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Sierra Leone has passed 11 out of the 20 indicators in the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) scorecard published today, Thursday 3rd November, 2022.
This is Sierra Leone’s fourth consecutive pass putting it in good stead to continue the development of the multiple hundreds of million dollars power Compact.
The proposed Compact which has currently reached the feasibility stage intends to increase the availability of reliable and affordable power for households, businesses, and social institutions across Sierra Leone.
The new scorecard recorded enviable gains in the Girls’ Primary Education Completion Rate indicator assessed by UNESCO. At over 99.5% in 2021, Sierra Leone has the highest rate of girls completing primary education than any other West African country for the period in review. On Primary Education Expenditures, Sierra Leone increased spending from 3.61% to 4.3% as a percentage of GDP between 2020 and 2021- the highest increase over a one-year period across all the countries in the lower income pool on the MCC scorecard. For the first time, Sierra Leone also passed the Land Rights and Access indicator. In the category of ruling justly, Sierra Leone passed 5 out of the 6 indicators including the Control of Corruption.
The scorecard also introduced a new indicator and methodological refinements to old indicators which were approved by the MCC Board in September 2022. The new Employment Opportunity indicator replaces Business Start-Up which Sierra Leone had passed commandingly in previous years.
While Sierra Leone did not pass the new Employment Opportunity indicator, efforts are underway to revise and streamline the labour laws to improve the protection of workers and boost inclusivity in the workplace. Further, Parliament has enacted the Anti-Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Act, 2022, thereby increasing the penalties for trafficking and other forms of forced labor. Government of Sierra Leone also anticipates that the passing of the Gender Empowerment Bill will support the creation of a safer work environment, especially for women.
The welcome change on the scorecard allows MCC to enhance dialogue with Governments to spur inclusive economic growth through an ecosystem of polices and reforms that foster democracy, increase economic freedom, and promote investments in citizens. These are principles that the Government of Sierra Leone remains committed to in its efforts to improve the lives of its citizens.
The FY 2023 MCC scorecard presents a fresh mandate for the Government of Sierra Leone to deepen reforms in key sectors as it continues to develop the Compact. With one of the most ambitious timelines within the MCC portfolio, Sierra Leone is poised to sign the Compact in 2023. The Compact will alleviate the energy constraint for all Sierra Leoneans through this valuable partnership with the United States of America.
