Choithram Hospital urges Govt. to invest in Endoscope Equipment

November 19, 2019

By Amin Kef Sesay

Choithram Memorial Hospital, one of Sierra Leone’s leading hospitals, situated at Hill Station in partnership with the British Society of Gastroenterology which is headed by Dr. David Nylender were able to save the life of a colon cancer patient, thanks to the availability of an endoscopy equipment at the facility.

Endoscopy is a non-surgical procedure used to examine a person’s digestive tract. Using an endoscope, having a flexible tube with a light and camera attached to it, a doctor can view pictures of someone’s digestive tract on a colour TV monitor.

During an upper endoscopy, an endoscope is easily passed through the mouth and throat and into the oesophagus, allowing the doctor to view the oesophagus, stomach and upper part of the small intestine.

Similarly, endoscopes can be passed into the large intestine (colon) through the rectum to examine this area of the intestine. This procedure is called sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy depending on how far up the colon is examined.

Speaking on their work, Dr. Nylender revealed that as an organisation their focus is to teach any aspect of gastroenterology in a resource poor country, adding that they were able to obtain a grant which was not to buy equipment, but to pay for travel and teaching aids. His job was to diagnose ulcers and prevent cancers. He realised that Sierra Leone lacks the resources to deal with any endoscopy cases. As a result he decided to concentrate in that area. He further disclosed that Dr. Gordon Harris in Sierra Leone told him, while he was on holiday in the country, that Choithram has an old endoscopy machine.

After visiting the Management of Choithram, he had the opportunity to fix the old one and decided to teach doctors on Endoscopy. In 2015, whilst on holiday, he was able to mobilise 4 doctors from the National Faculty of Trainers in the UK to come to Sierra Leone and impart knowledge on endoscopy. After proper scrutiny of interested doctors by Dr. Gordon Harris and team, 3 doctors were chosen to do the training.

They held teaching courses for the three doctors in Sierra Leone on Endoscopy and he is proud that today the life of a colon cancer patient has been saved through their efforts. He also disclosed that during the training they had 15 patients who had agreed to be part of the training and went through the process. He explained that at the initial stage, the doctors worked on dummies and after much practice they were able to translate their knowledge on humans. The set up was like this: one doctor did the endoscopy; another did a WhatsApp video recording, whilst the third guided the first doctor through the procedure.

Dr. Nylender further stressed that what was agreed on was that no one doctor is allowed to practice alone and the video taken throughout the whole process was reviewed by way of feedback. On their return to the UK, the three Sierra Leonean doctors continued the work and have done over 400 cases. Each case has been recorded and sent back to them in the UK for review and a report sent back. This peer to peer review has further boost the confidence of the doctors. He further maintained that during the training though 80 procedures were done each doctor experienced 240 procedures.

He further stated that Harrish Agnani of Choithram consented to send one of the doctors to the UK, where she displayed exemplary knowledge of the practice and this has fuelled the medical system there to design an implementation of similar training in other parts of the UK.

Dr. Nylender said that the saying that colon cancer is rare or non-existent in sub Saharan Africa; is now false as there are now cases of people with the disease. He disclosed that out of 12 patients screened in Sierra Leone last year, 3 had colon cancers, three others had conditions leading to cancer. Out of the 3 diagnosed with colon cancer, two have died and only one Mr. Thomas Nicolson is the survivor. He however disclosed that Choithram has now procured new Endoscopy equipment known now as ‘life-saving’ equipment.

He related an incident where doctors in Sierra Leone called them about a patient who had hepatitis B and sclerosis of the liver and was bleeding profusely. They were called and the details made known to them through WhatsApp video. They were able to guide the doctors on what to do to handle the situation. The bleeding stopped. He hastened to say that during the training they taught them about handling bleeding but not one of this nature. He was pleased to inform the media that another similar case was handled perfectly by the Sierra Leonean doctors without recourse to them.

