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The International Contact Group on Liberia (ICGL) confirmed Wednesday evening that the Liberian government has met a pre-condition for continuous international donors' assistance under the negotiated Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP).
On behalf of the ICGL, United States Ambassador to Liberia Donal Booth said "the GEMAP would ensure that revenue captured through the public sector would adequately be utilized in the best interest of the Liberian people."
The ICGL had warned that unless the government sign onto the GEMAP, international assistance needed for the post-war recovery of the country following 14 years of civil war "would be impossible."
The ICGL comprises Ghana, Nigeria, Morocco, Sweden, Britain, the United States, among others.
Under the GEMAP agreement, the Liberian government along with its development partners would contract foreign experts for three years to control and manage key revenue generating agencies of the government in an effort to curtail what has been observed as "systemic corruption" within the public sector.
It is expected that under the agreement, an enabling environment would also be created to attract and guarantee direct foreign invest in the country.
The GEMAP agreement stipulates that procurement, concession, contracts and licensing would go through competitive bidding in line with internationally accepted standards as well as ensuring that monopolies in these areas are liberalized.
Liberia's Planning and Economic Affairs Minister Christian Herbert said GEMAP grew out of a request to the United States government for international assistance to revamp government's dysfunctional system and processes in key agencies.
(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2005)
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