|
Speech by President Ernest Bai Koroma at the State Opening on Friday October 7 2011 of the last session of Parliament of Sierra Leone under the Current Dispensation
MR. SPEAKER,
MR. VICE PRESIDENT
MY LADY THE CHIEF JUSTICE,
MINISTERS OF GOVERNMENT,
HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT,
EXCELLENCIES, MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS,
HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR OF FREETOWN,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
A little over four years ago, the people of this country affirmed
their belief in the manifesto of the All People's Congress and my
ability to lead the implementation of our programmes by electing me
President.
Just after those memorable elections, I laid before this Honourable
House the translation of our manifesto into government policy, and my
government's strategies for moving forward the transformation of our
country. We promised to restore electricity to our capital city, and
we did; we promised we would restore people's confidence in the
ability of government to bring its projects to fruition, and we did;
we promised to remove impediments and pave the way for our
international partners to unfreeze funds for development and other
projects, and we did. In our Agenda for Change we stated our
commitment to improving the lives of our people by transforming
agriculture, energy, infrastructure, health and education. We stated
that we would be a government of infrastructure; a government of
implementation; and a government of action. We said we would be a
government of visible achievements, a government that puts greater
emphasis on programmes for the common man and woman, and a government
with a sense of urgency, self confidence and fair distribution of
services to every region, district and town.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, from this towering hill where our
Honourable House stands, to the streets of Bo, Kenema, Makeni, and
Koidu, the signs of our infrastructural transformation are very
visible; from the completion of Bumbuna to the building of medical
stores in all districts, our commitment to implementation is evident;
from our support to the smallholder farmer to our provision of free
health care for mothers, pregnant women and children under five, our
dedication to action for the common man and woman is manifest. From
our independent funding of the widening of road projects at Wilkinson
Road and Spur Road, to our commitment to shoulder the greater costs of
our elections; from our increased budgetary allocations to local
councils irrespective of which political party controls them, to our
construction of roads in many towns regardless of which party
stronghold they are located; our increasing self confidence and fair
distribution of services to the ordinary citizens of our country is
very noticeable.
Four years on, I am here to report on the progress of the
transformation, the challenges that we continue to face, and our
renewed determination to continue the work at hand; to get the
programmes off the shelves and onto the ground where their impact will
be registered, known and appreciated by our people.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, many of the challenges we faced were
internal. However, a significant number of these hurdles came from
outside our borders. The international scene was rocked by financial
crisis, increases in fuel and food prices, terrorism, and
environmental disasters in many parts of the globe. But our resilience
is making us weather the storm, and we are stronger now than before.
In the midst of the world financial squeeze we have attracted hundreds
of millions of dollars in investment; in the midst of instability and
religious intolerance in many parts of the globe, we have won
accolades for peace, good governance and respect for human rights;
from a country once pitied for the savagery of its civil war, we have
become a very respected nation, befriended by the powerful; honoured
by the African Union to lead reforms at the United Nations; standing
up for the rights of ordinary citizens; leading delegations to restore
democracy; contributing troops to maintain international peace, and
leading reforms with a faith that wisdom inspires, and a zeal that
never tires.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, before I turn my attention to the
specifics of the programmes we have been implementing, I would like to
take this opportunity to congratulate every Sierra Leonean for the
great celebrations we put up to mark our golden jubilee as an
independent nation. Sierra Leoneans from all political parties, all
regions, all ages and all religions came together to sing the praises
of our native land, affirm their love for Sierra Leone, their pride
and self confidence as citizens of this great nation, and their
commitment to moving this country fifty years forward.
Mr. Speaker, out there, within the boundaries of this great House of
Parliament lie the mortal remains of the two towering figures of
independent Sierra Leone. Sir Milton Augustus Strieby Margai and Dr
Siaka Probyn Stevens had their political differences, but they are
eternally united within this great house of the land. This shows that
our country wants a unity of the great men's respective legacies of
tolerance and infrastructural development as the best way forward.
This country wants us to harmonize the better values that they
asserted, to pray for their souls together and to garner strength of
purpose from those prayers to move the country forward. It is in the
light of this, Honourable Members that I call upon all present here
today to rise and observe a minute of silent prayers for the souls of
Sir Milton Margai, and Dr Siaka Stevens.
May the Good Lord also accept our prayers for them and other heroes of our land.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament, let me turn to the
achievements we have made, the remaining challenges and how we intend
to overcome them.
Agriculture
Mr. Speaker, agriculture contributes almost 50% of the country's GDP,
employs about two-thirds of the population, generates almost a quarter
of the export earnings and provides most of the raw materials for
industry. My Agenda for Change identifies agriculture as the engine
for socio-economic growth and development with a wholesome focus on
the commercialization of the agricultural value chain and promotion of
private sector participation. Towards this goal, we developed a long
term Agricultural Development Programme, and drawing from it the
current flagship Small-holder Commercialization Programme.
We focused on kick-starting the transformation of Agriculture with the
smallholder farmers because the majority of the poor people in this
country belong to that category. This is why we are providing them
high-yielding planting materials, fertilizers, weed killers, power
tillers, rice cutters, rice threshers, rice mills and cassava graters.
This is why we are rehabilitating inland valley swamps and
constructing feeder roads.
