Sierra Leone Trade & Industry Minister finalizes CPF with UNIDO in Vienna
On the sidelines of the 3rd Vienna Energy Forum (VEF 2013), a three-day conference that brought together approximately 2,000 delegates to discuss the key specific sustainable energy issues, such as policies, markets, finance and technologies, the Government of Sierra Leone and UNIDO signed a Country Programming Framework (CPF) valued at $40million. (Photo: UNIDO staff, Matilda Muweme explaining components of the CPF)
The Government of Sierra Leone was represented by Trade and Industry Minister, Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara, and UNIDO’S Director General, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella and staff.
Also present at the signing ceremony were the permanent representatives of the Japanese, Chinese and German embassies in Vienna. They pledged their continued support to the project and much more.
The CPF is designed to enhance UNIDO’s support to the Government of Sierra Leone to implement a road map towards sustainable industrialization of the economy. Through Dr. Yumkella’s leadership, the joint formulation and implementation is aimed at enhancing President Koroma’s agenda for prosperity, building on the achievements of past projects and programmes.
The CPF has four components, namely, SME Promotion, with focus on economic empowerment of women and youth; Agribusiness development in Sierra Leone; capacity development, promoting the dissemination of renewable energy technologies and lastly, capacity development and implementation of quality standards infrastructure development.
At an earlier MoU signing in Sierra Leone during April 2013, the Government of Sierra Leone expressed its intention to review the progress achieved in cooperation between them after a period of one year after the signing of the Joint Declaration, and to decide then any further measures that may be desirable to enhance that cooperation.
Minister Boie Kamara expressed his gratitude for the continued partnership existing between UNIDO and Sierra Leone, and said he looks forward to many more. Alhaji Boie Kamara thanked UNIDO for their unflinching support over the years in facilitating the industrialisation of developing countries and hope this will continue in the years to come in order to raise the prosperity of poor people the world over. He thanked DG Kandeh Yumkella for making this happen and his contribution to the development of Sierra Leone.
In return, DG Kandeh Yumkella stated it was a modest way of continuing helping Sierra Leone as he has been doing over the years. This is also DG Yumkella’s last project for Sierra Leone as he leaves office in four weeks time to begin his new duties as Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and CEO of the sustainable Energy Access for All.
By Adeyemi Paul in cooperation with Anthony Kamara Jr. on location in Vienna
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