MONROVIA, LIBERIA-Deputy Finance Minister for Budget and Development says Government is working towards the production of five hundred and ten thousand metric tons of rice annually in Liberia.

Minister Tenneh Brunson said:” The Liberian Government, in collaboration with USAID Policy Dialogue Activity Project, has begun a proposal of three broad principles to achieve its target of producing locally made rice in the country.”

Minister Brunson said Government’s decision is to increase domestic rice production by seventy-five percent and reduce foreign reliance.

She said the government is considering making direct intervention towards locally produced rice rather than importing one.

Speaking on Tuesday, July 17, 2023, at a program marking the Fourth Edition of the Liberia Economic Dialogue organized by the World Bank, the Deputy Finance Minister, however, called for collaboration between government and the private sector, including research institutions, and civil society, among others.

Meanwhile, the Liberian Government has received the report, with a commitment to continue improving the economy by implementing the best policies.

Madam Brunson said:” Government has maintained inflation at a single digit through stringent policies.”

Minister Brunson told World Bank officials that amid a global increase in food and energy, Government’s intervention has constrained public finances and widened the fiscal deficit.

She said Government’s medium goal towards the economy shows a positive outlook but could be hampered if the global crisis continues to persist.

In another development, Deputy Finance Minister Brunson disclosed that Government is working along with development partners to ensure credible and violent-free polls held in October this year.

By: Joseph Sayon/ Varflay Kamara