By HASSAN OSMAN KARGBO
The Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, Manty Tarawalli, has disclosed that the MCC Compact is a blessing for Sierra Leoneans and adding that people should treat it very seriously in the country.
Madam Tarawalli made this disclosure at the Government of Sierra Leone Weekly Press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation Conference Room, Tower Hill in Freetown.
According to her it is difficult to secure the MCC Compact, but with President Bio’s leadership and with everyone coming together, they have achieved the MCC Compact and it would push the country forward.
She emphasized Government’s unyielding commitments to the MCC and mentioned that he had asked the Vice President to lead the process. She also highlighted the Vice President’s vast experience in public policy.
Madam Tarawalli pointed out that every Sierra Leonean should be proud because the MCC initiative was led by Sierra Leoneans themselves in showcasing their wisdom and commitments. She stressed the importance of energy for initiatives like ‘Feed Salone’ to be progressive, emphasizing that without energy, including integration, storage, and added value, the country would not fully benefit from such programmes. She urged citizens to come together to push the country forward, especially through improving energy infrastructure.
She also emphasized the benefits that Sierra Leoneans would receive through improved energy resources. Passing the MCC scorecard is a major challenge, and failure to do so would disqualify institutions from being eligible for future Compacts. Key policies like Free Education, the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) Act, and anti-corruption measures play pivotal roles in securing MCC eligibility. The Vice President and Ndeye Fatu Koroma visited all Ministries to discuss the MCC and the contributions required from each institution. Manty reassured that they would continue to work towards passing the scorecard to make the country eligible for another MCC Compact.
She disclosed that they have signed the document, and cabinet has approved it. The next phase in the process involves obtaining approval from Parliament, following which an institution will be established to oversee the delivery of the MCC. The individual in charge, Manty Tarawalli, shared insights into ongoing discussions with the MCC to establish a board, which will include representation from civil societies and be chaired by the Vice President Dr Jalloh. The board will be responsible for recruiting competent institutions to implement the MCC effectively.
Amidst global economic challenges “Let us believe in our country. All over the world, things are hard now, and we know it. There are economic challenges everywhere, but Sierra Leone has started to see the light that will encourage and give us hope. Last month, a small country like Sierra Leone spoke for 52 African countries in the Security Council. It is a big position to tell the world that we are bold to participate in every stage. It is something we should be proud of. After that, we signed the MCC, which also tells the world that we have systems, structures, and talented people because we did it all by ourselves,” Manty Tarawalli said.
She reiterated what Ndeye said earlier, that the board will make almost all the decisions and guide institutions on how they should operate, including when it comes to procurement. The board has the authority to choose competent agents to do certain works of the MCC Compact implementation. She urged and pleaded for competent Sierra Leonean institutions to come forward to do the MCC implementation. She added that because Sierra Leone did it for Sierra Leone, she wished for a Sierra Leonean institution to do the MCC implementation for Sierra Leone. Addressing concerns about vandalism of EDSA properties, Manty emphasized the need for community engagement to discourage such acts. She emphasized the importance of instigating a shift in attitudes and mindsets to foster a sense of patriotism and protect the country’s investments.
Pertaining to the unity agreement signed between the Government and the Main Opposition, Manty highlighted that the agreement will not stop the implementation of the Compact. She believes that the implementation of the unity agreement and the Compact will go side by side because it is good for the country and MCC. She added that everyone has agreed to the implementation of the unity agreement and the MCC, and they will be done side by side. They passed the scorecard and maintained the level they already had at MCC.
“The unity agreement signed between the Government and the Main Opposition, The agreement will not stop the implementation of the Compact. I strongly believes implementation of the unity agreement and the Compact will go side by side because it is good for the country and MCC. Everyone has agreed to the implementation of the unity agreement and the MCC, and they will be done side by side. They passed the scorecard and maintained the level they already had at MCC,” she said.
