MONROVIA, November 20 (LINA) - Government will invest US$174 million into the economy to mitigate the effects of the collapse in economic activities as a result of the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease.

Finance and Development Planning Minister Amara Konneh said the money will be invested mainly in activities that will quickly restore basic services currently suspended or limited as a result of the crisis.

Making the disclosure at the Ministry of Information regular press conference in Monrovia Thursday, Minister Konneh noted that the fund will also be used to provide avenues for increase in the formerly vibrant economic activities the country enjoyed prior to the Ebola outbreak.

“The Government is committed to investing its meager resources to demonstrate ownership of this plan, while we also engage our development partners to support it directly through our national budget as we have already mobilized some resources to this effect,” Konneh said.

According to him, of this amount, the government will invest US$60 million in the health sector to revitalize it and provide basic health service delivery in addition to ongoing support to the eradication of Ebola.

Konneh indicated that US$30 million will go to education, US$25 million towards traditional cash transfer, US$35 million to the agriculture sector and US$10 million into domestic private sector activities.

He said another US$10 million will go to improving the Information Communication Technology sector, while the remaining US$40 million goes towards road maintenance equipment.
LINA