Mr. Harrish Agnani and Dr. Gowrinath M. George, Medical Superintendent of Choithram said that the hospital now has modern equipment that can do endoscopy with ease and there are experts at the hospital who are able to handle the equipment. He encouraged Sierra Leoneans to come and visit the hospital and have their status known and proper screening done, including treatment at a much lower cost than the cost of going to India, USA and the UK.

Concluding, Dr. Nylender said that it is not every pain that one experiences in the stomach is ulcer; some may be associated with colon cancer and those symptoms, when diagnosed early through endoscopy will save lives, but if left too late the patient will eventually die. He called on the Government of Sierra Leone to invest the endoscope equipment which is in the possession of Choithram in order to save lives. He maintained that they are always ready to provide their medical expertise in terms of giving out free trainings to doctors on how to operate the equipment and make effectively use of it.

Sierra Leone: Turning Bags to Bricks

November 18, 2019

By Tamba Borbor

Alfred Maada Fobay is the Waste Technician at Welthungerhilfe, an organization which aims to improve waste management in cities through institutional, infrastructure development and capacity building measures.

In this article Mr. Fobay presents how teachers, students, and parents in the city of Bo in Sierra Leone have been manufacturing eco-bricks using collected single use plastics.

Bo is Sierra Leone’s second city and just like many other cities in the developing world, it is grappling with ineffective and inefficient waste management activities. Waste collection and transportation coverage does not reach the entire city because of many factors, including poor road networks and inadequate waste management infrastructures. In addition to this, low personal income of the city’s inhabitants undermines the willingness and ability to pay for waste collection service fees. Consequently, there is a low level of waste education and awareness, the correlation between health and waste, is not known to many people.

The emergence of single use plastic as a significant fraction of the municipal waste in Bo is, particularly, a cause for concern. Roadsides, drainage systems, communities, swamps and streams are full of plastic. Children growing up in areas without waste collection suffer from respiratory illnesses, diarrhoea and increased incidences of both water and mosquito borne diseases.

Bo City welcomes, and is ready to collaborate with, partners for plastic solutions. There are many differing opinions regarding the solution to this problem, from a range of technological developments (including transformation into useful products) to an outright ban.

We are at a crucial moment in our development regarding the decision-making process. It is important to weigh up all the factors in planning for a sustainable future and grasp the opportunities in emerging innovative plastic solutions for Bo City. In 2019 One World Link (OWL), a community friendship organization between Bo District (Sierra Leone) and Warwick District (UK) in their Global School Partnership Programmes, chose a “Zero Waste” theme as a joint project for all 15 Schools. The key activity is the making of Eco-bricks out of single use plastic. The project aims to contribute to “saving the environment and development of low-cost and low health risk plastic treatment technology”. The impact is to create a safer environment for both flora and fauna, as well as human beings.

Eco-brick manufacture is a simple technology, whereby single use plastics are collected, washed, dried and packed into 250 millilitre PET bottle until a weight of 167g is achieved. The product can then be used as a material to build simple structures such as huts, flag posts, planters etc. School pupils are excited and highly motivated to keep their school environment free from this plastic menace and to be able to provide a practical solution to the waste. The enterprise has become an inclusive activity, with teachers and pupils working alongside each other in the spirit of cooperation. Many schools are achieving their goal of 100 Eco-bricks.

The manufacturing didn’t end in schools, with pupils and teachers sharing the work at home and involving family members. For example, Madam Alice Alpha, Head Teacher at R.C Madonna Primary School, Sewa Road, encouraged her own family to make Eco-bricks at her own house. Preparing Eco-bricks is becoming a favourite family pastime in Bo.

Many of the school children in Bo raised a couple of obvious questions. Namely, ‘What are we going to do with these bricks when they are completed? and ‘Are we just cleaning our school environment, or can they be put to a specific use?’ Fortunately, an innovative idea came up as to how to turn the Eco-brick into useful resource. In our joint OWL joint committee meeting (parent body and teachers group), we have agreed to build the first eco-hut at the OWL Centre in recognition of the effort of the children and symbol of their contribution to making a better environment. This is our dream.

