MONROVIA, September 18 (LINA) - The acting Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Mr. Amara Konneh, has stressed the need for Ebola- affected West African countries to start planning for post-Ebola economic recovery.

He said while it is true that the Mano River Union (MRU) countries are faced

with enormous challenges occasioned by the Ebola crisis, it would be pertinent to prepare for the difficult task of recovery at the end of the crisis.
MRU countries Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia are battling the Ebola virus that has claimed hundreds of lives and devastated social and economic structures in these countries.

Speaking to reporters at the World Bank office in Monrovia on Wednesday, Konneh pointed out that affected countries were surprised by the Ebola outbreak and cannot afford to be caught unawares by the challenges associated with post-Ebola economic recovery.

He indicated that the Liberian economy is to suffer a 3.9 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) decline due to the Ebola outbreak.

This decline, he said, would lead to loss of jobs, reversal of some level of poverty reduction and would constitute a serious challenge to nation building and the implementation of national development plans if there is no coordinated response which is planned with other countries similarly affected.

“Moreover, a large number of projects which should have begun or been scaled up in these countries were left idle and unattended, now requiring confidence venant boosting measures, if they are to ever get back on track,” Minister Konneh added.
LINA WTD/GDJ/TSS/PTK