I am pleased to inform the nation that the programme has attracted
over US$200million from our international partners, including
US$50million from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme
(GAFSP). Under the Programme, 193 agriculture business centres (ABCs)
have been constructed in virtually every chiefdom, district and region
in the country. From Kabala to Pujehun, Port Loko to Kono, you will
see the ABC buildings with milling, storage, marketing and office
facilities, drying floors, water supply units, generators, and
improved input supplies including seed rice and fertilizers.
Alongside the Small-holder Commercialization Programme, the tractor
hire purchase scheme is being implemented. For the first time in the
history of Sierra Leone, farmers have been made the proud owners of
265 tractors.
In addition, the Government's policy to provide investment incentives
to the private sector has also triggered a good number of huge
investments in the agricultural sector. Today, we have Addax
Bio-energy promoting ethanol and electricity production through the
development of a sugar plantation; Gold Tree rehabilitating the oil
palm plantation in the Daru area; Socfinco promoting oil palm in
Pujehun District; Genesis promoting the intensive mechanization of
rice production on the uplands in Masimera Chiefdom in Port Loko
District; Arul producing, processing and packaging rice in Moyamba
District; and Africa Felix producing fruit juice concentrates in Koya
in the Western Area. In the livestock sector, two large investors have
made significant investments in the production of poultry products:
Pajah and IJ Ltd have installed an incubator with a capacity of 38,400
setters and 19,200 day-old chick hatchers at the Lumley Agricultural
Station. Sierra Akker Ltd has also installed a modern 10,000-capacity
layer facility and a 10 tonne feed mill at Sumbuya Village, Koya
Chiefdom in Port Loko District. It is good to note that Arul, Paja and
IJ Ltd and Sierra Akker are indigenous investments. These private
sector enterprises have not only made substantial investments in the
agricultural sector but have created thousands of jobs for our people.
Also, in order to enhance the agricultural value chain especially
processing and marketing, 30 giant rice mills have been constructed in
all districts. The well-known Newton Livestock Station is currently
under reconstruction and is housing the Sierra Leone Agri-Business
Initiative (SABI) Training Centre that is training youths to be
commercially self-employed along the agricultural value chain.
To assist the farmers in better water management, multiple cropping
and other intensification activities, over 1,794 hectares of inland
valley swamps (IVS) have been developed and cultivated to enhance all
year round cultivation of rice and vegetables.
As part of my Government's effort to improve farmers' access to
financial services, 6 additional Financial Services Associations (FSAs
or Village Banks) have been constructed and equipped in the Eastern
Districts of Kenema, Kailahun and Kono. They will be spread to other
districts from this year onwards.
In the fisheries sector, we are modernizing the legal framework for
fisheries in the country, establishing stakeholders/government
co-managed marine protected areas, registering successes in joint
patrols with the United States Coast Guard to combat illegal fishing
and smuggling of contraband goods, and arresting several vessels. We
have also built fish landing sites at Bonthe, Shenge, Tombo and
Goderich, and we shall be constructing a fish harbour and opening a
Marine Training School to provide training opportunities for fishermen
and seafarers in Sierra Leone. We are also increasing our revenues
from our marine resources. From Le 3.8 billion in 2007, we more than
tripled our revenue generation to Le13 billion in 2010.
Mr. Speaker, we have made enormous strides but we shall not rest on
our oars. We shall act with the urgency demanded of a nation that must
rise up to the full potential of its great endowments.
Infrastructure
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, my Government's policy on
infrastructural development is to build infrastructure for state
affairs, create access for affordable housing for the population and
provide reliable road networks nationwide. Everywhere you go, there
are visible signs of our construction work as evidenced in the new
National Electoral Commission building, the new offices for
parliamentarians, rehabilitation of district offices and road
construction.
We have already rehabilitated the Makeni – Matotoka Highway, the Bo –
Kenema Highway, the Masiaka – Bo Highway and 600km of feeder roads in
Port Loko, Kambia, Pujehun and Kenema Districts. Construction is also
well on course on the Hillside Bypass Road, Lumley-Tokeh Road,
Kenema-Pendembu Road and Lungi-Port Loko Road. We are rehabilitating
25km of selected streets in Freetown including: King Street, Mends
Street, Duke Street, Victoria Street, Dundas Street, and Caulker
Street; the widening of Wilkinson Road is 80 % completed. We are also
widening the Lumley- Hill Cut Road, and rehabilitating 250km of
Provincial and District Headquarter Town Roads in Makeni, Bo , Kenema,
Magburaka, Port Loko, Kambia, Lunsar, Moyamba, Pujehun, Bonthe,
Kabala, Koidu, and Kailahun. We have constructed the Freetown –Conakry
Highway, building a first class road from Rogbere to Pamlap on the
Sierra Leone side of the Guinea border.
We have secured funding for the Pendembu-Kailahun Road. Work on the
Regent-Jui Road will start in December this year.
We have also put the following programmes in the pipeline for
immediate implementation: Sefadu-Matotoka Highway; Bo – Bandajuma
Highway; Makeni – Kabala Road; widening of Jomo Kenyatta – Hill Cut
Road and 550km feeder roads in Bombali, Tonkolili and Kailahun
District.
We have established a Road Maintenance Fund and an administration for
financing the maintenance of the core road networks in the country. We
have designed a road policy to provide a coordinated approach in the
mobilization and utilization of resources for the construction of
feeder roads.