About Alfred Maada Fobay

Mr. Alfred Maada Fobay is a highly qualified solid waste technician with numerous certifications ranging from municipal solid waste management to planning and design of sanitation systems and technologies. He specializes in helping developing countries create innovative solutions in handling their solid wastes.

King Boss LAJ Unveils “Tok En Drink Concert”

November 18, 2019

By Foday Moriba Conteh

One of Sierra Leone’s outstanding and popular Hip Pop artists, Alhaji Amadou Bah, popularly known as King Boss LAJ has on Thursday 14^th November, 2019 officially unveiled his upcoming “Tok En Drink Concert” slated to take place on January 10 2020.

This disclosure was made during a press conference held at Silver Star Bar & Restaurant on Lumley Beach Road in Freetown.

In his address to those who graced the media engagement, Alhaji Amadou Bah, popularly known as King Boss LAJ disclosed that the upcoming “Tok En Drink Concert” is geared towards giving back to society, adding that after the show 30% of the proceeds will be donated to the less privileged especially those who were affected directly by the 11 year civil war in Sierra Leone.

He assured Sierra Leoneans of the very best in entertainment assuring that come the day for the “Tok En Drink Concert” it is going to be performances exclusively by Sierra Leonean artists from all record labels.

He recalled that on January 6, 1999, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) entered the capital city of Sierra Leone, Freetown, as part of efforts to overthrow the government by then, adding that they randomly massacred fleeing civilians, burnt down homes, committed rape, amputated limbs and gouged out eyes noting that they brought down an almost arbitrary wave of ruthless terror on Freetown that claimed more than 7000 lives.

He said against such a ghastly backdrop, the event will look at supporting the less privileged and victims of the civil war in Sierra Leone, noting that during the past years he had been hosting the event on the 6^th January but this year the show will be hosted on the 10^th January 2020 at the Siaka Steven Stadium in Freetown.

He called on his colleagues to support him in the upcoming event, adding that he is going to ensure that all artists who will perform during that show will be paid, which he said will change the mentality of artist in the entertainment industry.

He called on all Sierra Leoneans to see January 10 as their own show and assured of a tight security presence.

All Star President, Milton Koker, popularly known as Colabo commended King Boss LAJ for the initiative in order to promote the entertainment industry in the country.

He said that the entertainment industry has come a long way and is now trending, adding that with support the industry will create considerable impact in the country.

He said the January 10 ‘Tok En Drink Concert’ is a clear manifestation of the development initiatives from the entertainment industry reiterating how 30% of the proceeds will go to the less privileged as the event is geared towards giving back to society. Towards that end he called on the entertainment industry to support the initiative in order for it to become a success and a record breaking event in the country.

On behalf on the All Star team he further assured King Boss LAJ for their full support towards the success of the said event. He called on the promoters, DJs, Artists etc. to support the upcoming ‘Tok En Drink Concert’.

Head of Entertainment of Afriradio, Abdul Lawal, known as Master Jaye also applauded King Boss LAJ for the initiative and for his support towards the entertainment industry in the country.

He called on members of the entertainment industry to make it a success story and personally committed himself to support the concert.

Sellas Tetteh Responds to Kei Kamara Comments

November 18, 2019

By Mohamed Fajah Barrie

In a starling development, Sierra Leone Coach, Sellas Tetteh, has responded to Kei Kamara’s comments that partly blamed the Ghanaian tactician for his retirement from international football.

Colorado Rapids striker, Kamara, quit international football two days ago and he cited Tetteh as one of the reasons for his decision.

The 35-year-old player said among other things that Tetteh was not able to move Sierra Leone forward and that he was learning nothing new from him.

Tetteh, in his second spell as Sierra Leone coach, was somewhat philosophical about Kamara’s explanation. “Well let him blame me, I think he’s disappointed,” the 62-year-old Ghanaian coach told journalists.

“If you love Sierra Leone, and the progression and development of Sierra Leone football and you feel that because of the coach you’re pulling out, then where is your patriotism? “I’m doing my best, he’s saying things against me but other people are not saying such things.”

