Like other areas visited, Chiefdom Authorities in Port Loko and Kambia Districts have committed themselves to working closely with the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) in the facilitation of investment at Chiefdom level; they said this in the week of 6th November, 2020, marking an investment facilitation visit targeting Chiefdom councils across the Country.
In his presentation, the SLIEPA Acting Director of investment Promotion, Mr. Victor Bangura, said the Central Government, District Council and Chiefdom Council are integral stakeholders in the investment facilitation process and the latter is very key because they offer their lands to investors that they will have to commune with for many years. According to him, that was the reason for the community outreach to keep them informed about the mandate of the Agency, strengthen collaboration and encourage them to notify SLIEPA of the presence of investors in their communities.
The reason for the notification, he explained, is to have the investors go through the required investment process and to also guide both the land owners and investors through transparent agreements.
In response, the paramount chiefs (PC) and their subordinates including landowners appraised SLIEPA for the sensitization. Having registered some disappointments relating to some previous agreements with investors, they said working with the Agency would be for the benefit of everyone in the investment cycle.
Pa Alimamy Adikalie, Chiefdom Speaker of Maconteh, Port Loko District, encouraged SLIEPA to take investment to their chiefdom to create job for their youths and develop their communities; while PC Alimamy Kondogbala Kokoriyoko II of Dixion Chiefdom, Kambia District, said as government functionaries, they serve government of the day, hence, they are ready to welcome any development, noting that they have vast land for agriculture.
Mrs. Phebean Jaia, Investment Promotion Officer, also made meaningful contribution following Mr. Hardy Jalloh, SLIEPA Manager of Investment Promotion, who reiterated the importance of the visit, being the beginning of a long relationship.
Other Chiefdoms visited in Port Loko were; Makama, Mafoki, Bureh, and in Kambia were;Gbileh, Masungbla and Munuthallar.