In line with our commitment to infrastructural development, NaCSA has
also been focusing on the rehabilitation and reconstruction of
community access roads and small bridges. In 2010, NaCSA undertook the
rehabilitation and reconstruction of a total of 702.91 km of feeder
roads; and spot improvement on 120.3 km feeder roads.
Government is presently undertaking a major facelift to the Freetown
International Airport Terminal Building as part of the efforts in the
rebranding of Sierra Leone. Through bilateral economic cooperation
especially in the area of infrastructure development, an agreement has
been reached with the People's Republic of China for the construction
of a new international airport on the mainland between Mamamah and
Magbontoso in the Port Loko District.
My Government is also through NASSIT implementing an Affordable
Housing Project. The Trust has constructed pilot houses in all of the
provincial headquarters. The construction of the Transport Terminal
and shopping Plaza in Kenema is nearing completion; construction works
of similar facilities are far advanced in Bo and have commenced in
Makeni.
We continue to forge ahead as we believe that no challenge is bigger
than our aspirations for a country with well-developed infrastructure.
Energy and Water
Mr. Speaker, my Government has continued to sustain the radical
transformation of the energy sector. The Bumbuna Hydro Power Plant,
which we commissioned in 2009, continues to generate power supply to
Freetown. Plans are being put in place to expand the Bumbuna Hydro
System to 400 megawatts.
We completed the construction of a 16.5 megawatt thermal plant at
Blackhall Road in March 2011. This has increased the installed
generation capacity from the 5 megawatts inherited in 2007 to 76
megawatts.
The World Bank-funded Interserve Project has increased the transport
capacity of the distribution network from 25 to 40 megawatts thereby
improving the quality of power supply to over 45,000 customers.
We have constructed a 6 megawatt thermal plant in Makeni, which will
also supply Magburaka and Matotoka. We are also constructing a 6
megawatt thermal plant in Lungi for the Airport and Township. This
will include the complete reconstruction of the transmission and
distribution network. Work is far advanced with this project and the
expected completion date is March 2012.
We are constructing a 6 megawatt thermal plant in Koidu, including the
complete reconstruction of the transmission and distribution network
for the city. Furthermore, at the Bo Power Station, we are
rehabilitating three thermal plants with a total capacity of 5
megawatts to supplement the 6 mega watts mini-hydro in Dodo – Kenema
District. These plants have been out of service for over 5 years.
In July this year, my Government signed an agreement for the
construction of thermal plants with installed capacity of 1000
megawatts on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis. The agreement also
includes construction of the associated Transmission and Distribution
network to ensure that the power that is generated can be transmitted
and distributed to customers. Phase 1 of the project is the
construction of a 125 megawatt thermal plant and associated network
for the Western Area. The construction period for Phase 1 is 18 months
while the construction period for the entire project is 5 years.
With a soft loan from the Chinese, we are commencing the construction
of mini hydro power stations in Charlotte and Makali. An advance team
from the Chinese construction company is already at the sites to
prepare for the mobilization of the larger construction team.
Construction is expected to start by the end of 2011. A technical
design and draft contract for the Bankasoka Hydro Power Station in
Port Loko District are currently being finalized with another Chinese
company.
Mr. Speaker, with a determination to expand services everywhere, my
Government is implementing Water Projects in Kailahun, Lungi and four
locations in the Western Area - Allen Town, Wellington-Blue Water,
Thunder Hill and Fourah Bay College-White Water. Work is far advanced
in the execution of these projects. My Government has also commenced
The Three Cities Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Bo, Makeni
and Kenema.
My Government is also funding the construction of water supply systems
in Mile 91, Pujehun and Moyamba. With the support of Japan, the Rokupr
Water System has been completed and work will soon commence on the
Kambia Water System.
With the support of members of this House, we introduced last month
The Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission Bill to establish an
independent agency to regulate the electricity and water sectors. We
will also be introducing the Electricity Generation and Use Bill that
will restructure the electricity sector into a generation and
transmission company and a distribution company. NPA as we know it
today will be transformed into the distribution company. The bill will
also make provision for the private sector to participate in the
electricity sector in the form of Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
We call on your continued support to ensure the passage of these
legislations to transform the energy and water sector in our country.
Health
Mr. Speaker, our vision for the health sector is the provision of
accessible, affordable and quality health care for all Sierra
Leoneans. But we must start somewhere, and where we start must reflect
our commitment to the weak and the vulnerable - pregnant women,
lactating mothers and children under five. We cannot sit by and let
our mothers die because of lack of money, we cannot stand by and let
pregnant women suffer for lack of a few thousand Leones, and we cannot
allow tears of death to replace the tears of joy at the birth of a
child. That was why, Mr. Speaker, we removed user fees to reduce the
occurrence of preventable deaths in our communities.
Mr Speaker, our Free Health Care Initiative is paying huge dividends
for our people. Between April 2010 and March 2011, the initiative led
to almost two million additional under five consultations, 39,100 more
women delivered their babies in a health facility and 12,000 maternity
complications were managed in health facilities with a 60% drop in the
fatality rate in these cases. As a result we have reduced the infant
mortality rate from 170 per 1,000 live births to 89 per 1,000 live
births; the under-five mortality rate has been reduced from 286 per
1,000 live births to 140 per 1,000 live births. The maternal mortality
ratio is also down from 1,300 per 100,000 live births to 857 per
100,000 live births. With the huge 250% increase in access to health
services by children under five years of age, and the recorded high
increase of nearly 70% in institutional delivery, it is convincing to
believe that the free health care initiative has provided strong
impetus for reaching the Millenium Development Goals 4 and 5 against
2015. Ante Natal Care attendance increased three-fold providing
opportunities for health workers to identify and address any health
challenge that is likely to lead to complications during or after
delivery.
