.
- Key targets by 2029 (listed actions):
  - Improve 2,134 educational infrastructure at all levels
  - Support WASH interventions in 3,542 schools
  - Increase the rate of enrolment of learners with disabilities by 10%
  - Capacitate 18 TVET centers to offer level (1-7) programs
  - 100 senior secondary schools offering TVET streams
  - Exempt 1,000 PWD learners from school fees and provide school uniforms and bags
- Key interventions:
  - Building, renovating or expanding inclusive and climate-resilient school infrastructure
  - Supporting WASH and menstrual hygiene interventions in Schools
  - Expansion and acquisition of instructional materials for PWDs
  - Supporting children with learning disabilities
  - Expansion and modernize of TVET facilities
  - Equipment of school facilities with STEM equipment
  - Provision of cash grants to the poorest students and students with disabilities
  - Subsidization of private schools in underserved areas unreached by public schools

---

### PROGRAM 40: Student Learning Capacity
- Objective: Enhance students’ ability to acquire, retain, and apply knowledge and skills at foundational levels through gender-responsive teaching and learning materials aligned with the reformed national curriculum, inclusive of STEM, TVET, and digital programs.
- Key targets by 2029 (listed actions):
  - Provide 382 schools with home grown school feeding
  - Provide all ECE schools with validated age-appropriate/play-based ECE curriculum
  - Achieve student to textbook ratio of 1:1
  - Provide 30% of students in Junior and Senior Secondary education with digital skills and STEM education examination
  - Provide more than 300,000 female students with inclusive hygiene education and products
- Key interventions:
  - Provision of open-access, non-copyright textbooks for every child
  - Development of a national learning assessment system for tracking early learning outcomes at Grades 3 and 6
  - Expansion of the school feeding and school health initiatives at foundational levels
  - Expansion of training of comprehensive sexual education and menstrual hygiene
  - Development of students digital skills
  - Expansion and strengthening of accelerated learning for high school dropouts
  - Development of special needs education policy
  - Integration of digital technology (tablets) with teaching materials in secondary schools

---

### PROGRAM 41: Governance of the Educational System
- Objective: Improve education service delivery at all levels through strengthened management and supervision of the education system to ensure effective, accountable, and equitable management.
- Key targets by 2029 (listed actions):
  - Increase gross enrollment to 1.7 million
  - Mainstream STEM projects at all appropriate levels
  - Revise the National Education Curriculum to meet the contemporary needs
  - Increase the number of women in leadership positions by 30%
- Key interventions:
  - Enhancement of free and compulsory education in early, primary and secondary education
  - Revision of academic curriculum to fit agribusiness and Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes/Catering (HORECA) content
  - Establishment of the Liberia technical and vocational education training commission (LITCOM)
  - Strengthening of the education system volunteers
  - Increasing the number of women in leadership positions at school, district, county, and national levels
  - Mainstreaming of STEM projects at all appropriate levels
  - Implementation of the National Standards and Guidelines for Technical and Vocational Education Training in Liberia
  - Improvement of management, governance, and accountability of the education system
  - Instituting continuous professional development for leaders, including school principals, and administrative staff
  - Strengthening the regulatory and operating framework for public–private partnerships in education
  - Integration of TVET streams in secondary schools

---

### PROGRAM 42: Higher Education
- Objective: Strengthen equitable access, quality, relevance, and governance of the higher education system to enhance the Liberian youth’s skill base.
- Key targets by 2029 (listed actions):
  - Increase STEM graduates by 25 percent
  - Develop agri-business and HORECA curriculum
  - Increase HEIs offering digital education to 70 percent of HEIs to offer digital technology programs
  - Exempt all students pursuing teaching profession at public universities
  - Increase scientific and technological research publications by 15 percent
- Key interventions:
  - Rationalization of academic courses to include Agribusiness and HORECA courses and training
  - Improvement of the quality of higher education and the development of scientific and technological research
  - Provision of free tuition for all teachers in training in Public Universities
  - Creation of an enabling environment for healthy, safe, protective, and disability-inclusive access to higher education institutions
  - Integration of digital technology in all HEI programs
  - Establishment of collaboration with the private sector through public–private partnerships

---

### Health sector context and linkages (selected indicators and Program 43)
- Figure 56: Strategic Policy 20 goals by 2029 (selected indicator pairs as presented)
  - Life expectancy: 63    60 (2023)
  - Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000): 440    742 (2023)
  - Under 5 mortality (per 1,000): 47    93(2023)
  - IHR Core Capacity: 60%    43.9% (2023)
  - UHC Service Coverage Index: 80%    45% (2023)
  - Population access to basic health care services: 77%
  - Stunting: 20%    30% (2023)

- Program 43: Health Sector Reforms
  - Objective: Promote equity, efficiency, quality, financing, and sustainability in the delivery of healthcare services through an enhanced policy environment; improve health financing modalities, provide universal coverage, and enhance the regulatory framework.
  - Key targets by 2029 (listed actions):
    - Increase the coverage of community pharmacy from 20 % to 85 % in all public health facilities
    - Provide health insurance coverage for all citizens
    - Increase health product testing from 40 % to 95 %
  - Key interventions:
    - Development and implementation of community pharmacy and cost-sharing schemes in public health facilities
    - Establishment of Health Equity Fund for Universal Health Coverage Bill
    - Enhancement of health products regulatory environment
    - Enhance the regulatory environment for health services, facilities and professionals

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 1. Increase coverage of primary health care by

### 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - 1. Increase coverage of primary health care by

### PROGRAM 44: Health Services — Objective and Key Targets
- Objective: Ensure that health services is accessible, equitable, safe, and responsive to the needs of the users.
- Key targets by 2029 (explicit numeric targets listed in source):
  - Increase coverage of primary health care by 40 %
  - Increase and maintain DTP-3 coverage above 90 %
  - Increase the number of exclusively breastfed children (0-5 months) by 10 %.
  - Increase age appropriate Reproductive, Maternal Newborn, Child and Adolescent, and Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) health care services by 40%
  - Decrease the incidence of communicable and non-communicable diseases by 20%
  - Increase WASH services at health facilities by 20%
  - Increase diagnostic centers at health care facilities by 40 %
  - Improve national referral capacity of J.F.K 100 %
  - Improve national referral capacity of J.F.D 100 %
  - Upgrade and designate 5 county hospitals as regional hospitals
  - Upgrade 10 primary health care facilities to comprehensive health centers
  - 14 counties to receive mental, neurological, and substance use disorder care services
  - Improve staffing capacity for human resources for health by 10%

### PROGRAM 44 — Key Interventions
- Strengthening Primary Health Care (PHC) including community health
- Delivering quality and Age Appropriate RMNCAH+N care services
- Prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases
- Strengthening and scaling up the control and management of mental, neurological and substance use disorder care services
- Expansion and modernization of public health facilities
- Expanding and upgrading five county hospitals designated as regional hospitals
- Strengthening diagnostic capacities at all levels
- Provision of sustainable climate-resilient WASH services in healthcare facilities
- Strengthening and expanding JFK hospital’s capacities
- Upgrading Jackson F. Doe Hospital to the second national tertiary hospital
- Strengthening oversight and regulatory compliance of health facilities standard, medicines, health products, and professional practice
- Enhancement of sex, age, and disaggregated data for health care policy analysis
- Reduction in HIV/ STDs and STIs
- Decentralization of healthcare Services for SGBV survivors
- Strengthening and scaling up of nutrition initiatives among adolescents in schools, communities, and health facilities
- Strengthening public health laboratory systems
- Revision and reinforcement of the health legal framework and policy
- Improvement of staffing levels of human resources for health

### PROGRAM 45: Health Security — Objective and Key Targets
- Objective: Strengthen Liberia’s epidemic/pandemic preparedness and response capacity at national, sub-national and regional levels.
- Key targets by 2029 (explicit numeric targets listed in source):
  - Increase epidemic/pandemic preparedness from 44 % to 70 %.
  - Increase detection capacity from 44 % to 70 %
  - Increase outbreak response capacity from 44 % to 70 %
  - Increase the proportion of detection and response to outbreaks or public health issues and events as per WHO standards from 60 to 90 percent

### PROGRAM 45 — Key Interventions
- Improving healthcare infrastructure and financial resources for epidemics/pandemics
- Enhancing public health workforce capacity through training and development of health training institutions
- Ensuring robust supply chains for essential medicines, equipment and other supplies for epidemics/pandemics
- Implementing functional multi-sectoral, multidisciplinary mechanisms, policies, systems and practices to minimize the transmission of zoonotic diseases
- Implementing environmental health programs, including healthcare waste management, drinking water quality and safety, chemical and vector control, and radiation safety.
- Establishing a functional One Health Coordination Platform at all levels
- Strengthening the network of community health volunteers
- Strengthening Public health Surveillance and Monitoring
- Strengthening Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Strengthening public health laboratories and systems
- Strengthening public health risk communication and community engagement (RCCE)

