Monrovia, 10 December, 2019 / 1:46 am (ACI Africa).
As Christians across the globe live the Advent Season, the Catholic Bishops in the West African nation of Liberia have used the occasion to call for collective efforts and reliance of God in facing the socio-economic challenges, encouraging dialogue and the nurturing of peace and security.
“It is an open secret that our current socio-economic realities are challenging. However, we believe that with concerted good will efforts we can overcome,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Liberia (CABICOL) stated in their Advent Pastoral Message dated Monday, December 9 availed to ACI Africa.
There is a currency crisis in Liberia, which, according to a BBC report, “is rooted in the alleged disappearance of close to sixteen billion Liberian dollars -- more than one hundred million US dollars -- in banknotes last year.”
While the government has denied the missing money allegations, there seems to be scarcity of banknotes in the country and President George Weah’s intention to implement a Pro-Poor Agenda for Development (PPAD) aimed at lifting a million Liberians out of poverty has not been successful.
The annual loss of about $300 million during the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak, slowed global trade, and static commodity prices have combined to contribute to less revenue receipts and the spiraling of inflation, negatively affecting the operation of the West African country.