Monrovia – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in collaboration with the Government of Liberia (GoL), Wednesday launched the USAID Digital Liberia and e-Government Project in Monrovia.
In support of the GoL’s e-Government Strategy, the Digital Liberia and e-Government Project will improve the GoL’s performance and bring it closer to the people through the development of internet and computer technology capability.
This USAID funded project will improve the GoL connectivity and institutional capacity that is necessary for the provision of effective services, progressing Liberia towards the creation of a sound national ICT platform now and for future generations.
Liberia will be in a better position to tell its story, engage with the world and enhance health, education, agriculture and other public outcomes, and promote economic growth and private sector development.
Speaking at the project launch, the United States Ambassador to Liberia, Christine A. Elder, noted that of the Digital Liberia and e-Government Project builds on momentum started before the Ebola crisis in strengthening Liberia’s ability to prevent, detect and respond to future crises.
The US Ambassador emphasized that the Project will support several GoL Ministries, Agencies and Commissions to improve decision making and management. She added that the Project will identify sustainable government digital initiatives and help the GoL take advantage of various technologies to digitize institutional systems and processes.
Reaffirming the United States Government’s partnership and continued support to Liberia, Ambassador Elder expressed the hope that the effective use of ICT and digital tools will enhance, expedite, and make permanent the many GoL reform efforts in procurement, transparency, decentralization, and improved public service delivery.
Speaking at the program, Liberia’s Defense Minister, Brownie Samukai said an improved digital connectivity would also promote democratic governance by brining government to its people.
“I fully support the efforts and on behalf of the Vice President, we like to thank our partners and the United States of America for helping us in making sure that this happen,” Minister Samukai said.
He described the digital project as a positive way of improving access to information at a larger extent as well as enabling Liberia’s emerging generation to be aware of government functions.
Samukai told the gathering that the initiative is not only essential in providing informing about government and its competitors but also developing countries including China, America and members of the African Union.
He further named the internet system as the main medium by which bulk of the youthful population in Liberia are interconnected easily.
“The internet today is one of the medium through which the young people communicate and express themselves and if we can have institutionalize in a way by linking government with the rest of its population, I believed it is possible for those developing countries to achieve in many ways than their previous ways of working,” he averred.
For his part, Liberia’s Post and Telecommunications Minister Dr. Frederick Norkeh assured citizens of a comprehensive strategy aimed at providing a common plan and method for effective use of information and communication technology policies.
Norkeh stated that these policies would be transformed into actions that would yield tangible benefits by reducing costs and time of communication by government, payment of salaries, taxes, bills and school fees, amongst other through the use of information and communication technology.
He also noted that the policies would provide support for online education and research in important field of study like medicine, disease control Information and Communication Technology and security.
“After many years of existence as a nation, we have to wake up and learn from other countries like Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda where the effective use of ICT is improving the lives of the citizenry through the accelerated provision of essential services for livelihood,” Minister Norkeh intoned.
The Liberian Post and Telecommunication Minister maintained that the e-Government strategy supports government’s objective to deliver services to all Liberians.
He indicated that the strategy which has close alignment to Liberia’s National Agenda for Transformation will further contribute immensely to the socio-economic transformation Liberia and encourage modernization governance and services.
Norkeh, however, said the full realization of these strategies relied on the commitment from government and its developing partners.
“The USAID-Digital Liberia and e-Government Project which is being launched here today is a clear manifestation of that commitment.”
This project seeks to achieve two main objectives, enable us link our institutions through digital communications and improve our connectivity to the world,” Minister Norkeh said.