As Ebola concerns heighten over the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and other officials are currently in neighboring Congo Brazzaville attending the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group.
The DRC has so far reported 105 confirmed Ebola cases and 10 confirmed deaths, while Uganda has recorded 7 confirmed cases and 1 death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to a Ministry of Finance Release dated May 27, which failed to state the venue of the meeting apparently due to Health risk concern, Minister Ngafuan and Liberia’s delegation held discussions with the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development on finalizing a US$15 million financing agreement for the pavement of the Salayea–Konia road in Lofa County.
The project is part of the broader Gbarnga–Mendikorma Highway.
The road project is being supported by several Arab lenders, including the Saudi Fund for Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and the OPEC Fund for International Development.
Both sides also discussed expanding Kuwaiti Fund support to other key sectors of Liberia’s development agenda.
While the meetings are viewed as positive for Liberia’s development efforts, some observers say the Finance Minister and his delegation could face health risks because of the Ebola outbreak in the neighboring DRC.
While Congo Brazzaville has not reported any confirmed Ebola case, its proximity to the DRC, where the outbreak continues to spread, has raised concerns about possible exposure risks for visitors and delegates, including Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan and Liberia’s delegation attending the African Development Bank Annual Meetings.
This report comes as Liberia quarantined 16 persons who visited East Africa recently. Courtesy of DN NEWS Wilmot Konah
