By D. Wa Hne, Jr.
As part of her postwar political, social and economic rejuvenation processes, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf embarked on structural reforms at government institutions which resulted in the de-clustering of several ministries, carving out important departments and creating autonomous or independent commissions and agencies for effective and efficient services and productive outcomes, while merging some ministries for the same purposes.
Some of those services carved out are today yielding dividends from their former obscured and inefficient operations in the past and are now contributing immensely to national development and revenue generation. Most outstanding among them is the Land Regulatory Authority, Liberia Telecommunications Authority, and the National Aqua Culture and Fisheries Authority among others. These authorities were non-productive under their former environments. Thanks to former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reforms agenda. I do not think these reforms should end with Ellen’s Unity Party.
CRITICAL LOOK AT OTHER INSTITUTIONS
Under the Administration of Unity Party Joseph Boakai, these reforms are expected to continue. There are several other institutions of government where important indispensable services remained almost invisible – covered by and overshadowed by bureaucratic and political maneuvering and for lack of political will and dis-prioritization.
AGRICULTURE:
Agriculture represents the first letter in the ARREST AGENDA. Its priority is to ensure that the nation feeds itself. This important agenda is designated to the Ministry of Agriculture as-in-always. The question is, can the Ministry achieve such agenda that it has failed to achieve despite millions of dollars pumped into it since the Tubman’s “Operation Production, the Tolbert’s “Feed Yourself” and the Doe’s “Green Revolution”?
When mathematicians calculate budgetary appropriations, grants, and loans dating as far back as from Tubman’s Liberia to the present Boakai’s Liberia, the Ministry of Agriculture can be said to have spent approximately billions of dollars and yet Liberia’s dependence on rice importation has increased astronomically.
For example, Liberia’s Rice importation per annul approximately stands at 300, 000 metric tons and counting which, in dollars and cents, might approximately stand at US$200m and counting per annul. President Boakai agenda seeks to reduce these figures by 70% within four years in his “Feed the Nation Agenda”.
Two years have elapsed, and we see the Ministry of Agriculture doing its usual thing from administration to administration. There is no change and there is no Innovation. Further, the budget as passed which increased to US1.2b first ever in the nation’s history has about US$16m for agriculture which is so un-accommodative for such elaborate agenda.
Liberia politicians popularly assert that, “You cannot continue to do the same thing over and over and expect different results”. And that is what our leaders continue to do – pump millions of dollars into the Ministry of Agriculture and continue to obtain greater rice importation results instead of production that exceeds national consumption and places Liberia on the rice export market.
Where do all the millions go to? Why are we still importing and why government continues to subsidize importation to reduce rice price on the market for Liberia consumers? What are their strategies? I think it’s time to metamorphose. It’s time to change methods by mustering up the political will to do structural reorganization at the Ministry of Agriculture.
RECOMMENDATION:
I think we need to approach this serious national issue from a different dimension. We need to carve out the Department responsible for rice and other consumable agricultural products from the Agriculture Ministry. We need to establish the Liberia Rice Investment and Production Authority LIRIPA to take up the National challenge. Whatever musculature the Government wishes to adopt does not matter, but the results it achieves.
Its functions may be amongst others, to attract external investments, provide concession lands as we do in the case of rubber, oil palms, etc, engage foreign investment partnerships for large scale mechanize rice farming and production, give support to local rice farmers, move from subsistence farming to mechanize farming, and expedite Liberia from importation to exportation as we did during our formative years.
This method would also help legislators to focus attention on specific support and provide the needed oversight and appropriation. This Authority, based on its structural design, could also regulate imports and exports.
Presently the current environment in which the rice production sector is situated slows decision making, makes expansion and investment impossible as well as stifling infrastructural modernization due to political decision-making and considerations. A bill must be proffered to carry out this reform as in the case of those authorities earlier named.
ENSURE RESPONSIBLE MINING PRACTICES.
Under Chapter 1 Article 7, “The Republic shall, consistent with the principles of individual freedom and social justice enshrined in the Constitution, manage the National economy and natural resources of Liberia in such manner as shall ensure the maximum feasible participation of Liberian citizens under conditions of equality as to advance the general welfare of the Liberian people and the economic development of Liberia”.
This constitutional provision is key to how we manage our economy and natural resources. One of the major reasons of disunity and crisis lie in the manner in which we manage our natural resources. Liberia is a wealthy country, but yet we are numbered amongst the poorest nations.
On the contrary, foreign investors in Liberia are named amongst the richest in the world. This is a precarious condition, and the reasons are unacceptable. Perhaps we need to revise our investment laws to ensure the “maximum feasible participation of Liberian citizens by ensuring compelling partnerships in investments and concessions agreements just as Ghana and Nigeria do.
What strikes me is the manner in which we grant mining concessions in our country. My research tells me that there are inadequate or no cartographic survey conducted on mining areas. Investors survey specifically report on the mineral applied for. Applicants are specific on the deposit of iron ore or gold and diamond applied for; not even considering quantities and qualities and those are what are stated in the concession agreements.
This kind of concession robs Liberia of billions as the extent of mineralization in a mining or concession area are unknown and undeclared. The Government of Liberia must now insist that applicants applying for mineral concession must conduct a cartographic survey to ensure the extent of mineralization and such report must be submitted to the Legislature before concession is approved. The report must include data on the location, quantity and quality of all mineral’s deposits, outline potential environmental and social impacts, provide recommendations for sustainable mining practices.
The report must also include maps and spatial data, geo-chemical and geo-physical data, analysis of potential risks and mitigation strategies. It is important that these reports accompany applications. Government must also insist that all minerals found in the concession area, other than the one applied for, must be declared and form part of the concession agreement, taking into account their economic value.
To ensure functionability of the cartographic department which seems less functional and less visible at the moment, government needs to extract it from the Ministry of Lands and Mines for political reasons and for independent decision-making void of bureaucratic processes and political influences and interventions.
It may function as the Liberia Cartographic Survey Commission or LCSC. When these are done, Liberia will benefit immensely from its natural resources and benefit Liberians. An Act of Legislature should put in place this Commission which shall ensure compliance and penalties for non-complaints.
In my next feature, I shall be looking at other institutions that need reform in the best interest of Liberians. I hope this article will attract the attention of the President and the National Legislature.
