Monrovia-July 2, 2021: On July 1, 2021, President George Weah made special remarks at the 2nd Liberia Business and Investment Forum which was held virtually at the Liberian Embassy in Washington DC. President Weah applauded and urged organizers of the forum to reach out in a particular manner to potential investors from the United States of America who may be interested in investing in an emerging market such as Liberia, and should provide a framework for cooperation and collaboration that will lead to sustainable investments in Liberia

Here is the President full Speech below:

REMARKS BY

HIS EXCELLENCY DR. GEORGE MANNEH WEAH
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA

AT THE

2ND LIBERIA BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT FORUM – 2021

HELD VIRTUALLY UNDER THE JOINT COLLABORATION

OF

THE NATIONAL INVESTMENT COMMISSION OF LIBERIA

AND

THE LIBERIAN EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
THE LIBERIAN CONSULATES IN NEW YORK, MINNESOTA AND ATLANTA

AND

THE LIBERIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

JUNE 30, 2021

DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

On behalf of the Government and People of Liberia, and in my own name, I would like to welcome each and every one of you to this 2nd Liberia Business and Investment Forum, and to thank you for your participation.

I am informed that this year’s Forum will focus on the investment opportunities which currently present themselves in Liberia in the important sectors of agriculture, health, and tourism, and that the objective is to initiate a vigorous and constructive dialogue between potential investors and the Government of Liberia, as to how these opportunities can be exploited to provide sustainable growth to the Liberian economy.

It is my hope that this Forum will not only increase investor confidence in the business environment in Liberia, but will also promote Liberia’s ability to compete on the international stage.

By so doing, it is expected that local businesses will be strengthened in their capacity for partnership with international businesses, and that private sector participation in the local
economy will be enhanced, all of which should create more job opportunities for Liberians.

In this regard, this Forum should reach out in a particular manner to potential investors from the United States of America who may be interested in investing in an emerging market such as Liberia, and should provide a framework for cooperation and collaboration that will lead to sustainable investments in Liberia.

DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:

The theme of this Forum, “BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH” is particularly relevant to the Liberian economy at this time which, like many other economies across the globe, has been hard-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Growth has been slowed or even reversed in some sectors, and there has been a decline in almost all national economic indicators.

At this time, if the economy is to be revived, the role of Foreign Direct Investment cannot be overemphasized. Liberia will require considerable Foreign Direct Investment to fulfill its development goals, as articulated in our national development plan, known as the Pro Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development.

If this Forum is successful in attracting significant new Foreign Direct Investment to Liberia, that will have many important positive impacts on our economy, both direct and indirect. These would include increased employment, revenue gains, technology transfer, improved labor skills, increased exports, improved international competitiveness of local firms, and increased domestic competition, amongst other.

I therefore urge you to focus on the task ahead, and would like to wish you success in your deliberations.

I would also like to thank the organizers and sponsors of this 2nd Liberia Business and Investment Forum, as well as our many international partners who have continued to lend their strong support to our efforts to develop our economy and improve the lives and livelihoods of our citizens.

Let me remind you that, when I began my tenure as President of Liberia in 2018, I declared during my Inaugural Address that “Liberia is open for business”. This is a standing invitation, and I now want to encourage all of you to take advantage of it and come to Liberia to discover the mutual benefits of investing in our Country.

I thank you.