Tetteh insisted that he is only thinking about the progression of Sierra Leone football and does not want to get draw into a a war of words with a player.

“I won’t be in the situation of arguing with on him in the media, radio and all those things,” Tetteh insisted. “I’m thinking of the progression of football in Sierra Leone so I’ll not waste time arguing with a player that isn’t happy with situation. The national team and the nation are much bigger.

“I’m in Sierra Leone to work for the country, I’m in Sierra Leone to help, so if he feels that he’s not ready to play I don’t have anything to talk about it. We’re talking about national team we’re not talking about personalities.”

The former Norwich and Middlesbrough forward Kei Kamara retired on the eve of Sierra Leone’s opening 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Lesotho which ended 1-1 in an empty stadium in Freetown.

Tetteh says despite his team failure to win they did not miss the all-time fifth highest goal scorer in North America’s MLS

“His absence didn’t affect the team, his replacement did very well despite we didn’t win, football is not built around one person, If Kei was on the pitch it was ok but he was not, it was opportunity for other person to play.” he said.

Tetteh’s next match will be Sierra Leone’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Group L qualifier away to Benin on Saturday.

NGOs to Discuss Emerging Trends & Challenges

November 18, 2019

By Theresa Vamboi

The Sierra Leone NGO Summit 2019 which meets on November 21^st, at the Country Lodge Hotel on Hill Station, will bring together heads of national and international NGOs, senior government officials and policymakers, and key stakeholders to converge on the challenges and emerging pressing issues affecting NGOs across Sierra Leone.

During the past two decades, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in development and humanitarian assistance have increased their profiles both at local and national levels. NGOs have come to be recognized as important actors on the landscape of development, from the reconstruction efforts after the civil war to the Ebola emergency response in 2014 and mudslide disaster in 2017, to recent national campaigns on education, “stop rape” and gender-based violence.

NGOs tend to be best known for undertaking one or other of these two main forms of activity: the delivery of basic services to people in need, and organizing policy advocacy and public campaigns for change. At the same time, NGOs have also become active in a wide range of other more specialized roles such as emergency response, democracy building, conflict resolution, human rights work, cultural preservation, environmental activism, policy analysis, research and information provision.

Despite the advances in realising socioeconomic growth and human development, the civil society ecosystem in Sierra Leone is fragile, fragmented and works in isolation. Because of these limitations, many other policy issues are ignored because NGOs are divided along several lines. Though NGOs, both local and international contribute to society enormously, yet there has been no forum that brings together NGOs, policymakers and key stakeholders to discussion, in a frank manner, the problems they face in their operations and daily activities.

National and international development and humanitarian, democracy and human rights NGOs have over the years, become more involved in national development issues at both national and local levels. NGOs participation in Sierra Leone’s national development systems and democracy processes served as a valuable lesson for Sierra Leonean civil society organisations (CSOs) on the need to be better organized in terms of pushing the national agenda forward. Community groups, and national and international NGOs, from the outset, have been called upon to take on enormous tasks.

In the face of the enormous demands of these challenges, there is little opportunity to harvest and support the operational and financial stability and policy environment of NGOs across the country. Therefore, theme of this year’s Summit “Enhancing NGO Sustainability for Greater Impact”, will attract local, national and international development and humanitarian professionals, senior government officials, donor agencies and other key stakeholders to converge, network, and share ideas on crucial developmental issues affecting the country, and the most pressing challenges facing local, national and international NGOs operating across Sierra Leone.

The Summit will convene leaders and representatives from a variety of sectors, including competent speakers and resource persons, research fellows and academia in the third sector and chief executives of leading NGOs will deliver papers on the above and many other topical issues related to NGOs operating in Sierra Leone.

“This is the inaugural NGO Summit and it will create opportunities for growth and impact in the NGO community across the Sierra Leone and strengthen interaction with key stakeholders, especially government officials and other policymakers,” says Peter SaSellu, the Convenor of the Summit and President & Group CEO of the African Consulting Group.

