Published: July 28, 2026
ZWEDRU, Grand Gedeh County — Small businesses in Grand Gedeh County Electoral District #1 will be able to borrow from a L$10 million interest-free revolving fund running through 2029 under a program District #1 Rep. Jeremiah Garwo Sokan Sr. announced Saturday.
Sokan said borrowers will repay only the amount they take, without interest, and that the fund is intended to reduce poverty, stimulate local business and improve livelihoods. He did not say how the fund will be capitalized, which institution will administer it, how applicants will qualify or when lending will begin.
He announced the program in Zwedru while presenting his second legislative report, an account of his record since he took office after winning a 2024 by-election. He described the report as part of his constitutional responsibility to account to the people who elected him.
“This legislative report embodies the journey we have embarked on approximately two years now, showcasing our achievements, identifying our challenges, and outlining our development priorities,” Sokan said.
Sokan told constituents, local authorities, traditional leaders, religious institutions, youth groups and reporters that he has authored two bills and sponsored five others.
“I am pleased to report that a total of two bills were authored by me, while I was able to sponsor an additional five bills,” he said.
One is a bill to amend the Local Government Act of 2018 to give lawmakers greater participation in county resource allocation and management, which the report says has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting Senate concurrence. Another would upgrade Zwedru Multilateral High School into the Zwedru Multilateral Institute to expand technical and vocational education in the county.
“Through my strong lobbying efforts, I was able to bring in transformers, electrical wires, poles, and other materials needed to expand electricity to 36 additional communities in Zwedru and its environs,” Sokan said.
The report says the electrification work involved transformers and electrical materials valued at more than US$280,000, along with about 600 streetlights, road rehabilitation and internet connectivity for border communities. It also says about 200 people have received scholarship and travel support over two years, including students at the University of Liberia, the Midwifery School and BlueCrest University, and three students sent to the Philippines.
“For scholarship and foreign exposure, I have supported about 200 beneficiaries over the last two years,” he said.
Sokan, who chairs the House Committee on Lands, Mines, Energy and Environment, said he has sent communications to Plenary on reopening the Putu Iron Ore Project, reviewed mineral agreements and taken up land disputes, including mediation in several conflicts in Grand Gedeh. The report says he attended about 90 percent of House sessions and pressed for larger budget allocations for Martha Tubman Memorial Hospital and other public institutions.
He said the district can expect a “tsunami of development projects” over the next 24 months, including road paving, further electrification, more scholarships, rehabilitation of the Albert T. White Sports Complex and renewed efforts to reopen the Putu concession.
“Grand Gedeh will never be the same,” he said as constituents applauded.
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