By Morlai Sesay
The Minister of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Kenyeh Barlay, has disclosed that Sierra Leone is gearing up for a significant economic transformation as the new national medium-term economic plan, according to her, is set to be launched on January 30th this year.
Minister Barley, in disclosing the details of the medium-term development plan, highlighted its strategic focus on the “big-five changers and enablers” identified by the government. The big five Game changers include the Feed Salone project, Human Capital Development, and more, while the enablers consist of Climate Resilience, Gender Mainstreaming, and Financing and Mobilization.
Affirming the seven-year medium-term plan’s strategic development, the minister emphasized the extensive consultations involving 30 to 40 thousand people across various districts, transcending political boundaries and extending beyond 2030.
After the official address on January 30th, Minister Barley assured us that the ‘Home Grown’ medium-term plan will be accessible to all citizens in Sierra Leone. Furthermore, Minister Barley outlined that the Feed Salone Agricultural project, one of the ‘big-five changers,’ will serve as a pivotal mechanism to address economic deficiencies, fostering agricultural development for increased productivity, export growth, and revenue generation.
Reflecting on Sierra Leone’s global standing, Minister Barley underscored the nation’s role in chairing the G7+ for ten years and active participation in African Union (AU) and MRU activities. She highlighted Sierra Leone’s global competency as a foundation for the medium-term development plan.
“While consultations for the medium-term plan are ongoing, extending beyond 2030, we are also aligning with the AU 2063 agenda,” added Minister Barley.
Madam Barley further announced the initiation of Sierra Leone Agenda 2063, aligning with the AU’s Agenda 2063, with extensive consultations “The Sierra Leone We Want” scheduled for the coming year.
In response to the minister’s announcement, Andrew Lavallie, representing Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), acknowledged that in a 2018 election survey, his institution found that 79% of promises were either partially fulfilled or not fulfilled. During his presentation on the new development plan, Lavallie urged the media to equip themselves for effective promotion, questioning the lag in involvement by other civil society organizations in the country.
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