Visit Sierra Leone

The recent earthquake in Haiti that killed tens of thousands of people and left many more without shelter and food, have been responded to from around the world with unprecedented generosity. Assistance has come in different forms ranging from direct financial donations to medical , logistics and military assistance. The solidarity shown by Haiti’s friends around the world goes to show the regard the world has for the plight of its suffering people. From North America to Asia and from India to Israel the flood of assistance has been remarkable.

Sierra Leone will once more lead Africa out to the Intergovernmental negotiations for the reform of the United Nations Security Council which resumes next week . The second Exchange of the Fourth Round of the negotiations in the Informal plenary will be held on Tuesday January 19, 2010 at the UN General Assembly. It must be recalled that the decision of the Assembly of the 12th Ordinary Session of African Union AU/Dec.230 (X11) adopted by the Heads of State and Government, directed the Permanent Representatives of the Committee of Ten, to “actively engage in the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Question of the Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Related Matters" in keeping with the United Nations General Assembly Decision 62/557 adopted on the 15th of September 2008. President Ernest Koroma of Sierra Leone is the Chair of the Committee of 10 African Heads of State

Eight Senior Officers of the Judicial Department will be retiring by March 2010 after attaining the age of sixty years. Among them is the Probate Officer of the Republic of Sierra Leone Mr. Andrew Marke who joined the Judicial Service in 1969. Mr. Marke has been a dedicated officer for considerable period as an employee of the department. He will be sixty in March this year and will bid farewell to the department.

A report sent to Cocorioko and many other news outlets for publication by the TORCHLIGHT newspaper, which belongs to the Presidential Press Secretary , Mr. Sheka Tarawallie , has said that the government of Sierra Leone has forgiven the Awareness Times publisher , Sylvia Blyden. According to Awareness Times, "It will be recalled that Blyden is currently facing charges of publishing false news that allegedly proved to be a security threat to the President inside his marital home contrary to Section 32 of the Public Order Act. ". If the report turns out to be true, it will confirm what this newspaper wrote a few days ago that President Ernest Bai Koroma has the best record so far in promoting Freedom of the Press in Sierra Leone.

The NRA Commissioner in charge of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Alfred Akibo Betts said Monday at a hurriedly convened Press Conference at the Information Ministry that slight modifications have been made on the GST.

Discarding rumors that the GST has been postponed, he said it was not possible as it is a Government policy and disclosed that only slight modifications have been made in the implementation of it.

He said the first modification was the suspension of GST charges on electricity bills. The reason being he said was because the Bumbuna Hydro Electric dam is not supplying the required capacity. “We have deferred it but we are going to have it later on”

The other, he continued, was a temporal halt on the increase on bank charges. “What we are going to do is to ensure that we go back to the banking institutions to explain further to them”.

The last modification was the total removal of tax on baby foods and exercise books. He described them as “permanently exempt”

Foreign Ministers Zainab Bangura & Yang Jiechi exchanging signed protocols

The Chinese government has donated 60 million Yuan ($9.5miilion) to Sierra Leone under the Technical Assistance for ongoing Projects in the country.

This disclosure was made on Saturday 9th January at the Bintumani Hotel Conference Hall by the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on his visit to Sierra Leone.

The Foreign Minister who is on a five nation tour in Africa said China attaches great importance to Africa, that is why he chose Africa to start his visit at the beginning of the year.

He said China has on going projects in the country and they want to complete them on time as well as do an excellent job.

Welcoming Minister Yang, Zainab Banguara Sierra Leone抯 Foreign Minister said she was very happy to receive such a guest from China as the Foreign Minister is the highest Chinese diplomat to visit Sierra Leone in the last two decades.

In three years, I’ve probably passed through Lungi 18 times. On 17 occasions, I ventured no further than the airport, helipad, hovercraft launch, or ferry terminal. Once, I spent six hours in the Lungi Airport Hotel before my 5 a.m. Royal Air Maroc flight. Never did I consider exploring beyond that.

But now I know: Lungi has treasures of its own.

As Sierra Leone struggles to get the tourism industry back on track a tour guide training programme is seen as a key component of the strategic planning process.  Funded by the Integrated Fund, the training was a three month course comprising of 70% practical (field trips etc) and 30% theoretical in eight key modules (tourism philosophy, travel Geography, wild life and forestry, history, communication skills, Human relations, culture and first aid) supported by an examination at the end of the course.

Visit Sierra Leone is proud to have submitted two of our guides to the course and would like to congratulate Alieya Kargbo and Abdulai Sankoh on their successful completion.