Ebola-hit countries boost economic recovery

Leaders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone adopted priority projects on Sunday to determine the cost of the regional economic recovery programme. Meeting in Conakry under the auspices of the Mano River Union, Guinea’s President Alpha Conde, his counterparts Ellen Johnson Sirleaf from Liberia and Ernest Bai Koroma from Sierra Leone as well as Cote d’Ivoire’s Foreign Minister Charles Koffi Diby representing his country’s president, examined various proposals regarding post-Ebola socioeconomic recovery. River Mano Union is comprised of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote d’Ivoire. In a joint statement issued after the extraordinary meeting, the leaders of the four countries agreed to submit various funding proposals to financial donors. The first proposal of the regional program which is expected to cost U$1.8 billion will focus on areas of health, water, sanitation and hygiene, peace, agriculture, food security and strengthening of the private sector. The second proposal which is estimated to cost U$2.24 billion, will target infrastructures such as roads, energy as well as information and communication technologies program. The four countries reiterated their appeal for the setting up of a consolidated special fund for River Mano Union’s post-Ebola recovery program. They appealed for debt relief from the international community, as well as direct budgetary support to countries affected by Ebola. By June 14, 2015, the World Health Organization had recorded over 27,000 Ebola cases, among them over 11,000 deaths in the sub- regional countries affected by Ebola crisis. CONAKRY NAMPA/XINHUA