An Expression of Confidence As World Bank President Visits Sierra Leone
President of the World Bank - Robert Zoellick
The World Bank President, Robert B. Zoellick will arrive in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone on Tuesday at the start of an eight-day, three-nation Africa tour to help focus the attention of African governments, development partners and private investors on seizing the opportunity for renewed momentum in economic growth and overcoming poverty. The trip is seen as an endorsement of, and support for the Sierra Leone President’s prudent measures to steer the country out of economic mismanagement to economic prosperity. President Koroma has been keen on implementing policies that will reduce poverty and increase the economic potential of his country. The Sierra Leone President has indeed taken steps to put in place the mechanisms necessary for accountability and good governance in his country. He has been working hard to get the attention of the world to end the suffering facing his people and his government continues to negotiate for international assistance in the areas of Education, Health and Agriculture and to invite international donors to implement a transparency environment in the disbursement of country allocated funds.
The World Bank now sees Sierra Leone as a country ready for change and yearning for development. The strides taken by the government to wipe out corruption at the highest level and the President’s unwavering commitment to get rid of corrupt officials in his government has impressed the World Financial Watchdog and President Zoelliock’s visit will only strengthen President Koroma’s determination to continue implementing the necessary economic and social reforms that the country needs.
Although hit by the global food, fuel and financial crises the Sierra Leone and other African governments have persisted in strengthening their economic policies as they pursue development, or rebuild after conflict. Ahead of the trip, the World Bank President noted that many sub-Saharan African countries had enjoyed a decade or more of solid growth before the crisis and it was important to preserve and expand on these gains by drawing investment to high growth areas. “I am visiting Africa to learn about how its people have coped with the global economic crisis and to see how the World Bank Group can work with them to improve prospects for economic growth and expanded opportunity. Much of Africa has a solid record of economic growth, including in some of Africa’s fragile states, and it has the potential to be another pole of growth for the world economy,” Zoellick said.
President Zoellick also said that a combination of policy and institutional reforms and external resources are urgently needed to help build capacity, generate economic opportunities in fragile states, and lay the foundation for stability and overcoming poverty. He also called for policies and investments that would expand Africa’s share of global and intra-African trade by fostering regional integration and building crucial infrastructure in energy, transport and irrigation needed to promote agriculture, manufacturing and industrialization on the continent and for helping countries adapt to climate change.
In Sierra Leone, Zoellick will meet with President Ernest Bai Koroma and the Cabinet and will visit energy, agriculture and fishery projects that have benefited or will benefit from World Bank support. He will hold working sessions with representatives of the donor community; discuss ways of boosting World Bank support to the government’s anti-corruption efforts, to the private sector and to civil society organizations involved with promoting peace, equity, transparency, accountability and good governance.
The World Bank was swift in providing technical and financial support to Sierra Leone’s disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and reconstruction efforts following the end in 2002 of its 11-year war. The Bank was the biggest single donor counterpart of the Government of Sierra Leone in financing the decentralization reforms, which included the capacity building of the newly elected local councils, direct financing to community groups, building social capital, and boosting access to basic infrastructure and services. Since 2005, the public sector in Sierra Leone has benefitted from US$ 117 million from the World Bank Group’s IDA resources, about one third of which is provided as direct budget support. The World Bank is collaborating closely with three other donors (DFID, EC and AfDB) in a joint donor budget support framework. The Bank is currently supporting nine active projects costing approximately $US160.5 million. Sierra Leone joined the World Bank in 1962, one year after independence.
With excerpts from the world Bank Press Release.
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How can a routine visit mean expression of confidence???