To those who say we cannot sustain the Free Healthcare, our answer is
that what we cannot sustain is the death of our mothers, the pain of
our children and the tears of our families. To those who steal the
drugs we provide for our mothers, pregnant women and children, we
today declare you public enemies. We will go after you with the full
force of the law. We cannot allow you to continue to sabotage the
health of our people.
Mr. Speaker, we have made significant progress in our malaria
prevention measures. In 2010, we distributed about 3.2 million Long
Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets to households nationwide.
In relation to HIV/AIDS, we have stabilized the epidemic; ensured a
decline in prevalence among pregnant women from 3.5% in 2009 to 3.2%
in 2010; and also a decline in HIV infection among children born to
HIV positive mothers. The prevalence declined from 9% in 2009 to 5% in
2011. We have also reduced the levels of deaths and sickness amongst
people living with HIV/Aids, initiated early treatment of infants and
expanding our provision of free anti-retroviral drugs. As a caring
Government we are also providing livelihood support to people living
with the virus.
We have enacted the National AIDS Commission Act 2011 to transform the
dynamic National AIDS Secretariat into a Commission. With the support
of this Honourable House my Government intends to achieve zero new HIV
infections, zero AIDS related deaths and zero stigma and
discrimination by 2015.
In line with our vision for an accelerated growth of essential
infrastructure, a total of 1200 health facilities are now functional
compared to 843 in 2006. We have established Five Basic Emergency
Obstetric Care (BEMOC) centres each in every district.
We have built a new referral hospital at Jui. When fully functional,
this 100-bed facility equipped with 4 theatres, CT scan, dialysis
machines and a first class laboratory will enhance our diagnosis and
treatment of non-communicable diseases. This will drastically reduce
the number of Sierra Leoneans going overseas for treatment. In
addition, 11 district hospitals are undergoing rehabilitation work.
The availability of appropriately trained human resources is an
important requirement for the delivery of our health services. We have
therefore increased the total workforce in the public health sector
from 6274 in 2007 to 8243 in 2010. In a bid to address shortage of
other health specialists we have contracted a 32-man strong team of
Cuban Health Professionals. These professionals are going to be
deployed at regional facilities and will be encouraged to conduct
outreach to district hospitals to augment provision of specialized
services.
Mr. Speaker, though we have greatly reduced maternal and child
mortality, we are grappling with percentages that we must continue to
bring down, we still face the problem of drugs being carted away and
we still need to build more hospitals and health units. We are
determined to overcome these challenges. We shall not rest until we
achieve the goal of a Sierra Leone with accessible, affordable,
effective and well-managed health systems.
Education
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, the cornerstone of our intervention
in the education sector has been improving access to educational
services for our people, the construction of Tech-Voc centres and
institutes and improving the effectiveness of teachers through the
establishment of the Teaching Service Commission and pay reforms. More
people are going to schools and universities now than at any time in
the country's history. Our incentives for improving access for women
to education have resulted in more enrolment and retention rates for
the girl child and greater opportunities for women to study science
courses at our tertiary institutions.
We have set up the implementation committee of the Gbamanja Commission
of Inquiry and they have started work. Already a number of the
report's recommendations are being implemented, including the ban on
access course at our universities. We have fully equipped Tech-Voc
centres in Koinadugu, Bombali, Kono, Kailahun, Moyamba, Kenema and Bo.
We intend building new Tech-Voc institutes in Kono, Kambia, Pujehun,
and Masingbi before the end of 2012.
Mr. Speaker, the Management of Teachers' records has posed
considerable challenges in the past. Of the 74,000 strong public
sector workforce, just over 35,000 are teachers. Government has taken
the lead to sanitize the Teaching Service, particularly with respect
to staff numbers and school registrations. The creation and management
of a personnel file for every teacher marked the first step towards
establishing a reliable human resource data management system that
will support a clean payroll and a credible database for teachers and
our schools.
We have enacted the law establishing the Teaching Service Commission,
and the commission shall be made functional this year. We have also
reformed the pay package for teachers, creating a fairer grade system
by expanding it to grade 17, as with the rest of the public service,
and effectively ensuring substantial increases in the salaries of
teachers.
The Economy
Mr Speaker, my Government continues to implement sound economic
policies to improve the socio-economic well being of the people of
Sierra Leone. The economy recovered strongly in 2010 with real GDP
growth of 5.0 percent, at par with the average growth rate for
Sub-Saharan Africa. The prospects of the economy in the medium term
are bright. Efforts made by Government in attracting international
investors to various sectors of the economy in recent years are
beginning to bear fruit. With the investments in the mining sector,
especially in iron ore mining, Sierra Leone will be among the fastest
growing economies in the world in the next few years. With iron ore
production, real GDP is projected to grow by 51 percent in 2012.
Domestic Revenue Effort:
Mr. Speaker, my Government has been very successful in mobilizing
internally generated funds to gradually reduce our reliance on donor
funds. In recent years, domestic revenue collection has improved
considerably increasing from 10.8 percent of GDP in 2007 to 13.3
percent of GDP in 2010 and is projected at 14.5 percent of GDP in
2011.
