Macpherson C. Marbiah writes
The government and the European Union (EU) Joint Country Porfolio Performance Review, under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDL, have commenced a meeting.
The meeting is intended to evaluate government and the EU projects in all 15 counties.
The EU-Liberia engagement is not just a reporting exercise, but a moment of share accountability, and an opportunity to access whether their collective investments are translating into tangible development outcomes for the people.
Projects to be reviewed at the Joint government and the EU Portfolio
Review meeting, include the education, social development services, energy and environment, agriculture, security and rule of law, governance and public administration, and industry and commerce sectors.
At the meeting on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, in Monrovia, EU Head of Delegation, Ambassador Nona Deprez, described the partnership between EU and Liberia as a testament to the trust that the EU places in the government to achieve the various policy reforms it has decided to undertake through the ARREST Agenda.
Amb. Deprez said, EU intends to have a holistic portfolio that will achieve the objectives of the EU-Liberia partnership, something, she said, will lead the way for sustainable management of natural resources, jobs and growth, and good governance.
“To mainstream our objective of gender equality, and work with civil society, I would recommend that we all listen and respect each other’s presentations or views.
This is an opportunity for everyone to know the projects of the other, and to reinforce the each other’s work. I hope that we have a very fruitful discussion. Let us be frank to each other; to say things that work well, and those that don’t work, because we are here to find solutions, and to ensure that together, we can be more transformative.”
“What we hope to achieve is that, each project can reinforce the other. We can really work as a team together holistically towards all of those three objectives, if possible,” Amb. Deprez.
Sunday T. Heagbetus, is MFDP Technical Focal Point Person assigned in the office of the Deputy Minister for Economic Management, Dehpue Y. Zuo.
Heagbetus, who proxied for Mr. Zuo, said from government’s perspective, portfolio performance matters, “because it directly affects macro-fiscal credibility, budget execution and development effectiveness.”
Heagbetus said a well-performing project strengthen growth prospects, while delays, and absorptive constraints impose the real fiscal and opportunity costs.
He said, government stands ready and looks forward to frank discussions, practical solutions, and renew commitment to improve portfolio performance and maximize development impact.
“As we move forward, government is prioritizing strong alignment between EU-supported interventions, national development priorities and the budget cycle. Improve project readiness and implementation coordination across MDAs (Ministries, developments, agencies); and timely data, monitoring, and feedback to support evidence-based decision making.”
Heagbetus assured that government value the EU, not only as a financing partner, but a strategic partner in reform; one that supports institutional strengthening, resilience, and inclusive growth.
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