The Sierra Leone investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) has in the last five months reached fifty-three (53) Chiefdom councils with investment mapping and facilitation processes. The recent visit which took place during the week of 20th November 2020, targeted selected chiefdoms in Kenema and Kailahun Districts.
According to Mr. Victor Bangura, the Acting Director of Investment Promotion in SLIEPA, the implantation aims at sensitizing Chiefdom authorities and other stakeholders across the Country on the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in facilitating Investors into their Communities and how they can work together to ensure suitable correlation between the investors and the host communities.
He said that, the chiefdom councils being integral stakeholders in the investment process, remain the hosts for investors that will be doing business in their communities for about fifty years and above; which means they should be abreast with investment facilitation processes.
When speaking to the people, the Investment Promotion Manager, Mr. Hardy Jalloh encouraged the authorities to inform SLIEPA about subsequent investors that bypass them to invest in their communities. By informing SLIEPA, he said, will allow the investors to go through the requisite facilitation processes that will be beneficial to all the parties.
The chiefdom authorities welcomed the SLIEPA team with delight and assured them of a collaborative relationship with a gratitude for enlightening them. Among other speakers, Paramount Chief Alhaji S.M. Fowai of Dama Chiefdom, said that the visit was an eye opener to reassuring them that lands are their wealth therefor they should be meticulous in going into agreement with investors. Like others, PC Fowai explained the various investment opportunities in his Chiefdom; he said they are yearning for investors that will tap into those opportunities. The authorities visited asked SLIEPA to take investors to their communities that there will be development activities in their localities. The meetings were facilitated and chaired by Mrs. Habiebatu Shyllon the Officer in Charge SLIEPA office, Southern and part of Eastern Provinces.
Other chiefdoms visited in Kenema District were, Dodo, Gaura, Niawa, Kandu Leppiam, and for Kailahun District were, Upper Bambara, Mandu, Malema Jawei, and Jaluahun.