India has been supporting infrastructure development projects in Sierra Leone through direct Line of Credits (LOCs) and ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development.
According to High Commissioner Rakesh K. Arora, India’s development assistance to Sierra Leone amounts to about US$ 250 million covering a range of sectors – agriculture, irrigation, water management, energy and power, communication, education, etc.
The High Commissioner last Friday, handed over to the Health Ministry a consignment of medicines from India for the people of Sierra Leone to fight COVID-19. Also, they will be providing 1,000 metric tonnes of rice to the country as humanitarian assistance, which will also be formally handed over soon.
“India is committed to being a reliable partner of Sierra Leone in its development journey and will continue to cooperate in capacity building of Sierra Leonean youth under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme” he said.
Despite COVID-19, they continue to extend their assistance in capacity building for youths of Sierra Leone. “Our online program, e-VidyaBharati (tele-education) is already popular in Sierra Leone and I am happy to inform you that 123 applicants have registered for the session beginning January 2021” he said.
In addition, they will be launching their e-AarogyaBharati (tele-medicine) project which aims to offer Tele-Consultation Services and Continued Medical Education from Indian super specialty hospitals to lead hospitals in Sierra Leone.
He recalled that during the visit of India’s Vice President to Freetown in October 2019, he had announced a LoC for US$ 30 million for Irrigation Development in Tomabum, for which the Detailed Project Report is awaited from the Government of Sierra Leone.
One more LoC of US$ 32 million for Construction of University of Science & Technology at Koidu Town in Kono District has been approved by Government of India. This loan he said will be disbursed through ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) under a US$ 500 million loan agreement signed between EXIM Bank of India and EBID in 2018 for projects in ECOWAS countries.
ZJ/08/02/2021
By zainab.joaque@awokonewspaper.sl