By Bill W. Cooper
Deputy Information Minister for Administration, Atty. Daniel Gayedyu has said that Liberia can do better in revenue generation if the CDC-led government invests more in the tourism sector of the country.
He indicated that the country cannot always afford to depend on international partners for support, emphasizing that the country’s tourism sector is among many sectors that will help make Liberia self-efficient.
Minister Gayedyu made the assertion when he proxied for Information Minister, Ledggerhood Rennie at a one day Tourism Policy Validation Workshop by the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) and partners in Monrovia.
The one day National Tourism Policy Validation Workshop which was sponsored by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the African Development Bank (ADB) is aimed at finding ways to generate more revenue from the Tourism sector of the country.
According to him, the government of President Weah has realized that they can only do better if they are able to raise US$1 billion in revenue per annual, noting that at that point, the government will no longer have to depend on donors’ funding but instead become financially independent.
He added that upon the completion of the workshop and the subsequent viewing of the results by a small technical group, it will then be forwarded for cabinet endorsement, adding, “If the cabinet endorses the document, it will then become a working tool that we will use to exploit the potential of the tourism sector that has been abandoned since 1847.”
Minister Gayedyu then lauded their partners for the support in ensuring that the workshop becomes a success, while at the same time urged the participants to give their best for a fruitful discussion and outcome for a better Liberia.
Earlier, the USAID Natural Resource Management Specialist, Moses Jaygbah lauded the MICAT and its partners for initiating the Validation workshop aimed at improving the tourism sector to enable the government generate more revenue in order to improve the livelihood of Liberians.
He however pledged USAID’s fullest support in joining forces with government to improve the country’s already struggling tourism sector, which he said is faced with numerous challenges.
The LRA Assistant Commissioner for Transformation and Modernization, Robert S. Kamei and the Liberia National Tourism Association (LINTA) president, Mai Bright Urey all embraced the idea, while at the same time promised their respective institutions’ fullest support in helping government improve the tourism sector for a better Liberia.