Resource information
Liberia is a rich country, badly
managed. This is a favorite comment of President Ellen
Johnson-Sirleaf and an accurate one. The bad management is
well-known, though perhaps not its duration and depth.
Created in 1847, the country is far older than almost all
others in sub- Saharan Africa. But for most of this time, it
was ruled by an elite descended from African-American
settlers who ignored or exploited the indigenous people. The
result was growth without development, stark inequality,
social tension and the seeds of unrest. The political order
was turned upside down in a bloody coup in 1980, but bad
management continued. Within ten years the country descended
into civil war from which it only emerged in 2003. The 90
percent decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is possibly
the most extreme economic collapse ever experienced in the
world. This study lays out a comprehensive pro poor trade
strategy in support of the medium-term growth agenda of
Liberia. The new Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) for
Liberia recognizes all this. Indeed, this Diagnostic Trade
Integration Study (DTIS) and the PRS were developed in
parallel and with considerable cross-fertilization. A joint
workshop was held on the productive sectors in February
2008. The role of this study is therefore to reinforce the
message contained in the PRS, deepen the analysis, and offer
some practical next steps.
