The meet is to finalise and harmonise a joint MRU post ebola recovery strategy to be presented to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during its Spring Meetings in Washington DC come April.
In early March, Heads of State of the three ebola-hit Mano River Union countries, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea presented to the high-level conference on post ebola recovery strategy in Brussels organized by the European Commission. This meeting followed a round of discussions in Conakry-Guinea where the three ebola-hit MRU states agreed on a position that was justly presented on behalf of the three countries by the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
A communiqué at the end of the Freetown Summit is expected to agree on a collective position that will address intervention needs of the affected countries on immediate and medium terms.
Meanwhile, past Friday, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Kaifala Marah briefed the press and civil society on a wide range of issues hinging on the national economy and the impact of the outbreak of the ebola virus disease on the country’s growth.
The Minister elaborated on the inflation rate which he noted is on its upward trend and stressed that the ebola virus has badly affected the main revenue generating sectors of the economy to include, mining, agriculture, tourism etc. He also spoke about the challenges the virus outbreak has exposed the country’s health sector to, pointing out the need for a recalibration of the country’s health care system to now include an ambulance service and a health insurance policy for health workers.
Minister Marah spoke about the revenue loss which the affected the country and cited that job loss is now estimated at 50%, and also indicated that the country is faced with “food insecurity” because of the devastation the virus has had on farmers and farming communities. “We have not only realising food insecurity, we are also challenged by the fact those who can afford to farm, cannot access the markets” because of the restrictions imposed on movements of people.
He however stressed that government is more than focused on achieving a zero case of ebola throughout the country and he noted, “we need to put the virus behind us as soon as possible in order to club back our country.”
Click here to read the article from its source
