Sierra Leone Telegraph: 8 October 2021:
The U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has concluded a successful visit to Sierra Leone where they discussed the development of a potential compact agreement between MCC and the Sierra Leone Government – a significant investment to support economic growth in Sierra Leone.
During their visit to Freetown, MCC met with local leaders from civil society organizations, the private sector, government officials, representatives from all parties, and other development partners. The meetings are part of MCC’s compact development process conducted in partnership with the Government of Sierra Leone.
“We were thrilled to be able to travel to Port Loko, Bombali, and Koinadugu districts. We were able to talk with various stakeholders from all parts of society to ensure the compact is a benefit to all Sierra Leoneans.” said Tina Yu, Country Director for the Sierra Leone Compact Team at MCC. “We look forward to continuing these conversations as compact development progresses.”
MCC’s Board of Directors selected Sierra Leone as eligible to develop a compact in December 2020.
The Government of Sierra Leone and MCC have subsequently worked together to identify and assess challenges to Sierra Leone’s economic growth and are now designing meaningful projects that will benefit Sierra Leone.
Consultations and broad input from key stakeholders across Sierra Leone are critical to project design and to the success of this partnership.
The new compact follows the successful completion of a $44.4 million threshold program between MCC and the Government of Sierra Leone that concluded in March 2021.
The threshold program built a foundation of policy reform, sector coordination, and operational management to improve the water and electricity services in and around Freetown.
MCC is an international development agency of the U.S. government, working to reduce global poverty through economic growth.
Created in 2004, MCC provides time-limited grants and assistance to countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption, and respecting democratic rights.
Improving the Water and Electricity services in and around Freetown is a laudable program. Former President Earnest Koroma played his role in restoring light to Freetown based on the fact that during the 2007 presidential election campaign, he promised to restore light in the city within 100 days which will replace “ Kabba Tiger generators”. Late President Kabba even disclosed that the Bumbuna Hydroelectric project was 95% completed during his handing over power speech.
Unfortunately, after the 2018 presidential election,light automatically disappeared in Freetown which proves that the electricity program was not sustainable and Freetown now depend on the floating Karpowership from turkey after the 11 years of APC misrule.
Thanks to our young Anti Corruption Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala for minimizing corruption which is one of the the main condition for the MCC program. May the Almighty continue to bless the USA.
Bravo to Mr President, we want to see the real sustainable development during your era and please try to fastract some of this projects, the process is too slow if I may say. Some of we the youths are in support of your projects, we need factories in the country. Cost of living is very hard nowadays, please Mr President try to rectify this problems of hardship in mama salone.