### Strategic Policy 21: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene — Strategic Objective and Targets
- Strategic Objective: Ensure the availability of safe, clean, and adequate sanitation facilities and promote good hygiene practices to improve public health, environmental sustainability, and overall quality of life.
- Strategic Policy 21 goals by 2029 (explicit numeric items shown in source):
  - People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water 10%
  - Safely managed access to sanitation 50%
  - People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, rural 1% N/A (2022)
  - Open defecation practices 0
  - People with basic handwashing facilities including soap and water, rural 10% 5.6% (2022)
  - At least 75% of schools with properly functioning WASH facilities
- Selected WASH Indicators (explicit numeric comparisons 2008 vs 2022):
  - Access to Safe Drinking Water Sources 60% 69.3%
  - Practice of Open Defecation 49% (2012) 43.2%

### Strategic Policy 21 — Contextual Findings and Challenges
- Historical context: pre-war basic water and sanitation infrastructure concentrated in urban areas; rural shortfalls; civil war severely damaged WASH infrastructure.
- Current status (from source figures):
  - 69.3 percent accessed drinking water from improved sources (compared to 60 percent in 2008); 30.7 percent (57.8% rural and 42.2% urban) use unimproved sources.
  - 43.2 percent of households nationally still using open defecation practices.
- Identified challenges:
  - Need to accelerate realization of an open defecation free (ODF) Liberia.
  - Lack of basic infrastructure for water supply and sanitation and inadequate waste and disposal facilities.
  - Low government funding and reliance on development partners.
  - Inadequate trained personnel to operate WASH services; weak municipal and community level monitoring and supervision.
  - Negative household attitudes and practices toward WASH, particularly waste management.
  - Need for investment in rehabilitation of non-functional infrastructure, capacity building, community engagement, private sector participation (PPPs), and sustainable practices.
  - Collaboration among government, NGOs, and international partners is crucial.

### PROGRAMS 46: Sanitation and Hygiene — Objective, Targets, and Interventions
- Objective: Improve access to safe and adequate sanitation facilities and promote good hygiene practices among the population.
- Key targets by 2029 (explicit numeric items shown in source):
  - Establish an integrated WASH Management Information System
  - Increase safely managed water access to 65% and basic access to 90%.
  - End open defecation practices
  - Increase safely managed access to sanitation to 50% and basic access to sanitation to 85%
  - Increase coverage of basic water service in health facilities to 90%,
  - Realize nationwide sanitation and water point mapping
  - Develop WASH regulatory framework
- Key interventions:
  - Establishment of Integrated WASH Management Information System (IMIS)
  - Eradication of Open Defecation practices
  - Conduction of nationwide sanitation mapping
  - Implementation of the national WASH in health care facilities roadmap 2024 to 2029
  - Strengthening private sector participation in all aspects of the water, sanitation, and hygiene delivery cycle.

### Strategic Policy 22: Inclusive Social Development — Objective and Targets
- Strategic Objective: Promote gender equality and empowerment of women, girls, and vulnerable groups, and enhance social protection systems, and ensure that all individuals, especially the most vulnerable, have access to opportunities, resources, and protection.
- Strategic Policy 22 goals by 2029 (explicit numeric items shown in source):
  - Female Work Activity rate 60% 36.8% (2022)
  - Gender Gap Index ranking 20/191 39/186 (2023)
  - Global Gender Index ranking 110/191 164/191 (2022)
  - Prevalence of Child Marriages 0.0% 36% (2016)
  - Women in Leadership 50% 30% (2023)
  - Employment rate of PWD increase by 10% <1% (2023)
  - GBV incidence reduced by 10% 60% (2022)
- Selected gender and empowerment indicators (explicit numeric items from source):
  - Gender Gap Index 78/156 (2024) (UN- Women)
  - Physical Gender and Sexual Violence: 33% of women aged 15-49 years who experienced physical violence in the last 12 months
  - Women in Legislature Est.11% (National Election Commission)
  - Women in the Executive (Cabinet)-35% (Executive Mansion)
  - Women in Local Leadership-30% (Executive Mansion)
  - Unmet Needs for Family Planning 35% (LDHS, 2019/20)
  - Women Literacy Rate 54.6% (LPHC, 2022)

### Strategic Policy 22 — Contextual Findings and Challenges
- Child marriage: average age of marriage reported as 14 years in most regions; 11.3% marrying before age 18; age as low as 12 years in data cited (LPHC, 2022).
- Female-headed households: 53 percent of households nationally are led by women—52 percent in urban areas and 54 percent in rural areas.
- Gender-based violence (GBV) and SGBV:
  - 60 percent of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence; 9 percent have experienced sexual violence (2019-2020 LDHS).
  - In 2023, average monthly reported cases of GBV was 267, with a total of 3,204 during the year (MGCSP).
  - Survivors between ages 0-20 years accounted for 83 percent or 2,662 of reported cases.
  - FGM/C prevalence: 38.2 percent of women and girls between ages 15-49 currently living with consequences of FGM/C; generational decline noted (55 percent of 45–49-year-olds vs 23.9 percent of 15–19-year-olds).
- Social protection:
  - 45.0 percent of the population is categorized as multi-dimensionally poor and deprived of basic services.
  - Social protection policy targets: children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and extremely poor households.
  - Social cash transfer program targets extremely poor households.
- Structural constraints noted in the source:
  - Limited access to education for women constraining reproductive rights and economic participation.
  - Weak justice system, discrimination, corruption, impunity, and inadequate protection for vulnerable groups.
  - Need for continued engagement with traditional and religious leaders to address harmful practices and GBV.

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### 1. Coverage of child protection services in all counties

### 1. Coverage of child protection services in all counties

### Key objectives and cross-cutting targets
- Coverage target: Coverage of child protection services in all counties.
- Reduce percentage of children aged 5-17 engaged in child labor from 28% to 10%.
- End child marriages.
- Secure 5% of new public sector jobs for PWDs.
- Increase women representation in Government leadership positions from 11% to 30%.
- Promote equity in Parliament representation.
- Secure benefits for at least 5,000 individuals from corporate social responsibility commitments.
- Provide 10% of inclusive social housing units for vulnerable groups.

### Program 47: Inclusive policies and systems — objective and interventions
Objective: Remove barriers to inclusion and participation for vulnerable populations by strengthening and enforcing policies, laws, and regulations, and increasing awareness of gender issues.

Key interventions:
- Supporting Systematic legal and policy review and reform with focus on discriminatory laws
- Strengthening institutional capacity for inclusive policy enforcement
- Enhancement of women political participation and undertaking inclusive governance reforms
- Development of an inclusive legal framework on voluntarism
- Strengthening and enforcement of child protection laws
- Strengthening community engagements to promote positive discrimination towards inclusion
- Supporting enforcement of corporate responsibility commitments in every FDI
- Development and enforcement of national accessibility standards

Key targets by 2029:
- (Targets listed above under "Key objectives and cross-cutting targets" apply as cross-cutting objectives.)

### Program 48: Sexual and Gender-Based Violence — objectives, targets, and interventions
Objective: Strengthen preventive measures and coordination mechanisms to foster accountability, shift social norms, and enhance support services in addressing SGBV.

Key targets by 2029:
- Reduce the incidence of SGBV by 50%.
- Increase access to SGBV services by 30%.

Key interventions:
- Improvement of data quality and systems on GBV
- Strengthening and enforcement of SGBV legal frameworks, including eradication of FGM and other harmful traditional practices
- Strengthening community engagement and social behavior change
- Expansion of SGBV prevention and survivor support services
- Improvement of inter-agency coordination mechanism and implementation of the GBV accountability framework nationwide
- Enhance coordination to improve GBV response services

### Program 49: Inclusive Integrated Social Protection and Welfare Services — objectives, targets, and interventions
Objective: Increase access of women and vulnerable groups (PWDs, children, girls, youth) to quality regular and special education, ensure their basic human rights and access to a dignified quality of life, and to improve the safety and welfare of children and the elderly.

Key targets by 2029:
- Increase the participation of girls in empowerment and leadership projects by 30%.
- Increase school enrollment of vulnerable girls by 5,000.
- Ensure that 80% of women and vulnerable groups complete digital literacy training.
- Train 200 individuals in sign language to enhance inclusive communication.
- Incorporate sign language program in at least 15 educational institutions.
- Grant 800 scholarships to empower PWDs.
- Increase child protection and welfare services to 200,000 children.
- Provide cash transfers for economic empowerment to 16,000 members of vulnerable groups.
- Support 500 PWDs with assistive technology equipment.

Key interventions:
- Enhancing girls’ empowerment and leadership development
- Provision of scholarships to vulnerable groups
- Strengthening and expansion of child protection services
- Expansion of access to digital literacy for women and vulnerable groups
- Provision of social cash transfers for economic empowerment
- Expansion of training in sign language to for inclusive communication
- Development of the national student loan scheme (for education)
- Supporting PWDs with assistive technology equipment

### Program 50: Economic Empowerment of Women and Vulnerable Groups — objectives, targets, and interventions
Objective: Increase women and vulnerable groups access to productive resources, and business services, and opportunities to improve their economic status and wellbeing.

