The new Managing Director at Ecobank Sierra Leone Limited, Sebastian Ashong-Katai, has paid a courtesy call to the Energy Minister, where he discussed his bank’s commitment to fulfilling its corporate social responsibility as well as its plans to invest in Sierra Leone’s energy space.

He spoke about his company’s operations in Sierra Leone and talked the Minister through the legal and administrative procedures for loans from the bank.

Mr. Ashong-Katai said his bank was weighing several options,including but not limited to investing in the country’s energy space,facilitating the taking out of bonds and loans,and targeting the energy sector in the discharge of its corporate social responsibility.

“The Ministry of Energy is a critical stakeholder in whatever development that takes place in any country. One of the key purposes of the visit is to look at the key priority areas of the Ministry and see how we as a company can step in,”he noted.

In response, Energy Minister, Alhaji Dr. Kanja Sesay,thanked the new managing director for the visit, noting that with the critical place and function of the Ministry of Energy, his Ministry would never be averse to partnering with the private sector in the quest to realize government’s overall policy objective in the sector.

Dr. Sesay gave an overview of government’s efforts in the energy sector,highlighting the impressive gains recorded in the access rate and the many areas open to investments in the sector.

He assured the managing director that his doors were always open to credible partners and investors. He urged the bank to support his Ministry.