Regional Programs Need To Be Identified

The Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh has said that Regional Programs and Projects need to be clearly identified in order to package and implement sustainable development within the sub- region.

He said losses incurred are due to environmental degradation and climate changes which have had serious adverse effect on nations around the globe.

Speaking on Friday at the 30th meeting of the Convergence Council of Ministers, Governors of Central Banks of the West African Monetary Zone in Monrovia, Dr. McIntosh noted that sustainable growth and development must be restored.

He said Securing Food Self-Sufficiency and adequate availability to the people is a challenged adding that  critical to the efforts in meeting these challenges is a stable and conflict free community.

According to him, ECOWAS has made progress in securing the peace and monitoring democratic governance in the sub region but more is needed to be done in other areas for lasting sustainability.

He observed that ECOWAS mechanism put into place for conflict prevention, Peace keeping and Security management is being regarded as a workable model.

Dr. McIntosh further stated that significant progress has being made in the implementation of structural reforms and the establishment of the relevant institutions that are key to the launch of the WAMZ Monetary Union by 2015.

“As we celebrate this welcoming development, we must be mindful that there are still some challenges which if not properly addressed could constraint our money integration process,” he said.

He noted that the challenges which are  related to the inability of member states to meet the primary and secondary convergence criteria must be  taken care of now to ensure that slippages and problems identified in the convergence report for 2011 are speedily addressed.

He commended members from the West African States who have worked over the past few days to ensure the success of the  meeting.

At the close of the convention of the West African Monetary Zone, Finance Minister, Mr. Amara Konneh was elected as Chairman of the Convergence Council and Dr. Joseph Mills Jones as Director of West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) respectively.