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The Vice President of the World Bank for Africa West and Central Region, Ousmane Diagana, has reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with Sierra Leone during a high-level visit to the country.
Diagana, accompanied by the new World Bank Country Manager for Sierra Leone, Issatou Diallo, paid a courtesy call on Minister of Finance Karefa A. F. Kargbo, where they discussed strengthening development cooperation and accelerating the impact of World Bank-supported programmes.
Minister Kargbo described the visit as an honour and highlighted the significance of the World Bank’s extensive portfolio in Sierra Leone and its contribution to the country’s development.
Diagana congratulated Minister Kargbo on his appointment and expressed his pleasure at returning to Sierra Leone. He underscored the importance of the Bank’s support across various sectors, stressing the need to measure development results against disbursements to ensure that financial resources translate into meaningful and measurable outcomes.
The discussions also focused on Minister Kargbo’s priorities, including fiscal discipline, domestic revenue mobilisation and effective cash-flow management, as well as the World Bank’s support for social cohesion and improved access to public services across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Minister Kargbo assured the delegation of the Government’s commitment to meeting agreed deadlines, particularly in view of the approximately US$600 million financing envelope available to Sierra Leone. He emphasised the importance of frank dialogue, clear benchmarks and stronger coordination to maintain access to future financing.
The Minister also discussed the Development Policy Operation (DPO), a financing instrument that provides budget support linked to agreed policy and institutional reforms. He stressed the importance of meeting the DPO requirements and confirmed that the Government expects outstanding processes to be completed by the end of October.
In closing, Minister Kargbo reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s recognition of the World Bank as a trusted development partner that understands the country’s challenges and aspirations. He stressed that the Government must also fulfil its commitments and deliver measurable results.