Furthermore, the conversations at the Summit will focus on the key theme: Enhancing NGO Sustainability for Greater Impact. The event will also feature diverse high-level plenary sessions. The NGO Summit will create a stimulating environment for participants to engage with colleagues and partners from a variety of sectors to forge common solutions to pressing national development challenges. In pursuit of this, however, the Summit will focus on issues affecting the third sector in Sierra Leone, provide information on NGO networking and connectivity, address health and environmental hazards, examine areas of growth and development for donor-NGO relationships as well as provide the resources for NGO management.

“NGOs across Sierra Leone have long been looking for an opportunity to engage policymakers on emerging issues, challenges and trends that militate against the advancement and progress of their organisations,” says Christiana George, the Summit Coordinator. “Summit will also give way to the activation of the Sierra Leone NGO Council that was incorporated in 2016 to unite both local and international NGOs and look into their affairs, especially at the policy levels.”

In addition to networking, the one-day Summit will offer a series of workshop tracks specifically designed for attendees at different stages in their careers—including a CEO/Country Director track, and topical tracks for professional staff. The Summit will also feature an exhibit hall where attendees can see NGO and partner products and services, and new technologies and solutions that are changing the way we all work.

President Bio Holds Fruitful Meeting with Chair of Big Win Philanthropy

November 18, 2019

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In order to seek means and ways of furthering the smooth workability and implementation of the Free Quality Education, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio met with Jamie Cooper, founder and Board Chair of Big Win Philanthropy, with more than 20 years’ experience in bringing private-sector, Government and non-profit leaders together to pursue an innovative policy on economic and social issues.

Talking about the charity on the margins of the Paris Peace Conference in Paris, France, Monday 11 November 2019, the global philanthropist said they focus on three strategic objectives – namely brain development, which includes early childhood learning; education and job creation. She also shared with the President their experience in implementing projects in other countries and their focus on multi-sectoral collaboration for successful project implementation.

“We have followed that education is your passion and we are interested in supporting those who are passionate about young people and children,” Ms Cooper said.

In his response, President Bio said that as a Government they have passion for education and have therefore identified human capital as a catalyst to accelerating national development, adding that it was not about the type of education being offered, it was about education that would be necessary for the 21st century.

“To our minds, we believe that education lays the most solid foundation for sustainable development,” President Bio said and further informed the founder of Big Win Foundation that the Government was planning a national dialogue on education for the future.

Sierra Leone’s Minister-designate for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, spoke on the area of inter-ministerial collaboration and stated that the Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education, Agriculture, Gender and Children’s Affairs, Youth Affairs, Health and Sanitation and Higher and Technical Education would collaborate on a singular government proposal for the creation of a comprehensive early childhood education and learning centre for nutrition, health, survival and more.

Big Win partners with visionary leaders in countries undergoing demographic transitions to transform the life opportunities of their burgeoning child and youth populations and, at the same time, bolster future economic growth and national stability. Big Win supports an array of initiatives to build enhanced leadership capacity. This includes the Harvard Ministerial Leadership Program, which Ms. Cooper co-conceived, and the Amujae program of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Centre.

2019 Electronic Transactions Bill Reaches Legislative Stage

November 18, 2019

By Fatmata Jengbe

On Thursday 14 November 2019 Sierra Leone’s Parliament debated and committed a Bill entitled: “The Electronic Transactions Bill 2019” to the Legislative Committee for consideration and further scrutiny.

The Bill is seeking to provide for the recognition of the legal effect of electronic transactions including electronic signatures; provision for the admissibility of electronic massages in evidence; the validity or enforceability of contracts executed in electronic forms and to provide for other related matters.

Presenting the Bill prior to committal, the Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, Mamadi Gobeh-Kamara highlighted the importance of the Bill relative to courts and business transactions in the country. The Deputy Minister also said that the court would rely on the Bill when enacted into law for the purposes of electronic evidence. She said that the Bill would be divided into six parts, including the legal effect of electronic information and electronic transactions, validity of electronic transactions, consumer protection, and the validity of service providers among others.