While intensifying domestic revenue collection, Government also
considered it necessary to provide wide-ranging investment incentives
to promote agricultural and industrial development. The Finance Act
2011 contains attractive incentives for businesses involved in the
production of pharmaceuticals, manufacturing of goods, and the
construction of hotels, schools and hospitals. Incentives have also
been provided for staff training, research and development.
Re-Direction of Government Expenditure to Infrastructural and Human Development
With increasing domestic revenues and consistent with the Agenda for
Change, Government expenditures have been re-oriented in favour of the
main drivers of growth including roads, energy, agriculture,
education, health and water supply. Accordingly, since 2010 Government
has undertaken major infrastructure projects from internally generated
revenues. These include Le 257.7 billion to fund various road
projects; Le108 billion for energy projects and Le12.8 billion for the
rehabilitation of water supply facilities in various townships.
About Le15 Billion was transferred to Local Councils for various
health projects at the local level, including the construction of a
maternal health post in Kenema city and the rehabilitation of the
Nixon Memorial Hospital in Segbwema Town, Kailahun District. We have
in totality increased Government's annual direct transfers to Local
Councils from Le7.6 billion in 2007 to Le67.2 billion in 2010.
Mitigating the Impact of Higher Food and Fuel Prices
To cushion the impact of the higher imported food prices, Government
suspended the payment of import duty on rice and reduced excise taxes
on petroleum products to stabilize transport fares and the price of
rice. Government has also ordered 40 buses to further cushion the
impact of higher fuel prices.
Accountant General
My Government has made sure that the Accountant General's Department
has improved the turn-around time in processing payment requests. We
have also improved records management in the Department resulting in a
score of over 90% in the last donor assessment, and reduced cash
handling and its related risks by channelling government payments
through bank accounts.
Audit Service
In line with our determination to ensure accountability in the
management of public finances, the Auditor General's Annual Report on
the Accounts for the year 2009 was submitted to Parliament on time on
the 30th of December 2010 as per the Government Budgetary and
Accountability Act 2005, and tabled in Parliament on the 11th of
January 2011.
As we are in the process of widening our scope of audit by introducing
other audit areas, the Performance Audit Unit has been established. We
will be expanding our audit work to include banks, insurance companies
and other donor funded projects.
Bank of Sierra Leone
As a key element of its monetary policy reform measures during the
review period, the Bank of Sierra Leone introduced the Monetary Policy
Rate (MPR) in February 2011 to benchmark the term structure of
interest rates in the financial markets.
The Bank also established the Credit Reference Bureau this year as
part of its financial sector reform drive. To promote access to
capital in rural areas, a number of deposit and non-deposit taking
Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) have been licensed.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, as a result of the prudent
macroeconomic management, the World Bank's Country Policy and
Institutional Assessment (CPIA) rating for Sierra Leone has
consistently improved from 3.1 in 2007 to 3.3 in 2010.
Mineral Resources
We shall make the mineral resources of this nation benefit the people
of this country, and the result of our endeavours visible in hundreds
of millions of dollars of investment and the creation of thousands of
jobs. As promised in our manifesto, we are renegotiating all
agreements to further optimize the benefits of minerals for the
citizens of our country. We have already successfully renegotiated the
agreement with Koidu Holdings and London Mining. Renegotiations with
Sierra Rutile and Sierra Mining Holdings are ongoing.
We have granted a concession to African Minerals Limited for the
mining of Iron Ore in Tonkolili district. Reconstruction of the Pepel
Port has been completed by African Minerals and also the railway from
Ferengbeya to Pepel is nearing completion. The Production of Iron Ore
is expected to commence in December 2011.
To further ensure transparent and effective administration of mineral
rights, we have introduced and started implementation of a Mining
Cadastre. This system feeds in relevant information to the EITI
process. A Data Repository has been established in the Ministry's
website for the purpose of transparency and accountability.
With support from partners, we are building our capacity for the
sustainable management of Sierra Leone's Extractive Industry through
the Extractive Industry Technical Assistance Project (EITAP). This
project is facilitating a geochemical survey that will for the first
time provide us with a Geological Data Bank.
A new Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act was enacted in July
2011. Under the Act, a Petroleum Directorate is being established to
monitor petroleum operations in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone
National Petroleum Company is also being incorporated to manage the
commercial aspects of petroleum operations and the participating
interests of the State in petroleum licenses.
Private Sector and Investments
Mr. Speaker, because of our resilience and actions in creating a
business friendly environment, Sierra Leone today is in the midst of a
great transformation. We are attracting huge investments in our
mineral sector; prospects for commercially valuable oil are great; and
hundreds of millions of dollars are being invested in our agriculture,
marine and other sectors. Our patient courting and nurturing of
investors is paying off.
Through a partnership involving the Government, IDEA (UK) who are
Sierra Leonean business people, and Hilton a premier name in the hotel
industry, the Cape Sierra Hotel will be refurbished into a 5-star
hotel. We have also privatized the Freetown port through an agreement
with Bollore. We are hopeful that this will lead to the modernisation
of our port, improved turn-around times for ships, and decreases in
freight and insurance costs. Our privatisation of handling services at
the airport has led to major airlines doing business in the country.