Key targets by 2029:
- Provide support to 1,500 children with special needs.
- Establish 50 women agribusiness and entrepreneurship cooperatives.
- Support 400 agribusiness and entrepreneurship enterprises for women and vulnerable groups.
- Capacitate 3,000 veterans and PWDs in agri-business and entrepreneurship.
- Increase capacity and leadership of women in climate-resilient eco-tourism services.
- Support the increase of financial inclusion coverage by 75% of women, PWDs, and vulnerable groups.

Key interventions:
- Development of women’s productive capacity for climate-smart agribusiness and entrepreneurship
- Integration of climate-resilient and ecological practices in agriculture, energy and alternative livelihood
- Provision of support to veterans’ agribusiness production
- Development of PWDs’ productive capacity for agribusiness
- Development of veterans’ productive capacity for agribusiness and entrepreneurship
- Provision of support to women and vulnerable groups in organizing trade fairs of agribusiness and entrepreneurship
- Strengthening support for children with special needs
- Development of women’s leadership capacity in climate-resilient eco-tourism services
- Development of financial inclusion services for women, PWDs, and young people

### Youth context and targets relevant to child protection and welfare
General context and key statistics:
- Youth aged 15-35 years constitute 42 percent of the total population in Liberia (LPHC, 2022).
- Liberia’s Youth Development Index (YDI) in 2023 stood at 0.652.
- National school drop-out rate: 13.6 percent; rural drop-out rate: 15.0 percent; urban drop-out rate: 12.5 percent.
- 47,917 recorded at-risk youth as of the national emergency declaration in June 2023.
- A single rehabilitation program graduated 127 youth in March 2024.
- Only two out of seven government TVET centers for informal youth are operational.

Youth-related targets by 2029:
- Secure 50% of new public sector jobs for youth.
- Capacitate at least 20,000 youth in agri-business and entrepreneurship.
- Secure at least 5,000 internships, apprenticeship, and volunteerism placements for youth and PWDs.
- Increase capacity and leadership of 6,000 youth in climate-resilient eco-tourism services.
- Ensure about 31,625 youth benefit from TVET.
- Enroll at least 10,000 youth volunteers in National Youth Service.

Key youth interventions:
- Development of agri-business and entrepreneurship productive capacity for youth
- Provision of support in organizing trade fairs of agri-business and entrepreneurship for the youth
- Provision of internships, apprenticeships, and volunteer work opportunities for social development of young people and PWDs
- Development of youth leadership and capacity in climate-resilient eco-tourism services
- Supporting youth participation in governance and policymaking
- Improvement of TVET for Youth
- Strengthening volunteerism through the National Youth Service
- Supporting the National Youth Loan Scheme
- Development of skills for future through youth mentorship
- Supporting the reintegration of rehabilitated youth and preventive nationwide awareness campaigns against substance use among adolescents and youth

### Program 52: Inclusive Sports and Recreational Infrastructure — targets and interventions
Objective: Ensure the availability of appropriate facilities and spaces where the population, particularly the youth, can improve and maintain their physical and mental health while fostering social cohesion and developing their talents.

Key targets by 2029:
- Develop 5 youth inclusive sports centers.
- Provide rehabilitation and recreation services to at least 5,000 youth at risk.
- Qualify Liberia for at least 10 international sports competitions annually.

Key interventions:
- Development of inclusive sports centers for the youth
- Enhancement of youth rehabilitation and recreation services
- Development of sports services and nurturing of talents
- Enhancement of support for Liberian young people representing Liberia in international competitions

*Source: National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID.*

### 7. FINANCING THE

### 7. FINANCING THE PLAN

### AAID total cost and funding sources
- Total estimated cost of implementing the AAID programs over 2025-2029: US$8.38 billion.
- Government of Liberia funding: US$2.5 billion, or 30%.
- Remaining 70% potential funding sources:
  - Private sector: US$2.7 billion, representing 35%.
  - Grants as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) activities: US$1.9 billion, or 25%.
  - Diaspora remittances: US$0.7 billion, constituting 10%.
- Funding approach: multi-dimensional fiscal approach from the revenue, expenditure and debt side.

### Cost breakdown per development pillar (totals and major subcomponents)
- Economic Transformation — Total cost US$1,591.4
  - Economic Stability and Growth: US$943.6
  - Agriculture and Fisheries: US$461.7
  - Commerce and Industry: US$102.0
  - Mineral Resource Management: US$50.0
  - Labour and Employment: US$11.2
  - Tourism, Culture and Creative Economy: US$22.9
  - Note: Economic Transformation pillar is described as heavily focused on fostering economic stability (US$0.94 billion), and agriculture and fisheries (US$0.46 billion).
- Infrastructure Development — Total cost US$2,573.8
  - Roads and Basic Infrastructure: US$1,091.3
  - Energy: US$759.3
  - Transport and Logistics: US$435.3
  - Water and Sewage: US$234.0
  - Communication Technologies and Digital Economy: US$29.0
  - Housing Development: US$24.9
  - Note: Largely targets provision of roads and basic infrastructure (US$1.09 billion), energy (US$0.76 billion), and transport and logistics (US$0.44 billion).
- Rule of Law — Total cost US$622.3
  - Public Safety And National Defense: US$502.9
  - Justice and Human Rights: US$119.4
  - Note: Signals commitment to public safety and national defense (US$0.50) and justice and human rights (US$0.12 billion).
- Governance and Anticorruption — Total cost US$805.5
  - Public Administration: US$556.8
  - Transparency and Accountability: US$128.7
  - Foreign Affairs: US$120.0
  - Note: Signifies dedication to enhance transparency and accountability (US$0.13 billion), and improve public administration (US$0.56 billion).
- Environmental Sustainability — Total cost US$422.0
  - Climate Change: US$422.0
  - Note: Estimated cost US$0.42 billion, focused on adaptation and mitigation against climate change and ensuring sustainable development.
- Human Capital Development — Total cost US$2,366.8
  - Health: US$1,391.8
  - Education: US$727.4
  - Inclusive Social Development: US$168.5
  - Youth Development: US$69.2
  - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: US$9.9
  - Note: Costed at US$2.37 billion largely signifies commitment to building a skilled, healthy and productive workforce with emphasis on health (US$1.39 billion), education (US$0.73 billion), and inclusive social development (US$0.17 billion).

### Total and annual AAID cost estimates (per Table 12)
- TOTAL ESTIMATED COST 8,381.8
- Annual breakdown:
  - 2025: 1,257.3
  - 2026: 1,676.4
  - 2027: 2,263.1
  - 2028: 1,927.8
  - 2029: 1,257.3
- Pillar annual totals (selected examples preserving table figures):
  - I Economic Transformation 1,591.4 — 2025: 238.7; 2026: 318.3; 2027: 429.7; 2028: 366.0; 2029: 238.7
    - 1 Economic Stability and Growth 943.6 — 2025: 141.5; 2026: 188.7; 2027: 254.8; 2028: 217.0; 2029: 141.5
    - 4 Agriculture and Fisheries 461.7 — 2025: 69.3; 2026: 92.3; 2027: 124.7; 2028: 106.2; 2029: 69.3
  - II Infrastructure Development 2,573.8 — 2025: 386.1; 2026: 514.8; 2027: 694.9; 2028: 592.0; 2029: 386.1
    - 7 Roads and Basic Infrastructure 1,091.3 — 2025: 163.7; 2026: 218.3; 2027: 294.7; 2028: 251.0; 2029: 163.7
    - 10 Energy 759.3 — 2025: 113.9; 2026: 151.9; 2027: 205.0; 2028: 174.6; 2029: 113.9
  - III Rule of Law 622.3 — 2025: 93.3; 2026: 124.5; 2027: 168.0; 2028: 143.1; 2029: 93.3
    - 14 Public Safety And National Defense 502.9 — 2025: 75.4; 2026: 100.6; 2027: 135.8; 2028: 115.7; 2029: 75.4
  - IV Governance and Anticorruption 805.5 — 2025: 120.8; 2026: 161.1; 2027: 217.5; 2028: 185.3; 2029: 120.8
    - 16 Public Administration 556.8 — 2025: 83.5; 2026: 111.4; 2027: 150.3; 2028: 128.1; 2029: 83.5
  - V Environmental Sustainability 422.0 — 2025: 63.3; 2026: 84.4; 2027: 113.9; 2028: 97.1; 2029: 63.3
  - VI Human Capital Development 2,366.8 — 2025: 355.0; 2026: 473.4; 2027: 639.0; 2028: 544.4; 2029: 355.0
    - 19 Education 727.4 — 2025: 109.1; 2026: 145.5; 2027: 196.4; 2028: 167.3; 2029: 109.1
    - 20 Health 1,391.8 — 2025: 208.8; 2026: 278.4; 2027: 375.8; 2028: 320.1; 2029: 208.8

