SLIEPA on November 14, 2019 ended preliminary research on investment opportunities in Pujehun and Torma Bum.
Mr. Hardy Jalloh, Manager of Investment Promotion Department in SLIEPA, expressed the importance of the visit, noting that it will strengthen collaboration with the relevant stakeholders for effective working relationship. He said that the visit would also enhance a scoping mission that will look for more investment opportunities, which will attract large-scale investors.
Mr. Hardy added that SLIEPA wanted firsthand information and more community acquaintance, hence the reason for going on the field.
According to Mr. Yusuf Jimmy, Manager of Research and Policy formulation Unit, the Research Unit is a new kid on the block created by the current SLIEPA CEO, Mr. Sheku Lexmod Koroma to serve as a backup to the other Departments within the Agency. He said the investment opportunities recorded from each location visited would be catalogued into a single handbook to inform investors about the available investment opportunities and the suitable locations for establishment.
With pleasure, Mr. Mohamed N Mansaray, Deputy Chairman of Pujehun District Council, appreciated the visit, saying that their District will develop through working with other partners such as SLIEPA. He said that irrespective of the District being underdeveloped yet it has huge
Potential in agriculture, tourism, mineral, marine resources, oil etc. He mentioned that piassava had been a major export commodity from Pujehun District, and it is still available for commercial use. He therefor encouraged SLIEPA to sell their District costly and concluded by commending the Agency for it bottom-up approach as opposed to top-bottom, which has been a recipe for the failure of most development projects in the Country.
In addition, Chief Adulai Patto, on behalf of his Paramount Chief, PC Kaipumor of Bum Chiefdom in Bonthe, recalled that since colonial days, Torma Bum had been the breadbasket of the country. He said Torma Bum has thousands of hectares of land fit for mega rice projects and other agricultural products such as maize, palm oil, sorghum, runner beans, beans etc. Chief Patto said they were looking forward to seeing investors, who will tap those opportunities and create job for their people to change their economic situation.
Other speakers included Section Chief in Bum Chiefdom, Madam Saffie Mambu,
Deputy Chief Administrator of Pujehun District Council, Mr. Aminu Sandy, Pujehun District Agriculture Officer, Mr. Eddie L Bewoh.