MONROVIA: Deputy Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Augustus J. Flomo, has called on the European Union to further increase partnership to domestic food production in order to help provide food safety and security for the Liberian population.
Minister Flomo said, Liberia, as a heavily import dependent country, has challenges in sustaining its subsidy on rice which is a critical program the country has carried out for so many years as costs of food imports continue to go higher each day uncertainly and unsustainably.
He named the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the Russia – Ukraine crisis leading to the high cost in transportation and others.
He pointed out that these crises are also major impediments and slowdown to domestic revenue generation, thereby reducing fiscal capacity in meeting many competing priorities that are relevant to keeping the economy stable.
Minister Flomo also thanked the EU for support to Liberia under the Global Europe strategic program meant to support Liberia and other OACPS members over a 5 years’ period.
The Deputy Minister also highlighted during the deliberations that the Republic of Liberia is host to the largest and only untouched proportion of virgin Afro-Guinean rainforest in West Africa as an OACPS Member and the require benefit of such preservation hasn’t been fully realized.
According to a recent dispatch from Brussels, the Minister took part in the discussions of the council which covered issues of strategic focus that range from partnership within member States and their links with the European Union, expansion of its partnership and visibility within the global framework, food and energy crisis, climate change and current global issues.
During the session, The EU side used this opportunity to share its perspective on the “Russian war of aggression against Ukraine’’ and strongly condemns the attack, which is causing infrastructure devastation and loss of lives.
The EU and its Member States also expressed a commitment to work with OACPS partners to overcome the global consequences of this war of aggression by continuous support to affected OACPS countries.
The meeting was co-chaired on the EU side by Mr. Jiří Kozák, First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Czechia, and on the OACPS side, by Dr. Amery Browne, Minister for Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, as current OACPS Chair.
The Organization of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) is a group of countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific that was created by the Georgetown Agreement in 1975.
Previously known as African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) with the objectives for sustainable development and poverty reduction within its member states, as well as their greater integration into the world’s economy.
The Liberia Delegation included, Deputy Minister Augustus J. Flomo; Dr. Isaac W. Nyenabo, II – Ambassador of Liberia to the BENELUX; Senve Darlington Tehmeh, Minister- Counsellor Press and Public Affairs and Martus K. Williams-Bangula, Atty-at-Law and Deputy Head of the National Authorizing Office (NAO) of Liberia.