Usman Boie Kamara expresses satisfaction on the new deal reached at the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference

Freetown, 7 December, 2013 – Minister of Trade and Industry Usman Boie Kamara expresses satisfaction on the new deal reached at the 9^th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference;

After months of intense negotiations at the WTO in Geneva, at the 9^TH WTO Ministerial Conference, held from 3-6 December 2013, in Bali, Indonesia, WTO Members, including Sierra Leone reached a consensus agreement on a ‘Bali package’ that addresses issues of trade facilitation, agriculture including food security and development issues for LDC’s including Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone’s participation in this memorable occasion was spearheaded by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Honourable Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara, whose interventions clearly spelt out the need for an agreed balanced package, delivering gains for all member of the WTO in a fair and inclusive manner.

This was emphasized in a statement delivered at the conference: ‘ The world stands at the crossroads of history. Through trade, we can transform the lives of people throughout the world. Developed countries have a duty to their people to ensure that resources are not wasted. Developing countries have a duty also to lift their people from abject poverty. To meet both objectives, we need to engage each other with honesty, transparency and flexibility’.

For Sierra Leone, the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) is of particular interest. Making customs procedures more simple and transparent will create a more favourable environment for businesses operating within the country, and also helps Sierra Leonean companies interested in penetrating the foreign markets.

The Minister and delegation also held key meetings with bilateral and multilateral partners including Vietnam, the WTO, the ITC and the EIF to discuss crucial issues ranging from regional integration, trade promotion, capacity building and private sector interests.

To further strengthen regional integration and facilitate trade within the MRU, a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Commerce of The Republic of Guinea also took place, which will culminate in scheduled trade meetings between the two countries in the third week of December in Conakry, Guinea.

The Minister’s delegation included the Sierra Leone Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Mrs Yvette Stevens, the Director of Export Development at the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA), Mr Shiaka Kawa, Mr. Abdul Kamara, Coordinator, Enhanced Integrated Framework Project Coordinator in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr Christian Larvai in the Sierra Leone Embassy in Geneva and Ms. Famke Schaap, Trade advisor to Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to WTO in Geneva.

For more information on Minister Usman Boie Kamara’s participation at WTO’s Ninth Ministerial Conference in Bali, Indonesia, please contact: Mr Abdul Kamara, Ministry of Trade and Industry (6^th floor, Freetown).

Official texts of the ‘Bali Package’ agreed at WTO MC9, including Alhaji Usman Boie Kamara’s statements, can be found at: www.wto.org and https://mc9.wto.org

Sierra Leone Ministry of Trade and Industry

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