President Kabbah At European Commission Headquarters
By Yusuf Alghali

Friday 16th April 2004 - President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has outlined what he referred to as the "still outstanding issues that are critical to Sierra Leone's reconstruction programme," during his meeting with a group of senior officials of the European Commission (EC) at the Commission headquarters in Brussels, Friday 16th April 2004.

The President, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Momodu Koroma and Ambassador Foday Daboh, told the European Commission Head of Cabinet, Dr. Friedrich Hamburger, about the need to promptly address "critical areas of EU assistance to Sierra Leone", including the country's Post-Conflict Budgetary Support; Financial Support to the Sierra Rutile Mines, Rehabilitation of the Masiaka-Bo Road, Re-gravelling of the Songo-Moyamba Junction Road as well as Maintenance of Trunk Roads.

Already, EC support to the proposed National Population Census and the re-opening of the Rutile Mines have recently been approved for funding in addition to previous EC funding approvals for the Freetown-Conakry Highway; the Health Sector Support Programme and the Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Project (LRRD).

However, President Kabbah indicated that delays in releasing funds under the Post Conflict Budgetary Support Programme had caused problems in the economy and urged the commission to expedite their auditing process so that government could have access to outstanding funds. In this connection, the first week of May 2004 was agreed for the team of auditors to visit Freetown and provided that the results are positive, funds would be released without further delay.

On the EC's loan support towards the resuscitation of the Sierra Rutile Mines, the Head of State requested a one-off payment instead of releasing funds in two separate installments. To this end, EC officials explained that there was flexibility in the loan payment schedule and the timing of the release of funds, pointing out that the eventual frontloading of funds according to the "urgent needs" stressed by the President would be possible.

With reference to the delayed road infrastructure projects, President Kabbah stressed that the Masiaka-Taiama-Bo road was "the most urgent" since it is the "main arterial road" linking the Freetown capital to the second and third largest cities of Bo and Kenema respectively. While appealing for the fast-tracking of this project's implementation, the President also said the proposed project for the construction of 600 km of feeder roads in Kambia, Port Loko, Pujehun and Kenema districts would also be adversely affected if funds for the former were not released promptly. With respect to the timetable for the implementation of the Masiaka-Bo project, the operational services of the commission gave further details. "Providing that the tendering documents are elaborated quickly, an initial estimate is that at least six to eight months will be needed before the construction works can start," the EC's Transport Infrastructure expert Manuel Puerta told the meeting. However, Sierra Leone's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Momodu Koroma, in his intervention, stressed the significance of the local climate conditions and the fact that for best road construction results, work should start by October 2004.

President Kabbah, who also looked forward to reaching a fisheries agreement with the European Commission, expressed concern over the continuing widespread illegal fishing by foreign vessels in the country's territorial waters, depriving Sierra Leoneans of both an essential diet and national income. He said the proper management of marine resources was very crucial to the realization of his declared national food security by 2007.
Meanwhile, the EC will dispatch a mission to Freetown in May to embark on a programme to improve the quality of local fish products and make them eligible for export to EU member countries and the President has welcomed the EC's inclusion of Sierra Leone in a sub regional project expected to manage and monitor fish stocks in the sub region.

Other issues raised and discussed by the President and delegation relate to capacity building for the National Authorising Office (NAO), Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and Non-Governmental Organisations, Civil Society and the Private Sector, to which EC officials indicated their continued interest and support. The support and capacity building of civil society at district level, it was noted, would be carried out in coordination with actions supporting the decentralization process in Sierra Leone.

The Commission congratulated the President for his efforts in the democratization of the country and the stabilisation of the region and assured the President that "the special post conflict situation of Sierra Leone" will be taken into consideration in the European Commission's cooperation with the country.

For his part, the President concluded by saying that the best way his government could express gratitude to its European Union partners was to "do the right thing".

-End-