The Mining Sector continues to do well. Koidu Holdings is currently
implementing a US$150 million expansion plan to enhance its processing
capacity, with a view to increasing its annual production from 100,000
to 500,000 carats. Sierra Rutile has been transformed with a change in
the major share ownership, and the value of the company has grown by
over 150% in the last twenty four months. In Iron Ore, London Mining
has successfully raised hundreds of millions for their project. Since
January 2010, African Minerals Ltd has successfully raised and
invested US$1.3 billion to fund the development of the Tonkolili
project. The company has also signed final agreements with Shandong
Iron and Steel Group which when completed will see an additional
US$1.5 billion being invested to develop Phase 2 of the Tonkolili
project.
Our efforts on investment climate reforms continue to yield dividends.
We have increased our rankings in the World Bank Doing Business Index.
We have established Commercial Courts as we promised to do. We have
also improved tax payment efficiency and made it easier for businesses
to register and flourish.
Mr. Speaker, in collaboration with other stakeholders, the Ministry of
Trade and Industry developed an incentives package for investors,
which was approved by Cabinet and incorporated into the Finance Act of
2011. We have also developed a National Trade Policy and Action
Programme as a strategy to address the challenges faced by our trade
sector as well as to guide both policy makers and members of the
private sector on matters relating to trade in Sierra Leone.
With the support of this Honourable House, we have enacted the
Intellectual Property Rights Law of 2011 to provide safeguards against
piracy and to reward creativity. This will enhance not just the
development and growth of the creative arts but also the private
sector in general.
To harmonize our Standards policy with other countries in the
sub-region, Sierra Leone passed the Weights and Measures Act No.5 of
2010. On 1st May 2011, the petroleum sector adopted the metric system
of measurement moving from gallons to litres.
Human Rights
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, for my Government, consolidation of
democracy, peace and development is inextricably linked to the
building of a viable national human rights culture supported by
independent national institutions. It is in view of this that we have
provided new office spaces for the Office of the Ombudsman in
Freetown, Bo, Makeni and Kenema, giving the office greater publicity.
The office has designed and started the implementation of a five year
Development Plan.
We have created the space for freedom of expression to thrive,
allowing for independent voices everywhere, respecting the rights of
journalists to freely practise their profession. Our support for the
independence of the Human Rights Commission has allowed it to improve
its effectiveness resulting in its recent elevation to "A" status by
the United Nations. The Commission has maintained a third
comprehensive annual state of human rights report thus complying with
its statutory obligations to government and to this House. It has also
provided assistance to government that ensured successful reporting
and participation in the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal
Periodic Review.
Mr. Speaker, never before in the history of our land have Sierra
Leoneans had more space to express their thoughts as at now. Through
our Open Government Initiative, ordinary Sierra Leoneans from all over
the country have directly posed questions to me, the Speaker of
Parliament and the Chief Justice at forums organized in this very
House of Parliament and at State House. Through more than 40 radio
stations the common man and woman have aired their voices, and given
their opinion on any issue without hindrance. Freedom of expression is
thriving in our newspapers, and our television stations and we are
committed to making it thrive even more.
Youths
Mr. Speaker, we are determined to make youths play their rightful
roles as the mainstay of our country's quest for security, democracy
and development. We have established the Youth Commission to lead the
integration and contribution of youths to the country's programmes. We
have attracted investors in every sector and they are creating
thousands of job opportunities for our youths. Employment
opportunities are being created in our infrastructural development
programmes; in the roads that are constructed in every district and
region; and in our implementation of the Small-holder
Commercialization Programme. Knowing that the presence of employment
must be matched by the presence of skills, we are building more
vocational centres to match up the skills of our youths with jobs.
Through NaCSA we directly provide temporary employment for 15,570
young people through the implementation of 358 Cash-for-Work (CfW)
sub-projects. We have also deployed Peace and Development Corps
(PADC)) volunteers throughout the country, for a period of two years
in order to provide them with the opportunity of gaining job
experience. These interventions have been scaled up under the Youth
Employment Support Project (YESP).
Our youths are the pride of our nation. Sierra Leone has now moved up
the FIFA world rankings from 172 in September 2007 to 68 presently.
Tomorrow our darling Leone Stars will be playing in South Africa, in
their final quest to qualify for the 2012 African Nations Cup. Let me
use this opportunity to call on Members of this Honourable House and
the citizens of this country to join me in wishing them well.
Mr. Speaker, from the provision of transport services in remote areas
to their involvement in the mobile phone and video centre business,
from their determination to succeed at universities and the moral
networks they are creating within religious organizations, the
positive march of youths is unstoppable. Together we will overcome the
remaining challenges, and sustain a violence-free, democratic and
development-oriented youth culture.
Social Protection
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, consistent with our Government's
determination to ensure the expansion of our people's social security,
NASSIT is currently working with the relevant stakeholders to
introduce a social health insurance scheme that will guarantee the
extension of social security protection to the most vulnerable in our
society, especially agricultural and informal sector workers. The
proposed scheme will be piloted in two selected districts for a period
of 18 months and it is during this phase that the full features of the
scheme will be developed and subsequently rolled over to the rest of
the country.
In 2010, NaCSA worked with other stakeholders, including the Ministry
of Labour and Social Security, to develop the National Social
Protection Policy, which was adopted by Cabinet on 30th March 2011.
The appropriate bill is being drafted for presentation to Parliament.
These will create space for Government to care for the most vulnerable
groups within the population and make them live in dignity.
