Information Ministry Gives Update On Public-Private Dialogue

By Abdul Rahman Bah

On Tuesday 21 November 2023, at the Ministry of information and civil Education’s weekly press briefing held at the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s conference room, Tower Hill in Freetown, Deputy Information Minister, Yusuf Keketorma Sandy updated the media about moves by the government to strengthen Public-Private Dialogue develop the pathway to improve investment climate in Sierra Leone.

Speaking at the meeting, Chief Director and Professional Head, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Emmanuel Billy Konjor, said the Private sector is the engine of the country’s economic growth and development, noting that the Public-Private Dialogue is a platform where the Government engages the private sector for economic development. He added that the Ministry is working to ensure that the Public-Private Dialogue is institutionalized.

Mr. Konjor also informed the public that the government cannot create all the jobs, it needs the private sector to come on board, and for the private sector to create these jobs, they should be involved in the policy formulation stages.

Deputy Executive Director of National Investment Board, Fatima Mahawa Sandi, spoke about the key mandates of the Board, stating that one of their key mandates is to ensure they take care of existing businesses through what she referred to as “After Care”, a mechanism to ensure a conducive atmosphere is created for existing businesses, thereby attracting more investments into the country.

Madam Mahawa disclosed that, in 2022, when the NIB Act was passed, the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) Act was repealed, as a result, SLIEPA is now a Directorate under the National Investment Board (NIB).

Deputy Secretary General, Sierra Leone Importers Association, Alhaji Sheriff Barrie, commended the Government for adjusting the GST registration threshold from Nle100,000 to Nle500,000 in the 2024 Finance Act and the removal of taxes on manufacturing machines/equipment. He attributed these successes to the Government dialoguing with the Private Sector, and encouraged the Government to continuously engage and dialogue with the Private sector.

Alhaji Barrie urged the Government to reconsider removing the tax on cooking gas, as it will be counterproductive and have negative impact on the environment, as many people will revert to charcoal for cooking, which will impact negatively on the environment. According to Alhaji Barrie, 269 tons of Charcoal are used in Freetown alone. So to protect the environment, Government must not tax cooking gas. Alhaji Barrie said this Public-Private Dialogue must be strengthened, so ideas can be shared between the two sectors.