By Bampia James Bundu
The government of Sierra Leone has signed a US$7.4 Million agreement with the Africa Development Bank (ADB), for public financial management and budget support for 2014. The agreement is also include a grant of US$150,000 for support for advisory service.
Updating journalists after his return from the ADB 50th annual general meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, and the G7 plus meeting in Lome, Togo, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr. Kaifala Marah said that the meeting on the theme: "the next 50 years, the Africa we seek,' were fruitful. He said they were able to discuss several issues ranging from how Africa would be in the next 50 years and youth employment to how to achieve an inclusive economic growth in Africa and the kind of leadership African countries should be looking for.
Dr. Marah said that he was able to sign a US$3.4 agreement with ADB for public financial management and a US$ 4 Million agreement for budget support for 2014, adding that he also secure a grant of US$150, 000 as support for advisory service.
The finance minister said for a country to develop, there is a need to build the human resource capacity of that country and to encourage more people to engage in skilled and professional jobs.
Dr. Marah said that in the 2014 budget, the government made a commitment to establish a skills development fund that would help develop more professionals in the country and to also help develop the country's middle-level manpower.
He pointed out that every year the universities produce a lot of graduates in various areas but noted that less attention is being paid to areas such as, gynaecologist, paediatrician, psychiatrists, and mines engineers, among others.
Dr. Marah said that the G7 plus is a voluntary association of 20 post-conflict countries from 3 continents working together in the spirit of
voluntarism to advocate for effective development policies that take into consideration national priorities. He said the group uses such a forum to discuss their common challenges to national development and to discuss the effectiveness of aid partnership.
(C) Politico 05/06/14