Security
Mr Speaker, my Government has just launched the 2011 National Security
Exercise and the Second Security Review Consultations. The aim is to
review current security threats, analyze our preparedness, and
position the security forces to continue to effectively maintain peace
, law and order as a prerequisite for the planning and implementation
of our development programmes, the sustainability of our democracy,
improving access to justice and social services, and the oversight and
governance of the sector.
We have also maintained our active involvement in the promotion of
regional and international stability through mediation and
peacekeeping efforts. As a result our country is now categorized as a
credible contributor to international and regional stabilization
exercises and efforts. Our Army and Police are deployed in Somalia,
Haiti, Ethiopia, East Timor and Lebanon as peacekeepers. We have also
been asked to send Prison Officers in the next few weeks to Southern
Sudan.
Parliament
Mr Speaker, with the great, positive and nationalistic support of this
Honourable House, my Government passed eleven Bills into law, and
ratified 43 International Loan and Grant Agreements all aimed at
mitigating poverty, ensuring good governance, and effectively managing
the flow of overseas development assistance, controlling the
allocation of natural resource revenues, and reviewing budgetary
allocations to support micro-economic initiatives.
Law Reform
Mr. Speaker, through the Law Reform Commission, my Government has
continued to review and update our laws to reflect current realities
and aspirations. These include laws dealing with commerce and
investment, human rights, marriages, disability, drug control,
criminal justice and the administration of justice.
Lands, Country Planning and the Environment
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we have developed The National Land
Policy for Sierra Leone and a draft copy is ready for validation. We
have also designed and deployed a land documentation database for
private and state lands to promote effective land management. We have
initiated a Land Registration Project (LRP) for the Western Area;
introduced the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) and state of the
art Geographic Information Systems.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, my Government is implementing
programmes to ensure the effectiveness of the newly enacted
environmental legislations. The projects include: Conservation of the
Western Area Peninsula Forest Reserve and its Watershed; Eco-tourism
Supporting Community Development and Conservation at Tiwai Island
Wildlife Sanctuary; the Trans-boundary Forest Co-management; and The
Gola Forest Management.
Information and Communications
Mr. Speaker, we have put in place a National Communication Strategy to
guide our interventions in the sector. We have developed a project
geared towards the dissemination of information to all parts of the
country. We established four Media Resources Centers in Freetown,
Makeni, Bo and Kenema with VSAT to provide internet connectivity.
We have developed a Freedom of Information Bill that is currently
before the House of Parliament for enactment.
In March 2010, my Government created and incorporated Sierra Leone
Cable Limited (SALCAB) to participate in the Africa Coast to Europe
Consortium and serve as a landing party for the submarine fibre optic
cable. We have already signed the necessary agreements and secured
funding for the Programme. The Submarine Cable is scheduled to land
next week, and will be put to commercial use in 2012. Its landing will
make communication cheaper and affordable to all and will encourage
private sector participation and promote competition in the management
of the International Gateway.
With our own funds, and support from the Islamic Development Bank, we
are implementing the ECOWAS regional Backbone Infrastructure &
E-Governance Project (ECOWAN). The strategic objective of the ECOWAN
project is to provide the capability to establish a common platform
where exchange of information can be executed seamlessly to enhance
productivity, expand opportunities for knowledge sharing and also
promote regional integration.
We are also implementing the Pan-African e-Network project. The
project supports three major components including the tele-medicine,
tele-education and the VVIP connectivity. With the tele-education
project nearly 200 students at Fourah Bay College are receiving online
lectures for various courses through a Virtual Tele-Ed-Agent from the
Amity University and University of Madras (UN0M). Students in the
country have sat to the first and second semester examinations for
masters and bachelor degrees in business and information technology.
International Cooperation
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, whilst our goal is the creation of a
strong, self confident, democratic and peaceful nation, this could be
better achieved with the support and cooperation of the international
community. That is why we are continuing to build on our partnerships
and alliances. Our efforts are yielding positive results for our
country and the promotion of peace, democracy, development cooperation
and security in the Mano River Basin, West Africa, Africa and the
entire Globe.
We have continued to play positive roles in the affairs of the Mano
River Union, ECOWAS, the African Union, the Commonwealth, Organization
of the Islamic Conference, the United Nations and its family of
agencies. We have continued to strengthen cooperative relations with
our immediate and extended neighbourhood through political dialogue
and entry into Cooperation Agreements, and representational activities
involving the Foreign Ministry and its diplomatic missions. Our ties
are still strong with our traditional partners in Europe and America,
including their respective development cooperation agencies such as
DFID, USAID, and Irish Aid. Let me also use this opportunity to
register our appreciation of the support provided by the European
Commission, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund, BADEA, JICA, and the Islamic Development
Bank.
We are also engaged in the expansion, diversification and
consolidation of our partnerships within the context of South-South
Cooperation. This has significantly enhanced the opportunity for
expanding the scope of resource commitments, expertise and affordable
technology particularly from the Arab Gulf States, and emerging
economies of Latin America and South East Asia respectively. We have
been able to secure expanded support for our domestic agenda through
technical assistance grant aid and soft loans particularly in the
priority sectors of Energy and Water Resources, Agriculture,
Infrastructure, and Human Resource Development.
Mr Speaker, in this 40th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relationship with the People's Republic of China we wish to
congratulate the People's Republic for their peaceful rise and applaud
their immense contribution to the infrastructural and socio-economic
development of our country.
