Ten pro-democracy organizations in Liberia say their attention has been drawn to the statement of Commerce Minister Wilson Tarpeh naming the Microfinance Loan Policy instituted during the tenure of Dr. Joseph Mills Jones as Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia as being largely responsible for the increase in the exchange rate and the poor state of the economy.
The ten organizations are grouped under the banner “Coalition of Civil Society Institutions in Liberia.”
They are the Conscious Economic Student Association, Liberia Yana Boys Alliance, Liberia Business Watch, Liberia Economic Policy Forum, Liberian Business Advocates, and the Citizens United Against Corruption.
Others are Citizens United Against Corruption, National Youth Caucus, Movement for Democratic, National Youth Caucus and Movement for Democratic Initiative.
The group said the Minister of Commerce which is an important economic portfolio, taking the Liberian People for granted in these difficult times by offering such a flimsy excuse for the continuous decline in the economy should not go unnoticed.
The group said it was totally irresponsible of Mr. Tarpeh to continuously castigate the work of one of Liberia’s exemplary sons without any empirical evidence.
The ten civil society organizations said the Commerce Minister made these same remarks during the political season up to the Presidential Elections; but the time for such political statement is over.
Mark Chea is the Spokesperson of the ten civil society organizations; he read the group statement at a news conference in Monrovia Thursday.