### 7.1 Revenue mobilization measures
- Domestic revenue mobilization: implementation of Domestic Resource Mobilization Strategy II (DRMS II) and the Revenue Sharing Law and Regulations.
- DRMS II: five-year strategic plan to strengthen and grow domestic revenue by strengthening current sources, tapping potential sources, and developing policies for new revenue sources.
- Revenue Sharing Law and Regulations: improve distribution of revenue between counties and central government and improve county revenue collections.
- Measures from DRMS II to be implemented:
  - Broadening the tax base
    - Tax awareness and education (including civic education) targeting informal sector and willing-to-pay taxpayers.
    - Strengthen taxpayer identification and digitalize tax collection processes.
  - Enhancing tax administration
    - Modernize tax systems and processes to reduce leakages and increase efficiency.
    - Strengthen auditing and enforcement mechanisms to combat tax evasion and avoidance.
    - Review to rationalize tax exemptions and minimize discretionary tax waivers and incentives.
    - Enhance local tax administration under Revenue Sharing Regulation.
  - Introducing new revenue streams
    - Identify untapped revenue sources (examples listed): introduction of Value Added Taxes (VAT) which is on course to be implemented by FY2026, Environmental taxes (e.g., carbon tax), sin taxes (e.g., on tobacco, alcohol and gambling), fees or charges on non-renewable resource extraction.
    - Build capacity of MFDP’s climate finance unit to coordinate stakeholders for climate and green financing revenue streams.
  - Improving natural resource revenue management
    - Enhance transparency and efficiency in collection and allocation of resource revenues from mining and forestry; sector-specific reforms to improve operations and revenue contributions.
  - Engaging the Diaspora and international development cooperation
    - Explore financial instruments such as diaspora bonds or remittance investment funds.
    - Upscale engagement with international partners via bilateral and multilateral agreements, double-tax treaties, technical assistance, low-cost/concessionary loans and grants.
  - Optimizing state-owned enterprises (SOEs)
    - Restructure and improve SOE governance to increase profitability and contribution to public revenues.
    - SOEs to adhere to the PFM Law and Regulation (especially on statutory tax payments – withholding and GST).
  - Issuance of ownership stakes or equity shares in SOEs and public projects
    - Consider issuance to Liberians at home and in the Diaspora to raise financing for sectors such as agribusiness, tourism, renewable energy, special economic zones, utilities.
    - Put in place enabling legal framework, develop viable public sector projects, organize local investors, and reach out to the Diaspora community.
  - Private Sector Investment
    - Pursue, nurture and facilitate effective Public Private Partnerships (PPPs).
  - Innovative Financing
    - Explore philanthropy, green bonds, social impact bonds and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

### 7.2 Expenditure measures
- Expenditure rationalization
  - Elimination or reduction of non-priority spending to free-up resources for critical AAID initiatives; channel realized resources to AAID drivers and rationalize with development filters.
- Improved public financial management (PFM)
  - Strengthen budgeting processes to ensure alignment with AAID priorities; introduce program-based budgeting to link expenditures with measurable outcomes.
- Enhancing efficiency
  - Implement comprehensive public sector reforms to streamline mandates and functions of various MACs, merge institutions with similar mandates or transfer roles into parent ministries.
  - Adopt cost-saving technologies in public service delivery.
  - Civil service reforms to reduce the wage bill; freeze or limit new hiring in non-essential sectors.
- Addressing corruption and resource leakages
  - Strengthen anti-corruption mechanisms to reduce public resource mismanagement and improve transparency and accountability of public expenditure measures.
- Reallocation of resources
  - Redirect subsidies (e.g., fuel or agriculture) to programs with higher return on investment; prioritize investments with long-term benefits such as infrastructure and renewable energy.
- Promotion of cost-sharing models
  - Engage private sector and community-level contributions through PPPs or co-financing arrangements.
- Enhancing targeted social spending
  - Improve targeting of social programs to ensure benefits reach the most vulnerable.
- Periodic expenditure reviews
  - Conduct regular public expenditure reviews to identify cost savings and reprioritize funds; implement robust monitoring and evaluation.

### 7.3 Debt management measures
- Concessional borrowing
  - Prioritize loans from multilateral institutions (e.g., World Bank, IMF, African Development Bank) and bilateral partners offering concessional terms.
  - Align new borrowing with AAID development drivers and filters.
- Debt restructuring
  - Renegotiate existing debt to extend maturities or reduce interest rates; engage in debt swaps (e.g., debt-for-climate or debt-for-development swaps) where feasible.
- Adherence to debt sustainability frameworks
  - Conduct regular debt sustainability analyses to avoid over-indebtedness and borrow for projects with clear economic or social returns.
- Leveraging sovereign guarantees
  - Explore use of sovereign guarantees to attract private sector financing for infrastructure and other projects.
- Bond issuance
  - Explore issuing government bonds, including Diaspora bonds, and green bonds for environmentally sustainable projects.
- Improving debt management capacity
  - Strengthen institutional frameworks for debt management, ensure transparency and accountability, and train officials on prudent borrowing practices and debt negotiation.
- Pursue grants and debt relief
  - Actively seek grants or partial debt forgiveness from international partners, especially for priorities aligned with global goals (e.g., SDGs); engage in global debt relief initiatives.
- Debt transparency
  - Publish and maintain an up-to-date debt database to enhance confidence among creditors and development partners.

*Source: GoL (content unit: 7. FINANCING THE PLAN)*

### 8. IMPLEMENTATION

### 8. IMPLEMENTATION

### Implementation arrangements
- Implementation arrangement has three levels of coordination: National Steering Committee (NSC), National Coordination Committee (NCC), and Technical Committee (TC).
- Provides for sectoral and subnational committees to ensure effective plan implementation.

### Government AAID reporting structure
- Monthly cumulative reports collected by GoL institutional structure, compiled to quarterly reports.
- Quarterly reports are discussed in meetings for consolidation and monitoring.
- Quarterly reporting forums include:
  - Cabinet: The MFDP provides quarterly high-level update on the performance of the AAID during regular Cabinet meetings; the update sets the document to be presented to development stakeholders.
  - Pillar Working Group: Ministers responsible for coordinating AAID pillars meet quarterly to provide updates on quarterly performance.
  - Sector Working Group: MACs responsible for coordinating AAID programs under the strategic policies meet quarterly to provide updates on programs and policy performance.
- Government reporting structures serve as clearing houses before joint meetings with development stakeholders.

### National Steering Committee (NSC)
- Purpose: Provide policy guidance and leadership for implementation; hold MACs accountable for prescribed actions, timeframes, and deliverables.
- Leadership and membership:
  - Headed by the President of Liberia.
  - Co-chaired by the UN Resident Coordinator.
  - Members include Cabinet Ministers, invited Government Agencies and Commissions, and representatives of development partners, civil society organizations (CSOs), private sector and Diaspora.
- Meeting frequency: Will be held at least twice a year to monitor progress.
- Responsibilities:
  - Policy Oversight: Reviewing and approving recommended policies, regulations, procedures, and standards to support implementation and success of the national agenda.
  - Strategic Guidance: Providing overarching strategic direction to ensure AAID programs and projects align with broader national policies and development goals.
  - Resource Management: Ensuring the availability, allocation and utilization of financial, human, and material resources to execute programs and projects.
  - Political Support: Providing strong political will and support to galvanize national and international commitment.

### National Coordination Committee (NCC)
- Purpose: Guide, oversee, and ensure successful implementation of stipulated programs and projects in the AAID.
- Leadership and membership:
  - Headed by the Minister of Finance and Development Planning.
  - Co-chaired by the Cooperating Partners Group.
  - Members include Cabinet members, invited Government Agencies and Commissions, and representatives of development partners, CSOs, private sector, and the Diaspora.
- Meeting frequency: Will meet quarterly and as may be agreed upon.
- Responsibilities:
  - Strategic Direction: Providing overall strategic guidance and direction to ensure derived outputs align with established goals, objectives and expected outputs.
  - Coordination and Collaboration: Facilitating smooth coordination, collaboration and communication among stakeholders involved in implementation.
  - Monitoring and Evaluation: Overseeing progress, monitoring key performance indicators, and ensuring objectives are met within set timelines and budget.
  - Resource Management: Ensuring allocated resources (funding, personnel, equipment) are appropriately, efficiently and effectively used.
  - Policy Development: Developing and recommending to the NSC relevant policies, regulations, procedures, and standards.
  - Risk Management: Monitoring identified potential risks and challenges and developing/suggesting mitigation strategies.
  - Reporting: Providing regular updates and reports to the NSC on progress, achievements, challenges, and pending requests for immediate action.

### Technical Committee (TC)
- Purpose: Guide and support the NCC; provide specialized technical expertise and guidance for implementing interventions and monitoring progress.
- Leadership and membership:
  - Headed by the Assistant Minister for Planning.
  - Co-chaired by the UN Chief Technical Lead.
  - Members include Government representatives from MACs, development partners, CSOs, private sector and the Diaspora.
- Meeting frequency: Will meet quarterly and as may be agreed upon.
- Responsibilities:
  - Expert Advice: Providing the NCC expert technical advice and suggestions per specialized knowledge and skills.
  - Standards Development: Developing, reviewing, and drafting technical standards, guidelines, and best practice solutions relevant to implementation.
  - Technical Oversight: Ensuring technical aspects are implemented correctly, efficiently, and in accordance with established standards.
  - Research and Analysis: Conducting research, analysis, and technical assessments to support decision-making and problem-solving.
  - Quality Assurance: Monitoring and evaluating the quality and effectiveness of technical work, processes, and outcomes.
  - Collaboration and Coordination: Facilitating collaboration among technical experts, teams, and stakeholders.
  - Reporting: Preparing and presenting technical reports, documentation, and recommendations to the NCC as requested.

