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At the Cologne Hall, Fairmont Hotel, Georgetown -Washington DC, the Chief Minister of Sierra Leone Hon. J.J. Saffa enticed United States Business Executives that Sierra Leone is a comfortable place to invest.
He advanced that investors should take advantage of the untapped resources in Sierra Leone. Hon J.J. Saffa assured the gathering of CEO’s that Sierra Leone has laws to protect their businesses, and that the Anti-Graft Commission is functioning, a reason why the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has continued rating the country high.
Chief Minister Saffa further informed that where there are seeming bottle necks, the government will immediately intervene to solve emerging challenges. He said it was a very deliberate move by President Julius Maada Bio to have instituted the National Investment Board so that businesses would be easily registered and accorded the opportunity to make profits.
In his power point presentation, the Director of National Investment Board Dr. Maada Mustapha elucidated on the possible arears for investment in Sierra Leone.
He reminded the gathering that Sierra Leone already has American investors operating in the country, and that they would be in a better position to divulge the opportunities lined up in Sierra Leone for business.
Dr. Maada Mustapha exhibited slide after slide the mineral resources that Sierra Leone possess, including Tourism, Marine resources, and Agriculture.
He cited the Financial Secretary Sahr L. Jusu who was also at the Trade and Investment meeting, conveying his usual concerns about the unlimited possible concessions given to businesses and its effect on revenue collection. Yet, the Director of NIB went on, the government of Sierra Leone is prepared to encourage private sector investment in the country, and that they are liable to concessions.
Dr. Maada Mustapha emphatically informed the business meeting that Sierra Leone is a very peaceful country, with beautiful beaches, where ecotourism can thrive, and marine resources harnessed.
He allayed the fears of the CEO’s, stressing that Sierra Leone has organized five democratic elections since the war ended, and that President Bio is very determined to create a conducive business atmosphere so that the private sector would be able to provide jobs for the citizens of the country.
The Trade and Industry Minister Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy catalogued the number of businesses that are in active production in the country, encouraging businesses to come to Sierra Leone and get involve in production, thereby adding value to the resources available in the country. Dr. Sandy spoke about the market space in the Mano River countries, as well as the ECOWAS and the AU Countries as Sierra Leone is strategically located on the Atlantic coast of West Africa with a Natural Harbor.
Dr. Austin Demby, the Minister of Health and Sanitation impressed on the business gathering that significant development has taken place at the Health Ministry since he took up office, insisting that the health sector could be a possible place for investment. He referred to his reputation when he served the United States government as a trigger of trust for the United States Business CEO’s to venture into Sierra Leone
Prominent at the meeting were Abdul Salam Bello, Executive Director of Africa Group at the World Bank, Kofie Macauley, CEO of SEWA ENERGY, Alie Nasr, Vice President of Fitzer Global, Kendrick Scribner, Police Security Group, Mima S. Nedelcovych, Chairman Africa Global -Vista Bank-Sierra Leone, Craig Deen of Marampa Mines -Sierra Leone, Professor Judy Kuriansky of Culumbia University, and Gordon Tapper.
The meeting was organized by the Embassy of Sierra Leone in Washington D.C
