As the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE) begins its technical preparation into implementing the Sierra Leone Skills Development Project, the Deputy Minister of Finance Patricia Laverley has cautioned the implementing Ministry to ensure that the resources are equitably distributed. The US$20 million World Bank loan is intended to finance effort geared towards increasing access to demand-led skills training and build the foundations for a demand-led skills development system in Sierra Leone. Responding to question in an interview on the Ministry of Finance’s oversight role in the implementation of the project, she stressed that they will ensure that the grants are managed properly by ensuring that if a small technical institution apply, they should all be rated on the same selection criteria on which the proposals are submitted. “That must be applied across the board as there should be fairness and equity of the distribution of the resources” she said. The Fiduciary Management Unit she said will do some work with the Skills Development Fund Secretariat at MTHE to ensure unhindered access to the funds when they do arrive at the Bank of Sierra Leone by processing disbursement for onward transfer to the special project account that the Ministry will manage. “My role at the opening of their technical workshop on Thursday 21 March, 2019 was to emphasise that and to ensure that the most deserving institutions with commercial viability and the entrepreneurs with the serious business proposal are given the opportunity to benefit from this funding” she emphasized. As a Ministry, Madam Laverley said they are not looking forward to receiving complaints from grant applicants that will meet the criteria, but when the grants are awarded it goes to only a specific group of people from one area, “the resources should be across all dimensions” she added. The project which has already been approved will be launched at a date to be determined by the President, noting that the funds are available in Sierra Leone and that it is left with the Ministry to apply to the World Bank for it to be released. Dilating on the project benefits, she noted that it will help strengthen skills of young women and youths across the country, by setting up of a grant scheme and that a call for proposal will soon be announced by the Secretariat coordinating the project at MTHE. It is expected that Technical/Vocational institutions will apply and also vulnerable groups will benefit from it to help them acquire skills as to how to set up small businesses and apply for a loan. The whole idea she continued is to create more jobs for young people and help give their lives meaning to empower them to secure jobs in the extractive sector as they are planning towards the reopening of the mines. Speaking on her other engagement on Thursday 21 March, she received a delegation from Czech Republic whose visit to the Ministry was an investment prospective meeting. The delegation was led by the Deputy Minister of Defense of Czech Republic, Hon. Kopencny Tomas, Deputy Ambassador of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Accra, Ghana, Fuchsova Margita and nine other Commercial Directors all in the security sector. The meeting discussed issues around different military equipment that might be of an interest to the government, that can be procured from the visiting country. The delegation she said expressed the interest of their different companies and how their government can facilitate some of the investment of the Czech business men. The institution that would help with the financing is the Czech Export Bank, as its role is to support the growth of Czech businesses that are in country marketing military and defense equipment. The representative of the Bank gave an overview of the terms and conditions of financing should the government decide to secure equipment like helicopters, military protective gears amongst others. The team was accompanied by the deputy Minister of Defense Col. Rtd. Simeon Sheriff “the Ministry cannot secure any weapons without concurrence from us especially as they are looking forward to improve their stock of peacekeeping equipment. President Bio as a former Military Officer is committed to upgrading the status of the military” she said. The Deputy Minister also met with the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industries who came to alert the Ministry about issues relating to fuel, rice and flour. These essential commodities she said are constantly in their radar because of the inflationary effect, “as a small hike in the price of fuel affects everyone and if there is a shortage of any of these items it will affect everyone.” The Government she disclosed is working towards supporting the reopening of the Flour Mill which has been shut down for over two years. “We are trying to put the economy back on track. We all eat bread everyday so we need to be supportive in the operationalization of our own flour mill” she said. “So the discussion with him was how best our government can support its reopening which will bring the price of bread down” she hoped.
By Zainab Iyamide Joaque
Friday March 22, 2019.