By Kemoh Sesay
The European Union (EU) has approved Le190 billion for the construction of the Bandajuma-Liberia-Border Road and three bridges across the Sewa, Moa and Wanje rivers.
The road is 103 km long and begins from Bandajuma Town, about 17 miles off Pujehun Town in the south of the country, linking Sierra Leone to Liberia. The bridges, of which two have been in existence, are and will be along the road which forms part of the Trans-West-African-Coastal Highway. The coastal highway is the main way connecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and it passes through Bo running across the Sewa River.
The approval of the fund is part of EU’s contribution of a total of EUR 105.2 million to the project of an all-weather road of international traffic quality.
“This project will significantly boost livelihoods and trade between Sierra Leone and Liberia, as we observed after completion of the road between Rogbere in the north of Sierra Leone and Farmoreah in Guinea,” said the Head of the EU Delegation, Ambassador Peter Versteeg, at the handing over ceremony at the Ministry of Finance in Freetown, on Tuesday.
“The framework of development cooperation between Sierra Leone and the European Union dates back to the 1970s graduating into the current Cotonu Partnership Agreement which continues until 2020. Under the 10th EDF Sierra Leone received a total of EUR 301 million in the form of grants. This figure has been toped-up with an initial amount of EUR 376 million under the 11th EDF for the period 2014 to 2012,” said EU in a statement.
The Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Dr Kaifala Marah stated in a statement that the EU cooperation had enhanced the “the development strides of the government of Sierra Leone to the extent that the EU is now the lead partner in the infrastructure sector of the country. The government of Sierra Leone recently signed the works contracts for the Moyamba-Moyamba-Junction Road and four bridges.”
According to the Ministry of Finance, an agreement of EUR 62.2 million from the “Regional Indicative Programme (RIP) and Sierra Leone’s 10th EDF National Indicative Programme (NIP)” was signed in 2014 “to partly finance the works.”
“The estimated cost for the Bandajuma-Liberia-Border Road and three bridges project is approximately 105 million Euros. The signing this afternoon is for the allocated balance funding of 43 million Euros allocated from Sierra Leone’s 11th EDF NIP to complete the works,” a press statement from the finance ministry read in part.
The road has been in deplorable condition for more than 10 years now, becoming hugely dangerous for travel in the rainy season.
(C) Politico 29/07/15
