Monrovia, — The Liberian-Swedish Access Driven Rural Development Program (LISA) has extended its project by two years, moving into the third phase.
The initiative will provide skills training and temporary employment to 3,120 villagers, coinciding with the construction of Village Access Roads (VARs) and the maintenance of feeder roads. This effort aims to significantly improve rural infrastructure and livelihoods in rural Liberia.
The program will strengthen the capacity of county administrations to conduct road maintenance, aligning with the Government of Liberia’s decentralization policy. In collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and local contractors, LISA will ensure sustainable road maintenance practices.
Speaking at the extension of LISA on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, Deputy Minister for Budget and Development Planning at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Hon. Tanneh Brunson, highlighted the economic returns associated with the construction of feeder roads in the country.
“This project comes at a time when we are beginning to roll out the decentralization of the Local Government Development Plan, and agriculture is a key deliverable of this administration,” she stressed.
Madam Brunson noted that the construction of Village Access Roads will create an enabling environment for cash injection into the local economy by leveraging the labor-based efforts of community dwellers.
Valued at approximately $5 million, the project aims to improve 195 kilometers of Village Access Roads in Bong, Lofa, and Nimba Counties within two years, with the goal of boosting the standard of living in these rural communities and reducing poverty.
Since 2009, the Liberian-Swedish Feeder Roads Project (LSFRP) has improved 1,000 km of roads across all project phases. Routine maintenance of these roads will be conducted by community-based organizations (CBOs), fostering local engagement and ownership.
During his special remarks at the event, Swedish Ambassador to Monrovia, H.E. Urban Sjostrom, praised the Liberian Government for their strong partnership, which began in 2008 with the construction of several feeder roads throughout the country. He emphasized Sweden’s continued commitment to supporting Liberia’s road development efforts to improve access to rural roads and enhance farm-to-market road corridors.
Ambassador Sjostrom also highlighted the successful implementation of the Liberian-Swedish Feeder Roads Project III, which primarily focused on constructing Village Access Roads (VAR), also known as “Track Roads.”
In his response, Public Works Minister Roland Layfette Giddings expressed gratitude to the Government and People of Sweden for their continued support of Liberia’s national development, particularly in road infrastructure. Minister Giddings noted that the launch of the Liberian Swedish Access Driven Rural Development Project (LISA) aligns with the Government of Liberia’s ARREST AGENDA, where road connectivity is a crucial component.
The Liberian Works Minister reaffirmed the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to implementing the project, stating that upgrading footpaths to village access roads will have a profound economic, social, and environmental impact, surpassing the benefits of improving unpaved feeder, secondary, and main roads across the three Liberian counties. LISA will provide technical and social support to Community Based Organizations (CBOs), enabling them to implement their community maintenance action plans effectively.
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