Monrovia – Africa’s leaders have been urged to invest in their national development capacity if the continent is to be prosperous. The call came Tuesday, October 26 during the visit to the Chambers of the Liberian Senate by Sierra Leone’s vice president, Dr. Mohammed A. Jalloh.
He said: “I normally tell other leaders if we don’t develop a national capacity for production we will end up selling goods that are produce by other countries.”
Jalloh said Liberia and Sierra Leone were blessed to have two leaders who are working together to achieve similar goals, and wants the friendly ties that have existed between the two nations continue.
The visiting vice president also called for trade relationship to be established between Liberia and the Republic of Sierra Leone which he said should be called ‘Monrovia Free Town Heritage relationship.’
According to Jalloh, companies established under these arrangements will trade in Liberia and in Sierra Leone, as Liberia and Sierra Leone have similar culture and similar trade.
Commenting on the gains made by Sierra Leone’s president Julius Maada Bio, Jalloh disclosed that since the ascendency of Bio, the government has allotted 22 per cent of the national budget to the educational sector with specific focus on Basic and Higher education.
He said the Basic Education Program focuses on secondary education, while Higher Education focuses on tertiary education and other trainings.
Jalloh indicated that the Sierra Leone government has enacted a Bill to educate 6 percent of Sierra Leoneans yearly and has also enacted a Bill that guarantees 30% of women representation in the parliament and other key areas of the Country.
Jalloh said there has also been significant strides in the health sector, stressing that growth in the sector has moved from 6-8 percent to 11 percent and that a program known as the ‘Hospital Management Response’ has been put in place to improve hospitals in order to respond to the health needs of the country.
The Sierra Leone government, Jalloh said, is heavily involved into Agriculture investments, and has given some farmers more than 400 tractors in the country to produce food on a large skill for the citizens.
He said the Government of Sierra Leone has spent more than US 420 million for the importation of rice in a year (2018-2019).
Making emphasis on the country’s energy sector, Jalloh disclosed that Sierra Leone government has improved the energy sector from 16 to 40 percent for processing and manufacturing of food and other commodities in the country.
He noted that Sierra Leone is also implementing programs to improve the Fishery and Tourism sectors in the country.
Jalloh informed the Liberian Senate that Bio has constituted a National Investment Board, with the term of reference of lobbying with the Parliament to enact laws that are investment friendly in order to attract more investment in the country.
For his part, President Pro-Tempore Albert T. Chie commended Jalloh for his visit to Liberia and the Chambers of the Liberian Senate and expressed the hope that Liberia and Sierra Leone will continue working together to promote peace and trade in the sub-region.