The African Development Bank Team meets with the Leadership of the Ministry of Finance.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Mission, headed by Mr. Alex Saye Yeanay, OIC Country Representative, undertook an appraisal mission to Sierra Leone to assess the Sierra Leone Rice Special Agro-Industrial Processing Project and update the Ministry of Finance leadership on the project.
In his statement, the mission head, Alex Saye Yeanay, thanked the leadership of the Ministry of Finance for constantly communicating with the Bank on the actualisation of this project.
He added that the team from the Bank is working on the technical aspect so that the project will meet the specified implementation time.
Rebecca Dadzie Senior Agribusiness Officer (AfDB) informed the team that the objective of the mission is to discuss with the government officials and other stakeholders on the preparedness of the proposed project per the Bank Group’s lending and grant policies and assessing the technical, economic, climate, social and environmental feasibility of the actions to be undertaken before the approval.
She added that the Financial Secretary Matthew Dingie and team emphasised driving the private sector at the forefront of implementation, as well as the confirmation from the government on the counterpart funding for the project as a requirement for the Bank’s financing.
She noted that the mission’s findings were based on the guidance they received from the management of the sector’s existing analytical work, consultations, and physical inspections of project sites, which had been designed primarily to respond to the request from the government for support to develop the Rice Special Agro-Processing Zone at Kambia and Port Loko.
During the field visit, the team noted that most of the challenges contributing to poor productivity include the weak availability and low use of certified seed by farmers, poor land preparation for production, high soil acidity, and inadequate access to and use of fertiliser and agrochemicals.
The Minister of Finance, Ahmed Sheku Fantamadi Bangura, commended the team and advised that the team from AfDB choose partners who have already invested their resources in improving the agricultural sector.
Minister Bangura proposed that a PPP model would be developed to oversee and take responsibility for the constructed facility.
Credit: MOF Communications
