By Politico staff writer
In support of President Julius Maada Bio’s Human Capital Development, the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to support Sierra Leone through projects that will boost the health and education sector.
The projects, according to a report from the press attaché at the Sierra Leone embassy in Saudi, were valued at $25,000,000 (Twenty-five Million United States Dollars) from the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD).
The projects were discussed during a courtesy call by the Sierra Leone Ambassador, Dr. Ibrahim Jalloh on the new Chief Executive Officer of SFD, Dr. Sultan Al-Marshad.
Ambassador Jalloh was meeting to ascertain progress of pending projects as well as to explore areas for further cooperation between the Government of Sierra Leone and the SFD.
The meeting also discussed the draft agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and SFD for the construction of Regional Model Schools and the administrative building at the Ministry of Education, a 100 solar- powered boreholes project and a hospital, all worth millions of United States Dollars.
On the construction of an Administrative Building and model schools, Ambassador Jalloh said the Government, represented by the Ministry of Finance, was pleased with the conditions stipulated in the draft agreement and was keenly waiting for the signing of the said agreement. He underscored the importance of the project in helping to boost the education sector of the country.
On the King Salman Regional Referral Hospital project, Ambassador Jalloh informed the meeting that the Government was reviewing the project proposal for the construction of a 250-bed hospital. He emphasized that the Government was looking forward to the construction of that hospital in order to help boost the country’s health system.
Speaking at the meeting, Eng. Faisal M. Al-Khatani Director General of Operations SFD assured that: “The agreement is ready for approval and we are only waiting a few details from the Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Finance to effect the signing of the agreement on our side, after which we would forward it to Sierra Leone by post for the Ministry of Finance to sign for implementation”.
He added that the borehole project was now in the procurement of consultancy services stage, which would finish in the next six months, after which implementation would commence.
Eng. Faisal Al-Khatani said that the Bank for Economic Development in Africa was also willing to provide the grant for the technical studies upon receipt of an official request from the Ministry of Finance in Sierra Leone.
The 100 solar-powered boreholes will service deprived communities in 77 villages across Sierra Leone.
The SFD is a Saudi Government agency that provides development assistance through grants and loans to developing countries and has financed programmes in different economic sectors such as transportation, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy in Sub-Saharan Africa since its formation in the 1970s.
The agency is currently working on 5 projects in Sierra Leone worth approximately $32 Million such as the Western Area power generation project, the Kenema-Pendembu road reconstruction project and the rehabilitation and expansion of Fourah Bay College.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (19/03/21)