In his contribution, Hon. Sheku M. Turay, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Information and Communication in Parliament welcomed the initiative of the Government aimed at reforming businesses and the court system in respect of electronic transactions; adding that “it is non-controversial”, as other countries like Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda had passed it into law.

Hon. Hindolo M. Gevao of SLPP commended the Bill and said that it would permit lawyers for the first time to use electronic evidence in court. He went on to underscore that, the Act would make room for lawyers to print evidence from social media in electronic form and use it as evidence in the court of law. “It is a new dawn for Sierra Leone,” he stated. He acknowledged that the Bill would add value to the justice system.

Hon. Joseph Williams-Lamin of SLPP said that the Bill would further strengthen the country’s status in the global village in light of creating a positive difference in every electronic transaction in Sierra Leone.

Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara of APC reiterated that, the Bill “is non-controversial”, whilst calling on NATCOM and the Ministry of Information and Communication to further institute strict regulations on how sim-cards are sold relative to effective registration and other uses. He also informed the House that the telecommunication system is not accurate and advised that the telecommunication operators are to ensure that sim-cards are sold at specific points; instead of selling them at random places.

Hon. Abdul Latiff Sesay of APC called on compatriots to brace up for such novelty in the communication system, whilst suggesting that the system must have the requisite professional security to access signatures and to detect the authenticity of such signatures. He also advised the Ministry to empower SALCAB in order to conform to the new trend.

Hon. Sahr Charles of C4C spoke about people who had been victims of electronic fraud and urged the authorities concern to put modalities in place to punish law breakers. He also admonished the authorities not to use the law wrongly against the masses.

Reacting to the Bill, the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu raised concerns that the Bill has not made provisions for penalties for scammers who might want to take advantage of the situation. “Before now there were no scammers but now they are now in control of the cyber space”, adding that the Ministry of Information and Communication should swiftly ponder on what penalty should be levied on scammers. He also underscored the point that the Bill “is good” and that it would address certain lacunae in the current court system relative to electronic transactions once approved.

The Opposition Whip, Hon. Hassan Sesay speaking as the Acting Leader of the Opposition said that the Bill was overdue for enactment, and described it as “non-controversial”, whilst assuring the Deputy Minister of their support. He also supported the position of other MPs for another Bill to be brought to Parliament to address issues relating to cyber security, before calling for a committal of the Bill for further scrutiny.

In concluding the debate, the Leader of Government Business, Hon. Sidie M. Tunis commended the MPs for their brilliant contributions and reiterated the point that the Bill “is non-controversial” and that it would protect consumers who are involved in electronic transactions. He pleaded for the Bill not to be sent to the Legislative Committee because it has been deemed “non-controversial”, and urged the Ministry of Information and Communication to later furnish the House with a Cyber Security Bill in the next three months.

Responding to the debate, the Minister promised that a Cyber Security Bill would be brought to Parliament for enactment, adding that concerns raised by MPs would be addressed by the relevant MDAs of Government.

IMF 2019 Review Mission Proffers Solid Recommendations for Economic Recovery

November 18, 2019

By Brima Sannoh

Commendably, the Sierra Leone authorities and International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission have concluded discussions, reaching staff-level agreement on economic policies to pave the way for the IMF Executive Board to consider the second review under the ECF‑supported program. While the economy is continuing to recover, the outlook remains challenging and improving the well-being of Sierra Leoneans is an ambitious endeavour. The 2020 budget strikes a balance between meeting the country’s large development needs and navigating the tight financing situation.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Karen Ongley, visited Freetown during October 30-November 13, 2019 to conduct the 2019 Article IV consultation and the second review of the IMF arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), approved by the Executive Board on November 30, 2018.

