By Prince J Musa in Kenema
The Sierra Leone Extractive Industries and Transparency Initiative (SLEITI) last week ended a two-day retreat designed to look at emerging challenges within the mining sector.
The retreat brought together industry stakeholders, including the mining companies and government agencies.
The Chairperson of SLEITI, Frances Piagie Alghali, said: “This government assumed office by given confidence to the people that under the New Direction leadership of President [Julius Maada] Bio, they will provide transparency and accountability in the mining sector.”
“Since Sierra Leone has gone through the validation process, it is necessary to organize the retreat based on the recommendations that was given to the country,” she added.
Sierra Leone is among 52 countries on the continent that is implementing the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative. The country, like many others, is aiming to improve transparency across the industry.
The Executive Director of civil society group, Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD), Abu Brima, said the retreat will help the much-needed collaboration within the mining sector to improve transparency.
“This is to strengthen partnership among EITI members and the roles they play for the effective and efficient work of the standards set for EITI activities and how this can bring positive benefit to the rural people from the minerals extracted in their communities,” Brima said.
Brima added that the meeting would help rural people to realize more from mining proceeds that are raised from their communities.
Sallieu Bah, a representative from the National Minerals Agency, said the meeting would give them a perspective on their future programs.
Among many other reforms, the NMA and the Mines Ministry are looking at reviewing the Mines and Minerals Act, so that the country could benefit more from its resources.
Minister of Mines, Rado Yokie, in a radical step recently cancelled mining deals that he described as cheating the country.
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