The Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) in a workshop organized by Solidaridad at the Golden Tulip Hotel on 26 February 2019, presented the draft of the New Agribusiness Investment Approval Process for Sierra Leone.
The purpose of the workshop was to have a national learning and experience sharing on practical applications of the National Land Policy in the context of agricultural investment in Sierra Leone.
Solidaridad West Africa (SWA) is a non- profit organization that was established in 2015 as part of the Solidaridad Network. The SWA is base in Ghana, Accra. It is a Dutch based development Organization operating in five continents.
In 2016 Solidaridad launched the Land Enhancing Governance for Economic Development (LEGEND) Project in Sierra Leone with the objective to facilitate tenably policies on Land Governance by ensuring that the land acquisition procedures of large scale agricultural investor Natural Habitants (NH) meet the national and international best practices.
On this backdrop, Solidaridad brought together stakeholders from the Government including chiefs, private sectors, advocacy organizations, land owners to learn and exchange experience on the theme: “Implementation of the National Land Policy in the Context of Responsible Agricultural Investment.” Where Mr. Victor Bangura, the SLIEPA Ag Director for Investment Promotion, presented the Draft of the New Agribusiness Investment Approval Process on behalf of SLIEPA.
During his presentation, Mr. Victor Bangura, let the participants know that SLIEPA is an Agency of the Government of Sierra Leone that generates and promotes investment and export for economic growth. He said, The Agribusiness Investment Approval Process is part of the implementation process of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of land, Fisheries and Forest Resources (VGGT), endorsed in 2012.
He stated that the development of the Approval Process is to equate and facilitate responsible investment in agriculture in both Sierra Leone and in Liberia for there is a need to harmonized the country’s investment approval process so that Government and other stakeholders would have a clear road map on how to go about it.
Going further, the Agribusiness Investment Approval Process, covers key activities relating to investor journey: screening prospective investors and proposed projects through due diligence, ensuring consultation and participation of all affected stakeholders, requiring impact assessments prior to deciding whether to approve a project, and preparing contracts and agreements for approval by the parties and the relevant authorities
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