We also congratulate the Government and people of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria for their leadership role in Africa, and express our
sincere gratitude for their profound support for the sustainability of
security, democracy and development in our beloved nation.
We applaud the continued friendship and support of the governments and
peoples of Guinea, Senegal, India, Kuwait, Malaysia, Australia, South
Africa and Venezuela. We also applaud the cooperation of Japan in our
developmental strides.
With support of host Governments, we have succeeded in establishing
missions in Senegal and Switzerland. My Government has also embarked
on a revision of our country's diplomatic representation profile,
including our pattern of consular representation and accreditation. In
relation to Yenga we have constituted our membership to a Sierra
Leone-Guinea Joint Committee that will come up with appropriate
recommendations for the final resolution of the burning question of
the Yenga occupation.
The Public Service
Mr. Speaker, my Government remains committed to revamping the Public
Service and to providing services to all sectors of our community. Our
vision is to create a performance-oriented and citizen-focused Public
Service that works for all. It is in this light that in August this
year we got Senior Civil Servants to sign Performance Contracts. The
Civil Service has also started using the new Civil Service Code,
Regulations and Rules replacing the General Orders, which became
obsolete many years ago.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, my Government in collaboration with other
stakeholders developed a comprehensive multi-year Public Sector Pay
Reform Programme to improve conditions of service of public servants.
Implementation of the pay reform started with teachers in September
this year and will be extended to all other public sector workers this
month.
Integrity in Public Life
Mr Speaker, we have made significant strides in promoting integrity
since our enactment of one of the strongest anti-corruption laws in
Africa in 2008. Sierra Leone moved from 1.9 in 2009 to 2.4 in 2010 in
the Transparency International Index. The Global Integrity Scorecard
has also published that among the lower and middle income countries in
the world Sierra Leone has achieved important anti-corruption
improvements in 2010. For these achievements, the World Bank gave the
Anti-Corruption Commission the prestigious Integrity Award for
recovering stolen government property.
Conclusion
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, our country is in the midst of the
greatest transformation in its history. We are on the verge of
becoming one of the largest exporters of iron ore, on the threshold of
becoming an oil producing nation, we are attracting expressions of
interests in our resources from investors everywhere in the world; we
are close to being fully integrated into the internet world and its
attendant opportunities through the landing of the fibre optic cable;
we are at the point in a country's history that is called the set
point, the point where the consequences of what is decided shall stay
with us for decades. It is in the light of this that we shall be
organizing a Sierra Leone Conference on Development and Transformation
in December this year. Our vision is to become a middle income and
advanced country within the next few decades. I strongly believe we
can attain this status. Given the opportunities available and the
strides we are making we can become a donor nation in record time; we
can fulfil our aspirations for a truly free country, confident,
assertive and forward-looking.
This country has enough men and women of goodwill to carry us through.
I come to this Honourable Assembly to reiterate our commitment to
working with these men and women of goodwill from every political
party. I come to this Honourable House to reiterate our dedication to
democracy and progress through visible action.
There are still challenges but we must continue along the path of
progress, commitment and unity of purpose. I believe men and women of
good will and non-violence in all political parties will prevail; I
believe that our ties of friendship, family, and neighbourliness will
triumph over destructive ambition for power. In this gathering, I see
partners for transformation. I see them in the SLPP, the PMDC, and the
APC. I believe we share much more than opposing each other in the
political arena. Most of us share a disposition for tolerance,
friendship and non-violence. I call upon all of us to use the great
resources of our friendships, our common dispositions and values to
build bridges over the antagonisms of politics. Let us use these
resources to keep the extremists and the violent at bay. The force of
our determination must be the greatest deterrent against those who
seek to debar our progress.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, next year this country shall be
conducting its fourth presidential and parliamentary elections since
1996. My government is determined to ensure free, fair, transparent,
and violence free elections. We will not allow the perpetrators of
violence to derail our continuing transformation into a democracy
respected by all, a development-oriented nation lauded by
multi-lateral and other institutions, and a country of immense
potential that is courted by investors from all over the world. We the
peaceful, the non-violent and the development-oriented are in the
overwhelming majority in all political parties, all ethnic groups and
every region in the country. We will never allow the violent to take
our country back to the era of gross violations of our rights. The era
of impunity is over; we will enforce the laws to the fullest and ask
for the maximum punitive measures for those engaged in electoral
violence and other human rights abuses and violations. We will also be
seeking the cooperation of the International Criminal Court to ensure
that no one escapes the net of fair, just and impartial trial for
electoral and other gross violations of the rights of our people.
There will be no hiding place for perpetrators.
I hereby call on all peaceful Sierra Leoneans to come together in an
alliance of strength, unity, and commitment and prevent our country
from being taken over by the agents of retrogression. From the sacred
groves of the Gola Forest to the great Mountains of Wara Wara, the
time to stand up for our peaceful and developmental values is now;
from the fishing grounds of Tombo to the mines of Tongo, we must
assert our fidelity to the ideals of unity, freedom and justice.
Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament, our national heritage
should be the cord that binds us closer as one people. We should all
accept that we have a common destiny as Sierra Leoneans and work
together relentlessly for peace, freedom and prosperity. Let us with
patriotic zeal serve this land that we love, our Sierra Leone.
God bless us all.
|
News 
