In a bid to market Sierra Leone to potential foreign investors, the Chief Minister ofthe Republic of Sierra Leone, Mr. Jacob Jusu Saffa, on Tuesday 31st May, 2022successfully presided over a Business Forum that constituted a number of eagerforeign investors ready to tap into Sierra Leone’s huge resources for wholesomeinvestment. The Chief Minister in the midst of Kenyan Government officials, privateinvestors and other international organizations, presented key issues touching onthe very question of: Why invest in Sierra Leone?In his presentations, the Chief Minister, highlighted a range of reasons forinvestment opportunities from the country being a peaceful and democratic nationwith ideal atmosphere for international investment, to having an investor-mindedgovernment, to the strategic access to market via three hours flight to Nigeria, six hours to the United Kingdom andeleven hours to China respectively.
The Chief Minister also touched on Sierra Leone having a huge tourismpotential with rich heritage and culture; abundant arable land and favourable climate for farming; an eageryouthful population ready to work and fiscal and non-fiscal incentives for thorough investments. In a similar vein,the Minister of Trade, Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy, also highlighted all sectors for investment ranging frommanufacturing, agribusiness, technology and the mining sectors. All these presentations were well received bythose in the audience. The Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu B. Pratt, in her presentation,visibly brought out key steps that President Bio had taken to ensure that Sierra Leone becomes an ideal place forinvestment.
Key among them were these: repatriation of capital and profits guaranteed; constitutional protectionagainst expropriation; investment guarantee agains noncommercialrisks; one-stop shop facilitation; periodicpresidential round tables with private sectors; digitization ofgovernment services; facilitative industrial zone program;political and macroeconomic stability; high labour productivity:a large pool of youthful, trainable and literate workforce; etc. TheTourism Minister concluded that Sierra Leone stands tall notonly within the sub-region of West Africa and the whole of Africabut also globally, as the best place for investments across allsectors.