At the end of the visit, Ms. Ongley issued the following statement:

“The economy is continuing to recover, with economic growth set to pick up in 2019 to 5.1 percent, up from 3.5 percent in 2018, buoyed by improved activity in agriculture, mining, and construction. While external accounts have improved, the current account deficit is expected to narrow to 14.1 percent of GDP from 18.7 percent, and exchange rate pressures remain, in particular during the lean season in the third quarter of the year; thus overcoming the legacy of prolonged economic instability and numerous shocks, and improving the wellbeing of Sierra Leoneans remains challenging.

“In this regard, the Government’s National Development Plan (NDP) promises to put the country on a sustainable development path. It aspires to develop human and physical capital, while strengthening governance and accountability to build an economy that is macro-economically sound, inclusive and resilient to shocks. However, the authorities are pursuing this plan against a tight financing situation. Pursuing these important goals—boosting education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure—will require carefully calibrated policies.

“Progress under the ECF-supported program has helped stabilize the macro-economy—vital as a launch-pad for the NDP’s goals. The Government met all of the end-June 2019 quantitative performance criteria and indicative targets—net credit to the government and net domestic assets of BSL by large margins. They also met the indicative targets on domestic government revenue, poverty-related spending, and the domestic primary balance. The authorities made headway on structural reforms, such as by submitting draft amendments to the National Revenue Authority Act for IMF staff review, finalizing the stocktaking of domestic arrears in September, and publishing the forensic audit report in June. Steps toward developing a remedial action plan to address the findings of the forensic audit are advancing well.

“We appreciate the open dialogue on the 2020 budget, which strikes a balance between meeting priority spending needs and navigating the tight financing situation. To this end, the Government’s efforts to mobilize domestic revenue are advancing well, thanks to significant tax administration measures, such as operationalizing the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS). Looking ahead, continuing to generate strong revenues to finance Sierra Leone’s large priority spending needs requires a mix of both tax policy and administration reforms. The IMF team welcomes the Government’s committed efforts to promote more efficient spending and improve public finance management. Planning arrears clearance—most of which originated in 2016/17—in a manner that is transparent, equitable, fiscally sustainable, and limits the risks to financial stability is an important step in this direction.

“Ongoing efforts to bolster the independence and effectiveness of monetary policy will support the Bank of Sierra Leone’s (BSL) objective to bring inflation down to single-digits in the medium term. Limiting recourse to domestic bank financing of the budget will reinforce efforts to achieving this goal. Maintaining a flexible exchange rate system and continuing to build foreign exchange reserves will boost resilience to economic shocks, while the impact of recent foreign exchange directives should be closely monitored.

“The Government and the IMF team reached preliminary agreement on macroeconomic and financial policies that could pave the way for the IMF’s Executive Board to consider the second ECF review, scheduled for January 2020. Completion of the review would make available SDR 15.56 million (US$20.0 million), bringing total disbursements under the program to about SDR 46.56 million (US$62.2 million).

“The IMF team met with a range of government representatives—including President Bio, Minister of Finance Saffa, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Kai-kai, Bank of Sierra Leone Governor Kallon, Auditor General Taylor‑Pearce, Minister of Youth Affairs Bangura—as well as representatives from private and financial sectors, civil society organizations, and development partners. We thank all our partners for their warm hospitality, constructive and rich discussions.”

Fatima Bio Heightens the Call for Women Empowerment in Africa

November 18, 2019

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In pursuance of her role as the First Lady of Sierra Leone in terms of fostering socio-economic development, Her Excellency Madam Fatima Bio has called on African leaders and the private sector to provide more opportunities for African women to gain their fullest potentials and praised her husband, His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio for supporting women and girls in Sierra Leone.

She made the call whilst delivering a keynote address in Tangier, Morocco, on Friday 15 November 2019 on the theme: “African Women: No Parity, No Development?” at a session of the 12th Edition of the Medays Forum in Morocco.

The First lady also told the audience that African women and girls face a series of challenges, ranging from lack of economic opportunities, access to justice, legal protection to the lack of access to quality healthcare and education.

