President Charles Taylor has approved some US $7.5 million for the rural development of five counties in southeastern Liberia, the Ministry of Information reported on Friday.
Maryland County will get US $4 million of this from taxes paid by two logging companies in the county. Priority has been given to the renovation of the William V.S. Tubman Technical College in the town of Harper. Some 21 structures will be improved, a new curriculum instituted, and the college will be upgraded to the status of the University of Liberia in Maryland County.
Grand Gedeh, River Gee and Sinoe countries will each receive $1 million. Rivercess County will get $500,000, representing a portion of government revenue from concessions operating in those counties.
Taylor has instructed that the budgeting and expenditure of these funds and the selection of projects be the sole responsibility of local county officials, marking the first time in Liberia’s history that Monrovia has ceded control of such projects, the ministry reported.
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