### Technical Coordination Groups (TCGs)
- TCGs meet at the institutional level, bringing together MACs, development partners, private sector and civil society representatives to resolve current program issues.
- TCGs meet regularly as agreed among TCG members.

### Sub-National Coordination Groups (SNCGs)
- SNCGs meet at the county level, bringing together local government institutions, development partners, private sector and civil society representatives to monitor progress of the CDA.
- Central coordination mechanisms shall be replicated at the county level consistent with the Local Government Act of Liberia.
- SNCG meetings will be held regularly as agreed among members.

### Development partners’ coordination structure
- Development partners will engage through the following meetings in support of AAID implementation:
  - Development Partners Strategic Retreat: Partners converge annually to assess how development assistance is aligned with the AAID.
  - Cooperating Partners Group (CPG) Meetings: Partners meet regularly to build synergies and joint understanding in supporting AAID and CDA priorities.
  - Partners Technical Working Group Meetings: Partners meet whenever necessary to align current and future priorities with GoL sectors and complement Government development efforts.

### Private Sector and CSO Forums
- Purpose: Platform to foster collaborative efforts with Government and stakeholders to drive sustainable economic growth and job creation.
- Structured meetings with private sector representatives will be held at different levels to build consensus in AAID implementation.
- The forums consolidate private sector or CSO approaches on Plan implementation to enable more productive meetings with Government and stakeholders.
- Thematic areas of discussion will be as agreed among members.

### Communication strategy
- A Communication Strategy will be developed and implemented to engender national ownership and mobilize stakeholder support.
- The Strategy will provide effective information and education to all stakeholders on Plan implementation at all levels.
- Popular versions of the AAID and CDAs will be developed to disseminate the Plan to various segments of society.

*Source: 1lbrea2025004-source-pdf - 8. IMPLEMENTATION*

### 9. MONITORING

### 9. MONITORING AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORK

### 9.1. OVERVIEW
- Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) is a vital component of policy formulation, implementation, and development management.
- M&E outcomes guide national development planning, support sector and local government policy and program design, inform budget allocations, and enhance transparency and accountability.
- The M&E framework aims to institutionalize Results-Based Planning, performance monitoring, reporting, and the utilization of evidence for responsive decision-making.
- Since the end of the civil war, Liberia developed several national development plans; results have often fallen short due to weak implementation, monitoring, and evaluation (VNR, 2022).
- The Government of Liberia will establish a comprehensive National Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system, including:
  - a national MEL policy, plan, and manual;
  - a data management system with necessary tools, processes, procedures, and qualified human resources to monitor the NDP and future national development plans.

### 9.2. LESSONS LEARNED FROM MONITORING AND EVALUATING PREVIOUS AAIDS

- 9.2.1. Challenges
  - Systemic challenges hindered implementation of previous National Development Plans and the 2030 Agenda.
  - The 2020 Voluntary National Review (VNR) revealed a lack of baseline data and SDG indicators and insufficient monitoring and evaluation.
  - Weak national statistical and evaluation systems hinder data collection.
  - Many government agencies lack technical capacity for effective monitoring and evaluations.
  - Absence of regulatory requirements leads to limited awareness among public officials of how evaluation evidence can inform policy making.

- 9.2.2. Lesson Learned
  - Establishing a national monitoring and evaluation policy is an urgent necessity to set standards and promote evidence-based decision-making.

- 9.2.3. Institutional Framework
  - The Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) will oversee M&E of the AAID.
  - MFDP’s M&E office will lead nationwide monitoring and evaluation and coordinate with M&E offices at sector MACs and County levels for periodic data collection.
  - Monitoring ensures implementation follows the Plan; evaluation ensures implementation produces desired results.

- 9.2.4. Institutional Arrangements
  - M&E institutional arrangements will mirror the roles and responsibilities in the AAID implementation and coordination arrangements.
  - Emphasis on coordination and information sharing within a robust National M&E System (MES) to internalize, interconnect, and harmonize processes.

- 9.2.5. Roles and Responsibilities
  - MFDP: lead agency for coordinating M&E across all sectors; provides guidance on M&E methodologies, ensures consistent data collection and reporting, and synthesizes information to inform policy.
  - Sector MACs (e.g., Ministries of Agriculture, Health, and Education): conduct sector-specific M&E; collect data, analyze results, and report to MFDP.
  - Local Governments: lead county-level M&E activities with support from the national M&E System.
  - Development partners and NGOs: provide financial and technical support, ensure adoption of best international practices, and strengthen Liberia’s M&E systems.
  - Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), CSOs, and NGOs: engage local communities in the M&E process, provide grassroots feedback, and ensure programs respond to local needs.

- 9.2.6. Institutional Strengthening
  - A. Train government M&E personnel at national and sub-national levels on data management, analysis, and reporting techniques.
  - B. Ensure sector MACs and Local Governments have necessary technological and human resources to implement M&E activities.
  - C. Develop a culture of accountability with regular reporting and use of evidence to inform decisions.

### 9.3. M&E STRATEGY FOR THE AAID

- 9.3.1. Strategic Direction
  - A National M&E Plan will be developed to address critical challenges in the Government’s M&E architecture and provide policy and strategic directions.
  - The Framework is informed by lessons learned from previous National Development Plans and aims to ensure effective and efficient monitoring and evaluation of the AAID and CDAs.
  - Focus on strengthening both demand for and supply of M&E results by enhancing capacity of evidence-producing institutions (sector MACs and Local Governments) and establishing a relevant legal framework.
  - Prioritize bottom-up participation to ensure stakeholder ownership and improve demand for M&E insights.
  - Clarify assigned roles for the Office of the President, the Legislature, and the Cabinet to enhance utilization of M&E results.
  - Monitoring involves regular/ongoing performance assessments based on indicators in the Results Framework; evaluation uses broader methods to examine implementation, challenges, outcomes, and impacts.
  - Thematic and small area studies (TSAS) will evaluate intended and unintended consequences of policy interventions.
  - Strong political support, collaboration with development partners to create a unified National M&E system, and annual budget allocations prioritizing M&E are essential.

- 9.3.2. Specific Interventions
  - A. Adopt a comprehensive MEL architecture combining monitoring and reporting (outputs and intermediate outcomes), evaluation (outcome and impact analysis), and a learning strategy linking M&E outcomes to decision-making.
  - B. Set up a robust MEL System generating relevant, reliable, and timely quantitative and qualitative disaggregated information to support strategic decision-making, results-based management, and learning.
  - C. Ensure participatory MEL at all levels for effectiveness and sustainability.
  - D. Strengthen M&E institutional architecture with adequate capacity.
  - E. Strengthen leadership to ensure use and sustainability of government MEL and statistics systems.
  - F. Develop and implement M&E capacity enhancement programs and projects.
  - G. Improve investments in the supply and use of M&E results.
  - H. Manage effective feedback mechanisms that make statistical information available in real time and usable form to Government, private sector, and civil society.
  - I. Ensure a holistic MEL approach monitoring inputs (including resource allocations and use), processes, outputs, and evaluating outcomes.
  - J. Leverage Geographical information systems (GIS) to improve real time tracking of project progress, requiring synergies between LISGIS and MFDP’s M&E unit in evidence-gathering.

### 9.4. M&E REPORTING AND COMMUNICATION

- 9.4.1. Reporting Framework
  - Establish a comprehensive reporting framework producing quarterly and annual reports to assess progress across sectors.
  - Each MAC and Local Government will submit regular reports to MFDP, which will consolidate them into a national M&E progress document.

- 9.4.2. Communication Strategy
  - Implement a clear and transparent communication strategy using digital media, public forums, and traditional print channels to keep stakeholders and the public informed.
  - Regular press releases and public presentations will foster transparency and stakeholder engagement.

- 9.4.3. Feedback Mechanisms
  - Incorporate mechanisms to gather feedback from local communities and program beneficiaries to enhance accountability and responsiveness.
  - Use feedback to adjust programs in real-time to maintain relevance to population needs.

### 9.5. AAID M&E FRAMEWORK

- The AAID M&E framework includes a comprehensive, structured, and systematic matrix (Annex 1) to track and assess performance of development programs and interventions by pillar and sector.
- Core components: key performance indicators (KPIs), baselines, outcomes, outputs, annual targets, and data sources.

- 9.5.1. Development Indicators and Targets
  - Two primary indicator types:
    - Output Indicators: measure immediate results (e.g., number of schools built, healthcare facilities constructed, agricultural extension services delivered).
    - Outcome Indicators: measure intermediate changes (e.g., improved conditions to reduce poverty, improved health outcomes, increased literacy rates).
  - Baseline data is critical and ideally collected through assessments by government institutions and development partners.
  - Based on baseline data, set SMART targets (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound) reflecting national development priorities.