“We cannot achieve sustainable development in Africa if women and girls are left behind. We have to close the gender gap. If you keep all the women in the kitchen, we will only have smoke. Women must have equal access to finance, technology and other opportunities. We have a duty to ensure that women and girls in Africa are protected from rape, sexual violence and early marriage,” the First Lady said.

Madam Fatima Bio also used the platform to showcase efforts of her husband to empower women and girls in Sierra Leone by protecting their rights. She highlighted the “Hands Off Our Girls” project, which she said was initiated by her husband to protect women and girls.

The First Lady cited “the amendment of the declaration of the State of Emergency on Rape and Sexual Violence, the Amendment of the Sexual Offences Act, the Special Court for Rape and Sexual Violence Offences, the access to financial inclusion through NCRA, the increase in women political appointments, the free quality education programme and increase in access to university for female students”.

Later His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio and the First Lady were taken to Tanger Med, the largest port on the Mediterranean and in Africa by capacity, located on the Strait of Gibraltar about 40 km east of Tangier, Morocco. The Tanger Med project is a strategic priority of the Moroccan government for the economic and social development of the North Morocco region.

Beyond Elections…Govt. Must Shoulder Responsibility

November 18, 2019

By Amin Kef Sesay

Let us start this commentary by asking: Why do governments exist? Governments originated with the need to protect people from conflicts and to provide law and order. Whatever the reasons, government came into being as people discovered that protection was easier if they stayed together in groups and if they all agreed that one (or some) in the group should have more power than others. Thus, the oldest justification for government is as protector: protecting citizens from violence.

The idea of government as protector requires taxes to fund, train and equip an army and a police force; to build courts and jails; and to elect or appoint the officials to pass and implement the laws citizens must not break.

In more recent years, government responsibilities have extended to the economy and public service. Whilst, the principle of capitalism dictates that markets should be free from government control, when Western European economies spun out of control during the 1930s, and countries sank into great depressions, governments acted. In the United States, Congress created the Federal Reserve System in the early twentieth century to ward off inflation and monitor the value of the dollar. Franklin Roosevelt and his “Brain Trust” devised New Deal programs to shock the country into prosperity.

In modern times, the most fundamental responsibility, besides providing citizens with security is that of providing social programs.

In the United States the tradition began with the New Deal programs, many of which provided people with relief through jobs, payments, and food.

During the 1960s President Lyndon Johnson unveiled his “Great Society” programs aimed at eliminating poverty in the entire country. Though the rules and responsibilities vary greatly through time and place, governments fundamentally exist to protect its citizens from outside interference, invest in its people and provide for their well-being and happiness.

In the latter sense, government is supposed to be a provider of goods and services that individuals cannot provide individually for themselves.

The basic economic infrastructure of human connectivity falls into this category: the means of physical travel, such as roads, bridges and ports of all kinds, and increasingly the means of virtual travel, such as broadband.

A more expansive concept of government as provider is the Social Welfare State: government can cushion the inability of citizens to provide for themselves, particularly in the vulnerable conditions of youth, old age, sickness, disability and unemployment due to economic forces beyond their control. As the welfare State has evolved, it is seen more as a protector from the harsh results of capitalism.

At its best, it provides an infrastructure of care to enable citizens to flourish socially and economically in the same way that an infrastructure of competition does. It provides a social security that enables citizens to create their own economic security. The future of government builds on these foundations of protecting and providing. Government will continue to protect citizens from violence and from the worst vicissitudes of life.

Government will continue to provide public goods, at a level necessary to ensure a globally competitive economy and a well-functioning society. But wherever possible, government should invest in citizen capabilities to enable them to provide for themselves in rapidly and continually changing circumstances.

Government as investor in the well-being of its citizens means more than simply funding schools and opening borders. If Government is to assume that citizens can solve their own problems, it has to invest not only in the cultivation of citizen capabilities, but also in the provision of the resources and infrastructure to allow citizens to succeed. Thus, government has to invest in an entire infrastructure of child development.

Moreover, meaningful opportunities for continuing education must be available to citizens over the course of their lives, as jobs change rapidly and the acquisition of knowledge accelerates.

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