MONROVIA, February 25(LINA) - The Liberian Government Wednesday signed a US$2 million grant with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for staff support toward the development of Liberia's Compact later in the year.
The signing ceremony took place at the U.S. Department of State and was witnessed by Heather Higginbottom, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Liberia's Ambassador to the United States and Canada, Jeremiah Sulunteh.
Finance and Development Planning Minister Amara Konneh signed on behalf of the Liberian Government while Dana Hyde, CEO signed for the MCC.
Konneh described the grant as helpful in expeditiously achieving Liberia's goal for a Compact, according to a dispatch from Information Minister Lewis Brown on Wednesday.
"An MCC Compact is a game changer for Liberia. It has the potential to transform our small country and significantly impact the living standards of ordinary Liberians," he added.
In separate remarks, the US officials praised the ongoing progress Liberia continues to make and reiterated their government's continued support to help the development efforts of the country.
The MCC is a special program funded by the US Congress intended to assist countries pursue major developmental programs through a proved commitment to democratic governance.
To qualify, a country must continue to perform well on at least 10 of 20 democratic governance indicators, the most important of which is fighting corruption.
Liberia has passed the MCC scorecard over the last three years and is expected to benefit significantly later this year through a Compact Grant from the MCC.
LINA