By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) and the German Embassy in Sierra Leone have signed a thirty-seven million Euros investment agreement on Sustainable Economic Development, through training, employment, health, social protection, population policy, global/regional programs, energy and regional resource governance, among other new intervention areas.
The signing was done on Tuesday, 14th November, 2023, at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development Conference Room, OAU Drive in Freetown.
The German Government and the Government of Sierra Leone had signed an initiated bilateral negotiation on Development Cooperation over 32-year ago.
Speaking after the signing, Africa Director of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, representing Federal Republic of Germany, Christoph Rauh, said it’s a pleasure for him to sign the negotiation as a cooperation of the next two years
He said it’s a new start for their bilateral relationship with Sierra Leone and that they regard Sierra Leone as a full bilateral partner as they work closely to see how they can implement all the projects they have highlighted
He said the money they brought, which came from the German Government to support the people of Sierra Leone, was a solid basis for continuing the cooperation, and added that he was happy that they were going to work in areas like vocational training, decentralised approaches to help people in rural areas.
He continued that they will also focus on supporting value chain in agriculture, energy, health, education, especially in the area of school feeding programme.
He noted that he hopes the cooperation will be flexible in the next two years of the cooperation, noting that he was very impressed by the team of MoPED and the strong presence of other ministries.
He concluded that his government was committed to ensuring that all the projects are implemented in the next years of the cooperation.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, said the bilateral relationship with the German Government has been dormant for over thirty years.
She acknowledged what the German Government has done over the past sixty years in Sierra Leone in the area of development, energy, education, employment, and that they recognize the protocol that they have singed that will continue to trend an aligning with the development intervention on their national agenda.
She maintained that what they have discussed at the engagement was in line with the government’s big five agenda, and that they were committed to working with the German government in supporting President Bio’s vision.
She continues that they were happy with the discussion and the negotiation that will focus on key areas-Sustainable Economic Development, Training & Employment, Health, Social Protection, and Population Policy.
She further said that they also discussed Sierra Leone in the areas of regional and global peace and it committed to regional bodies as Sierra Leone is a board member in the Security Council.
