By State House Communication Unit
The Head of Governance, Regional CEO Office for Africa and the Middle East of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) Ian Fernandes on Monday 10 April 2017 paid a courtesy call on President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma at State House in Freetown.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of SCB in Freetown, Idrissa Kamara, Mr Fernandes was in the country to have first-hand knowledge of the progress made on the economy after the twin shocks of the Ebola epidemic and the fall in commodity prices as well as engaging government on other development programmes.
Making a statement, Mr Fernandes said the SCB has been operating in Sierra Leone for more than 120 years, adding that the bank’s focus is on supporting growth and connecting the pools of capital from Asia and Africa. He stated that the bank experienced a strong turnaround in 2016, saying that more than 90% of their income came from Africa. Mr Fernandes also said the bank will pay keen attention on building partnership with institutions, holding discussions with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to explore opportunities on agriculture and attract foreign direct investment to the sector.
Welcoming the Head of Governance, Regional CEO Office for Africa and Middle East, President Koroma described Standard Chartered Bank as a reliable partner. He expressed delight over the bank’s interest in the agricultural sector, saying that the twin shocks created the need to fast track the diversification of Sierra Leone’s economy. The President pointed out that focusing on agriculture will provide employment, increase export earnings as well as enhance food security among others.