- 9.5.2. Data Management and Analysis
  - Data Sources:
    - Primary sources include government administrative data such as the District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2) for health data, the Census, Demographic Health Survey, and administrative records from schools, agricultural agencies, commissions, and other ministries.
  - Data Collection Tools and Techniques:
    - Support use of digital and manual methods.
    - Tools like the Open Data Kit (ODK) enable efficient field data collection, particularly in remote areas.
    - Paper-based tools will continue where technological access is limited to ensure inclusivity and comprehensiveness.
  - Data Quality Assurance:
    - Measures include periodic audits of data collection processes, automated validation checks in digital tools, and field supervision to verify reported information.
    - Regular training sessions will improve data collection skills across ministries and agencies.
  - Data Analysis and Interpretation:
    - MFDP will conduct data analysis using various statistical software to identify trends, evaluate program effectiveness, and inform evidence-based decisions.
    - Data interpretation will involve close work with sectoral ministries to ensure insights inform policy adjustments and program improvements.

*National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID: 9. MONITORING AND EVALUATION FRAMEWORK.*

### 10. RISK MITIGATION

### 10. RISK MITIGATION

### Summary of Principal Risks and Mitigation Measures
- Identified risks that could derail AAID implementation: corruption, political will, macroeconomic instability, business enabling environment, climate change, private sector participation, financing and investment, people’s attitude and involvement, conflict and social risks, and legislative risks.
- Overall mitigation approach: establish institutional mechanisms, strengthen governance and accountability, adopt prudent macroeconomic policies, improve the business environment, build climate-resilient infrastructure and preparedness, promote PPPs and private investment protections, strengthen financial tracking, and ensure legislative and community engagement.

### Corruption Risks
- Risk: Bribery, nepotism, and embezzlement threaten AAID implementation.
- Mitigations:
  - Establish mechanisms to enforce anti-corruption policies.
  - Protect whistleblowers to enable reporting without fear of reprisal.
  - Empower antigraft institutions to prosecute corrupt practices.

### Political Will Risks
- Risk: Key decision makers may fail to implement reforms because of self-interest or lack of motivation, undermining interventions, notably anti-corruption and service delivery improvements.
- Mitigations:
  - Establish a performance management system requiring each appointed official to sign a performance contract for accountability.
  - Implement a robust coordination mechanism to secure broad-based stakeholder support for the AAID.

### Macroeconomic Instability Risks
- Risk: Macroeconomic instability increases uncertainty, discourages investment, and impedes growth.
- Mitigations:
  - Establish prudent fiscal and monetary policies to ensure macroeconomic stability.
  - Strengthen debt management frameworks to avoid over-borrowing.
  - Consider financial buffers or stabilization funds for economic shocks, particularly commodity price volatility.

### Business Enabling Environment Risks
- Risk: Unfavorable business environment discourages investment and impedes AAID implementation.
- Mitigations:
  - Streamline procedures for business registration and operation to reduce bureaucratic red tape.
  - Strengthen mechanisms for transparency and accountability in government-business interactions.
  - Implement land tenure security reforms to provide clear, enforceable land ownership rights.

### Climate Change Risks
- Risk: Climate-related events (floods, droughts, rising sea levels, coastal erosion) threaten agriculture and the blue economy.
- Mitigations:
  - Develop infrastructure that can withstand climate shocks.
  - Promote climate smart agriculture.
  - Implement an early warning system and community-based disaster preparedness.

### Private Sector Participation Risks
- Risk: Insufficient collaboration mechanisms, delays in decision-making and procurement, and inadequate transparency hindering private sector participation.
- Mitigations:
  - Develop a robust PPP framework with clear contract terms and risk-sharing mechanisms.
  - Strengthen a solid trading platform to connect producers with local and international markets.
  - Create mechanisms to secure private sector investments through insurance and legal protections.

### Financing and Investment Risks
- Risk: Investment risks that could limit financing for strategic projects.
- Mitigations:
  - Use a mix of public, private, and concessional financing to de-risk investments.
  - Implement risk-sharing facilities or sovereign guarantees for strategic projects.
  - Strengthen financial tracking systems to prevent misuse of funds and monitor project impacts.

### Conflict and Social Risks
- Risk: Conflicts and social issues that could hinder AAID implementation.
- Mitigations:
  - Establish platforms for dialogue and grievance redress in project-affected areas.
  - Ensure development initiatives do not exacerbate existing tensions or inequalities.
  - Strengthen law enforcement and local security to protect investments and communities.

### Legislative Risks
- Risk: Legislative impasse delaying budget appropriations, enactment of laws, ratification of agreements, and causing political interference in legislative business.
- Mitigations:
  - Ensure effective legislative engagement.
  - Promote the AAID as a national agenda to reduce delays and support timely implementation and governance reforms.

### Selected Strategic KPIs, Baselines, and Targets (Economic Transformation — Economic Stability and Growth)
- Macroeconomic Stability — Strengthening of macroeconomic framework
  - Outcome: Macroeconomic stability
  - Output: Reliable and realistic macroeconomic forecasts for policy decisions
  - Output indicator: Procedures and process adopted to update the macroeconomic indicators
  - KPI 8.1.1 Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita — Baseline: 0
  - Target action: Develop procedures and process to regularly improve macroeconomic data collection and update forecasts
- Macroeconomic Stability — Development of the Liberia economic geography database and reports
  - Outcome: Investment and business decisions supported by the updated economic activity information
  - Output: Economic geography database and report
  - Output indicator: Economic geographic database developed disaggregated by counties
  - Baseline: No database and report
  - Target action: Develop the Liberia economic geography database and reports
- Macroeconomic Stability — Achievement of a single Liberian dollar currency in line with ECOWAS objective
  - Outcome: Liberia aligned with ECOWAS economic integration objectives
  - Output: Single currency in use
  - Baseline: Dual Currency
  - Target action: De-dollarize the Liberian economic and financial transactions
- Macroeconomic Stability — Transition to an inflation targeting framework and reducing inflation
  - Outcome: Stable market prices
  - KPI: Inflation rate
  - Baseline: 10.1%
  - Target: Inflation rate dropped to 5%
- Macroeconomic Stability — Increasing Gross International Reserves
  - Outcome: Reduction of foreign exchange rate depreciation
  - Output: Rationalize the usage of Gross International Reserves
  - KPI: Months of imports
  - Baseline: 2.3 months of imports
  - Target: Gross International Reserves Increased to 4 months of imports
- Public Financial Management — Development and implementation of PPP framework
  - Outcome: Diversification of public financing instruments
  - Output: PPP funded projects
  - Output: PPP Policy and procedure manual developed
  - KPI 17.17.1 Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure — Baseline: 0
  - Target action: Develop a PPP Policy and procedure manual

*Source: 10. RISK MITIGATION, National Development Plan 2025 – 2029, ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### Annex 1: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

### Annex 1: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework

### Economic Transformation — Economic Stability and Growth; Public Financial Management; Planning & Statistics; Financial Inclusion; Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, Mineral Resource Management, Tourism, Culture and Creative Economy, Labor and Employment
- Strengthening SOE governance and legal framework
  - Outcome: Catalytic participation of SOEs in economic activities and revenue generation
  - Output: All SOEs in line with GoL objectives and publishing audited financial statement annually
  - Output: Corporate governance policy and legal framework for SOEs in place
  - KPI: TBD
  - Target by 2029: Develop a Corporate governance policy and legal framework for SOEs

- Strengthening institutional public financial capacity
  - Outcome: Catalytic involvement of PFM in the development of Liberia
  - Output: Institutional capacity strengthened
  - KPI: Number of personnel whose capacity have been strengthened (disaggregated by type of training, location, age and gender)
  - Baseline: 20
  - Target by 2029: Strengthen the capacity of  1,500 PFM related personnel per spending entity

- Implementation of program-based budgeting
  - Outcome: Enhanced development impact
  - Output: Enhanced planning and budgeting alignment
  - KPI: State Budget execution totally aligned to NDP
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Align the State Budget execution to NDP implementation

- Development and implementation of Green Financing Strategic Plan
  - Outcome: Diversification of public financing instruments
  - Output: Green financing mobilized; Green Financing Strategy Developed and operationalized
  - KPI: Link to SDG 15.a.1 (a) and (b)
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Develop and operationalized Green Financing Strategy

- Improvement of public expenditure management
  - Outcome: Public expenditure management upgraded to B rating
  - Output: Parity between financial and physical budget execution
  - KPI: 16.6.1 Primary government expenditures as a proportion of original approved budget, by sector (or by budget codes or similar)
  - Baseline: TBD
  - Target by 2029: Ensure alignment between budget's financial and physical execution

- Increasing domestic resource mobilization
  - Outcome: Improved fiscal stance
  - Output: Increased domestic resource mobilization
  - KPI: 17.1.1 Total government revenue as a proportion of GDP, by source
  - Baseline: 682,000,000
  - Target by 2029: Increase domestic revenue by 25%

- Strengthening of public investment management
  - Outcome: Public investment assets catalytic to development
  - KPI: Proportion of developed public sector investment projects funded in the State Budget
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Implement the PSIP

