The Corporate Council on Africa Thursday 16th April held a luncheon in honor of the Presidents of Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington DC. The purpose of the luncheon was to assess the current situation in the Mano River Union and find out what needs to be done to restore businesses in the region.
Delivering a short statement during the occasion, President Koroma (photo) said that Sierra Leone was among the fastest growing economies in the world and also lauded by the World Bank and other credible international institutions as one of the front runners in creating the conducive environment for doing business in the world. "Our message is for the international community to help the country get to and remain zero and also provide what it takes to effect a successful recovery programme," the president said.
President Koroma also highlighted the potentials of Sierra Leone in terms of investment potentials in tourism, agriculture, mining and more importantly the political will to promote trade and investment.
According to President Koroma, the MRU should not be defined by its current circumstances, saying that there is so much potential for investment in tourism, agriculture and other sectors. He noted that the three countries have gone a long way in turning things around as transparency and accountability have been promoted more than ever before. "Ebola is on its way out and I therefore call on American investors to come to West Africa as it’s the right place for business," he maintained.
It is worthy to note that the leaders of the worst affected countries in the MRU by the Ebola outbreak over the past year have called on the international community to support a recovery plan which will promote economic growth, create new jobs, and finance the rebuilding of health, education and social protection systems which have been acutely devastated as a result of the outbreak of Ebola.
This meeting today (yesterday-Editor) is a further move to canvass the international business community to support the recovery programs of these countries, especially in the areas identified during the high level Ebola conference in Brussels in March and the meeting with American President Barack Obama on Wednesday 15th April.
The five key areas identified are building resilient public health systems; developing transport, power and telecommunications infrastructure to bring about regional integration; backing for private sector-led recovery efforts, and resumption of air travel in the region; technical and financial support for immediate cash help to the most vulnerable people hit by the Ebola crisis; and a total cancellation of the countries’ foreign debt.
The significance of the visit is to consolidate their efforts to promote the common strategy they have adopted as members of the MRU to address post-Ebola recovery.
SHCU
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