World Bank Vice-President, Ousmane Diagana, has reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to strengthening its development partnership with Sierra Leone and ensuring that its financial support delivers measurable benefits to citizens.
Ousmane Diagana made the commitment during a high-level visit to the Ministry of Finance, where he met the newly appointed Minister of Finance, Karefa A. F. Kargbo. Ousmane Diagana was accompanied by the World Bank’s new Country Manager for Sierra Leone, Issatou Jalloh and other senior officials.
The discussions focused on deepening development cooperation, improving the implementation of World Bank-supported programmes and accelerating their impact across key sectors of Sierra Leone’s economy.
Welcoming the delegation, Karefa A. F. Kargbo described the visit as an honour and acknowledged the significant contribution of the World Bank’s portfolio to Sierra Leone’s national development.
Ousmane Diagana congratulated Karefa A. F. Kargbo on his appointment and expressed delight at returning to Sierra Leone. Ousmane Diagana stressed that the success of World Bank-supported programmes should not be judged solely by the amount of money disbursed, but by the meaningful and measurable results delivered to the people.
The discussions also examined the priorities of Karefa A. F. Kargbo, including stronger fiscal discipline, increased domestic revenue mobilization and effective cash-flow management. The two sides further discussed the World Bank’s support for social cohesion and improved access to public services through Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Particular attention was given to the Country Partnership Framework, which will guide the World Bank’s engagement and investment priorities in Sierra Leone. Karefa A. F. Kargbo assured the delegation that the Government would work to meet all required deadlines associated with the approximately US$600 million financing envelope.
Karefa A. F. Kargbo called for frank dialogue, clearly defined benchmarks and stronger coordination between the Government and the World Bank to safeguard future financing and ensure that development programmes produce the desired results.
The Finance Minister also highlighted the Development Policy Operation, a financing instrument that provides budget support based on agreed policy and institutional reforms. Karefa A. F. Kargbo confirmed that the remaining processes were expected to be completed by the end of October.
Following the courtesy call, the World Bank delegation held a high-level meeting with selected Cabinet Ministers, who presented the achievements, priorities and challenges within their respective sectors.
Ministers responsible for health, technical and higher education, basic and senior secondary education, gender and children’s affairs, fisheries, transport and aviation, environment and climate change, energy, communication, technology and innovation and lands outlined the impact of World Bank-supported interventions and identified areas requiring additional assistance.
The World Bank delegation responded positively to the presentations, providing an opportunity for both sides to assess progress, discuss implementation challenges and identify practical measures to improve development outcomes.
Financial Secretary, Matthew Dingie, explained that the Ministry of Finance is responsible for negotiating financial agreements, after which resources are channelled to the relevant Ministries for implementation.
Matthew Dingie described Sierra Leone as fortunate to continue receiving the World Bank’s attention and support and expressed hope that additional financing would be made available to advance the country’s development priorities.
Closing the engagement, Karefa A. F. Kargbo described the World Bank as a trusted development partner that understands Sierra Leone’s challenges, priorities and aspirations. Karefa A. F. Kargbo stressed, however, that the Government must also fulfil its responsibilities by meeting agreed commitments and ensuring the effective delivery of programmes.
The engagement demonstrated the shared commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone and the World Bank to strengthening accountability, improving programme implementation and achieving greater development impact.
The session ended with Deputy Minister of Finance II, Isata Marah, presenting souvenirs to the delegation in appreciation of the visit of Ousmane Diagana and the World Bank’s continued support to Sierra Leone.