- Rationalization of the productive sector tax eco-System
  - Outcome: Improved fiscal environment for businesses
  - KPI: Percentage of the productive sector fiscal burden decreased
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Rationalize the productive sector taxes

- Establishment of Agriculture Enterprise Development Bank
  - Outcome: Increased access to agriculture financing
  - Output: Agriculture Enterprise Development Bank established and operational
  - KPI: 9.3.2 Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Establish the Agriculture Enterprise Development Bank

- Issuance of diaspora bonds
  - Outcome: Diversification of public financing instruments
  - KPI: Amount of funds invested through diaspora bond; Diaspora bonds issued
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Issue diaspora bonds

- Integrated planning reporting information management system
  - Outcome: Accurate planning instruments implementation performance
  - KPI: Integrated planning information management system developed
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Implement an Integrated planning information management system

- Development planning legal framework
  - Outcome: Systematic development planning culture
  - KPI: Development planning legal framework adopted
  - Baseline: 1
  - Target by 2029: Develop planning legal framework

- Improvement of statistical data collection and accessibility
  - Outcome: Availability of a wide range of socioeconomic statistical data
  - KPI: Number of statistical products publicly available on an open data platform; 17.18.3
  - Baseline: TBD
  - Target by 2029: 20 statistical products widely available

- Strengthen the Institutional Capacity of the National Statistical System
  - Outcome: Improvement in the World Bank Statistical Capacity Index Score
  - KPI: Number of trained personnel of the statistical system; 17.19.1
  - Baseline: TBD
  - Target by 2029: Strengthen the capacity of  1,500 statistical system related personnel

- Financial inclusion targets
  - KPI: Percentage of adult population with bank accounts
  - Baseline: 52% (WB Findex 2022 Report)
  - Target by 2029: 70% of adults with bank accounts  (World Bank Findex Report)
  - KPI: Number of bank branches per 100,000
  - Baseline: 1-3 branches
  - Target by 2029: 12 branches
  - KPI: Percentage of mobile money users; 8.10.2
  - Baseline: 46% of the adult population
  - Target by 2029: 75-80% of the adult population
  - KPI: Number of ATMs per 100,000; 8.10.1
  - Baseline: 2-4 ATMs
  - Target by 2029: 6-8 ATMs
  - KPI: Number of housing loans disbursed annually
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Increase lending to housing by 20%
  - Partial credit guarantees
  - Target by 2029: Increase the issuance of partial credit guarantees to housing, agriculture and light-manufacturing by 20%

- Labor and employment
  - Decent Work Act implementation
    - KPI: Number of formal jobs created annually; 8.3.1
    - Baseline: 1
    - Target by 2029: Improve job creation environment
  - Human Capacity Development Strategy
    - KPI: Percentage increase in employment rate in key economic sectors disaggregated by type
    - Baseline: 5.9%
    - Target by 2029: Improve workforce planning

- Commerce and Industry — diversification, value addition, enabling environment
  - Establish 4 incubators (Target by 2029)
  - Increase business development services to entrepreneurs by 30% (Baseline: less than 10%)
  - Increase exports by 20% (Baseline: less than 20%; KPI: 17.11.1)
  - Training for producers: Train at least 1,000 local producers; target 60% achieve export related certification (Baseline: Less than 10%)
  - Establish and operationalize four (4) logistic centers focused on agribusiness and mining activities
  - Establish and operationalize at least one additional special economic zone (Baseline: 1)
  - Formalize at least 10,000 informal businesses nationwide (Baseline: TBD)
  - Secure at least $1 billion in FDI; with agribusiness, tourism and mining sectors accounting for 50% (Baseline: TBD)
  - Establish at least two (2) diaspora-led franchising investments (Baseline: 0)
  - Implement at least 10 major regulatory reforms (Baseline: 0)
  - Strengthen institutional capacity with training of at least 50 officials (Baseline: TBD)
  - Decrease the time to establish a company to 24 hours (One Stop Shop expansion; Baseline: TBD)
  - Implement the national intellectual property ecosystem (KPI baseline: TBD)
  - Increase inclusive micro finance support to Liberian owned businesses by 30% (KPI baseline: TBD)
  - Establish at least four accreditation and certification facilities nationwide (KPI baseline: TBD)

- Agriculture and Fisheries — production, value chains, resilience
  - Food crop production: Metric ton of food crops produced (KPI baseline: TBD); Target by 2029: Decrease imports of food crop products by 30%
  - Cash crop production: Target by 2029: Growth in export revenue from cash crops by 30% and Decrease imports of agricultural processed products by 30% (Baseline: TBD)
  - Local processing: Volume (metric ton) of agriculture products processed locally (Baseline: TBD); Target by 2029: Decrease imports of agricultural processed products by 30%
  - Climate smart irrigation: Farmers adopting climate resilient irrigation systems Baseline: 0.5%; Target by 2029: Increase number of farmers adopting climate smart irrigation techniques  by  30%; Formalize and capacitate additional 100 farmers cooperatives with climate resilient and ecological practices
  - Research and development in agriculture: Target by 2029: Increase local seeds production by 30% (KPI baseline: TBD)
  - Home-grown feeding projects: KPI baseline: TBD; Target by 2029: Decrease imports of food crops by 30%
  - Formalization of farmers cooperatives: Baseline: 50; Target by 2029: Formalize and capacitate additional 100 farmers cooperatives
  - Extension services: KPI baseline: TBD; Target by 2029: Decrease imports of food crop products by 30%
  - Mechanization hubs & storage: Number of storage and preservation facilities installed Baseline: 70% (coverage?); Target by 2029: Reduce post harvest losses by at least 20%

- Livestock and Poultry Production
  - Produce 450,000 tons of poultry meat (Baseline: TBD)
  - Produce 40 million carts of eggs (Baseline: TBD)
  - Increase animal feed production; Target by 2029: Decrease imports of animal feed by 30%
  - Strengthen national veterinarian service delivery system (Baseline: 0); Target by 2029: Increase national veterinary service delivery system

- Fish Production and Blue Economy
  - Fish captured KPI: Metric ton of fish Landed (Baseline: TBD); Target by 2029: Decrease imports of fish products by 30%
  - Aquaculture: Target by 2029: Produce 600,000 metirc tons of fish (Baseline: TBD)
  - Blue economy: KPI: Metric ton of solid plastic waste collected (Baseline: TBD); Target by 2029: Implement blue economy initiatives
  - Salt production: Target by 2029: Produce 500 tons of salt per year (Baseline: TBD)
  - Commercial fish processing: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Formalize additional 50 cooperatives of fishing operators

- Mineral Resource Management and Extractive Industry
  - Formalize 15 Artisanal & Small-scale Mining into cooperatives (Baseline: 0)
  - Update Liberia Mineral Resource Geological and geo-physical Maps (Baseline: 1)
  - Increase mining operations utilizing climate responsive technologies and practices by 30% (Baseline: 0)
  - Improve mining business environment: EITI score Baseline: 75%; Target by 2029: Increase FDI in all segments of the mining value chain by at least 10 percent
  - Increase women's and marginalized groups' participation in concession decision making by 15% (Baseline: 0)
  - Expand and modernize oil and gas storage: Gas tanks and fuel tanks capacities provided; Target by 2029: Construct 17,000mt storage facility
  - Issue 20 new exploration licenses in the upstream oil and gas sector (Baseline: 0)
  - Revise the Mineral Development Agreement (MDA) mechanism (Baseline: TBD)

- Tourism, Culture and Creative Economy
  - Establish and capacitate the Tourism Authority (Baseline: 0)
  - Brand and commercialize Liberian touristic destinations (Baseline: 0)
  - Develop 25 eco-tourism sites across the country (Baseline: 0)
  - Increase stakeholders participating in coordination meetings and workshops to 2000 (Baseline: 0)
  - Stakeholder training: Target by 2029: 50% of stakeholder reporting improved knowledge and skills annually (Baseline: 0)
  - Develop and operationalize the Liberia tourism website with trip journeys (Baseline: 0)
  - Increase international tourists’ arrivals by 10% (Baseline: 0)
  - Increase domestic tourism trips by 10% (Baseline: 0)
  - Increase visits to cultural sites by 30% (Baseline: 1)
  - Organize 5 creative economy trade fairs with private sector (Baseline: TBD)
  - Increase financing for creative economy operators by 20% (Baseline: 0)

### Infrastructure Development — Roads, Transport & Logistics, Water & Sewage, Energy, Communication Technologies & Digital Economy, Housing
- Roads and road safety
  - Primary roads: Kilometers of Primary roads paved with asphalt Baseline: 1,131; Target by 2029: Pave 485 km of primary roads with asphalt
  - Secondary roads: Kilometers rehabilitated Baseline: 72; Target by 2029: Expand, rehabilitate and maintain 1,090 km of secondary road network
  - Feeder roads: Kilometers rehabilitated Baseline: 12; Target by 2029: Develop, expand, rehabilitate and maintain 2,500 km of feeder  roads  network
  - National Road Authority: Baseline: 1; Target by 2029: Establish 5 Regional Operational Hubs
  - Urban/community roads: Target by 2029: Upgrade, pave and maintain 125 km of urban and community roads (Baseline: TBD)
  - Traffic signs: Target by 2029: 1,000 pieces traffic signs installed across the country (Baseline: TBD)
  - Weighbridges: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Install 20 weighbridges

- Transport & logistics — ports, rail, air, public transport, warehouses
  - Modernize four ports and one dry-port in Nimba; Expand and modernize four ports and one dry-port in Nimba (Baseline: TBA for new terminals)
  - Port expansion: Target by 2029: Expand and modernize four ports and one dry-port in Nimba
  - Railways: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Expand the railway from Yekepa to Guinea border
  - Airports: Rehabilitate five domestic airstrips; Upgrade James Spriggs Payne Airport (Number of state-of-the art terminals available Baseline: 1)
  - Mass public transport: Baseline: 25 (availability of public transport services); Target by 2029: Expand and modernize inclusive mass public transport services; Establish four multi-purpose bus terminals (Baseline: 0)
  - Climate-smart warehouses: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Establish four climate-controlled warehouses across counties
  - Port trade facilitation: Target by 2029: Expand and modernize four ports and one dry-port in Nimba
  - Driver licensing/vehicle registration: Targets include modernizing processes and decentralizing services (Baselines: 0 or TBD)

- Water and sewage
  - Urban water supply: Baseline: 49,028 cubic meters of water produced and distributed to urban businesses and communities; Target by 2029: Produce and distribute 100,000 cubic meters (26.5 million gallons) of water per day
  - Rural water supply: Baseline: TBD; Targets by 2029: Supply 10,000 cubic meter of water to rural communities and businesses; Cater coverage increased by 75% (rural water)
  - Sewage services: Baseline coverage: 5%; Target by 2029: Increased coverage of sewage services to 30%
  - Water resource mapping: Target by 2029: 4. Update the Liberia water resource map
  - Fecal sludge management: Baseline: TBD; Target by 2029: Improve the fecal sludge management in Monrovia and other urban centers

- Energy
  - Regulatory framework: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Ensure 100% compliance with the upgraded regulatory framework by all electricity providers
  - Mount Coffee Hydro Power Plant (MCHPP) rehabilitation
    - KPI: Number of damaged turbines rehabilitated
    - Baseline: 4
    - Target by 2029: Operationalize 4 turbines at MCHPP
  - Increase national electricity access rate by 55% (Baseline: TBD)
  - RESPITE (Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention): Baseline: 66 (Total MW of solar power systems installed in regional facilities); Target by 2029: Increase capacity of MCHPP to 148 MW
  - Off-grid solar: Target by 2029: Increase energy mixed by 36 MW solar

- Communication Technologies and Digital Economy
  - National Digital Postal Address System: Baseline: TBD; Target by 2029: National Digital Postal Address System available for 55% of houses
  - Digitize Postal System and Services by 70% (Baseline: 0)
  - Harmonization of GoL ICT infrastructure: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Integrate 100 GoL ministries and agencies into the harmonized ICT system
  - E-Governance: Baseline: TBD; Target by 2029: Achieve 60% of government services available online
  - ACE fiber cable and Amilca Cabral integration: Baseline: TBD; Target by 2029: Fully install and activate 100% of ACE fiber cable and complete the integration of Amilca Cabral fiber cable into the national backbone
  - ICT in schools, hospitals, digital villages: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Achieve 100% ICT coverage in 100 schools, 50 hospitals, and 30 digital villages
  - Increase ICT startups by 30% (Baseline: TBD); Increase ICT startups led by women and youth by 50% (Baseline: TBD)
  - Cybersecurity: Target by 2029: Reduce successful cyberattacks by 50% within three years
  - Broadcasting: Baseline: 1; Target by 2029: Increase nationwide radio and television coverage to 60%; Complete comprehensive digital migration across LBS broadcasting platforms; Digitization of archives (Baseline: 0)

- Housing Development
  - Housing policy: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Develop a comprehensive housing policy framework, with at least 80% of key policy components in place
  - Housing Information System: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Fully operationalize the housing information system, covering 100% of national housing stock
  - Partnerships to deliver 5,000 affordable housing units (Baseline: TBD)
  - Slum upgrading: Baseline: 2,116 (11.1.1 Proportion of urban population living in slums); Target by 2029: Construct 1000 inclusive housing units
  - Re-qualification of urban/suburban areas: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Re-qualify 10% of urban and suburban areas
  - Commercialize 5,000 plots for public servants and diaspora (Baseline: 0)
  - Provision of housing for public servants: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: Deliver 50,000 housing units for public servants, with 50% located in rural or underserved areas
  - Land acquisition for housing: Baseline: 0; Target by 2029: 1000 acres of land purchased for construction of housing

### Rule of Law — Justice and Human Rights; Justice Policy Reform and Decentralization
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
  - Outcome: Alleviation of court congestion by diverting suitable cases to ADR mechanisms
  - KPI: 16.3.3 Proportion of the population who have experienced a dispute in the past two years and who accessed a formal or informal dispute resolution mechanism, by type of mechanism
  - Baseline: 1
  - Target by 2029: Operationalize alternative dispute resolution law

- Constitutional and legal reform
  - KPI: Number of amendments to the constitution and existing Laws, new bills approved by parliament
  - Baseline: TBD
  - Target by 2029: Review the constitution and other laws

- Integrated legal codification system
  - Outcome: Improved access to legal information
  - Output: A fully integrated digital platform storing Supreme Court rulings, statutes, judicial opinions, and other legal documents
  - KPI: Total number of registered users (lawyers, judges, government officials, academial, public)
  - Baseline: 0
  - Target by 2029: Publish 110 Executive Orders, volumes of LCLR and Liberia Law reports

*Annex 1: Monitoring and Evaluation Framework — National Development Plan 2025 – 2029; ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID*

### Introduction of digital technologies in court proceedings management

### Introduction of digital technologies in court proceedings management

### Digital court management systems and objectives
- Centralized digital platform for managing all case-related information, including filings, scheduling, hearings, and decisions.
- Percentage of cases filed electronically versus paper-based filings: 0 (baseline).
- Target: Increase digitalized court proceedings by 50%.
- Intervention in broader plan: Implementation aligned with National Development Plan 2025 – 2029 and ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID.

### Access and coverage implications
- Expansion, modernization and decentralization of justice services with a focus on GBV, juvenile and family courts:
  - Outcome: Increased court access and coverage for GBV survivors, juveniles, and families in rural and underserved areas.
  - KPI: Number of specialized courts for GBV, juvenile, and family cases established — baseline and target: TBD; linked target: Ensure that 65% of urban and rural areas have access to GBV specialized court by 3-5 years.
- Strengthening access to justice services for PWDs and other vulnerable persons:
  - Output: Justice services provided to PWDs and vulnerable groups.
  - KPI: Number of legal aid services offered (disaggregated by specialized services such as sign language interpreters, Braille materials, or other assistive technologies) — baseline: TBD.
- Strengthening traditional/community justice mechanisms:
  - KPI: Number of cases resolved by traditional justice mechanisms — baseline: TBD.
  - Target: Achieve formal legal recognition of traditional/community justice mechanisms in 25% of jurisdictions.

### Integrity, efficiency and institutional reforms linked to digitalization
- Strengthening judicial ethics and public confidence:
  - Outcome: Enhanced Integrity of the Judiciary; reduced instances of judicial misconduct due to stronger ethics guidelines and enforcement mechanisms.
  - KPI: Number of disciplinary actions taken against judges or court personnel for ethical violations — baseline: TBD.
  - Target: Achieve a 30% increase in public trust in the judiciary over the next 5 years.
- Passage and operationalization of the Legal Aid Act:
  - Output: Legal aid act passed — baseline: 0.
  - KPI: Number of legal aid offices established and operationalized within the first year of the Act’s passage — baseline: 0.
  - Target action: Operationalize the Legal Aid Act.
- Empowerment and semi-autonomy of corrections institutions that interact with justice processes:
  - Intervention: Empowerment of the Bureau of Correction to become semi-autonomous and improve Corrections Services.
  - Output: BCR autonomous operational management systems.
  - KPI: Percentage of BCR budget allocated to key areas such as inmate rehabilitation, facility maintenance, and staff training — baseline: 0.
  - Target action: Ensure semi-autonomous status for Bureau of Correction.

### Key implementation KPIs and benchmarks relevant to court digitalization
- Electronic case filings baseline: 0; targeted increase: digitalized court proceedings by 50%.
- Related access target for GBV specialized courts: 65% coverage of urban and rural areas within 3-5 years.
- Judicial trust target: 30% increase in public trust in the judiciary over the next 5 years.
- Legal Aid Act operational baseline: 0 (passage and establishment of offices to be operationalized).
- Formal recognition of community justice mechanisms target: 25% of jurisdictions.

*Source: Introduction of digital technologies in court proceedings management — National Development Plan 2025 – 2029; ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development - AAID.*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/cr/2025/english/1lbrea2025004-source-pdf.pdf_