{"id":67398,"date":"2014-05-16T02:44:13","date_gmt":"2014-05-16T02:44:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierraexpressmedia.com\/?p=67398"},"modified":"2014-05-16T02:44:13","modified_gmt":"2014-05-16T02:44:13","slug":"100-buses-for-slrtc-by-august-sept-as-mamamah-airport-project-to-be-commissioned-in-june","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/?p=67398","title":{"rendered":"100 Buses for SLRTC by August-Sept as Mamamah Airport Project to be commissioned in June"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sierra Leone\u2019s\u00a0Minister\u00a0of\u00a0Transport and Aviation\u00a0(MTA), Leonard Balogun Koroma, has\u00a0disclosed efforts being made by the Government of His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma, through his ministry to procure buses from\u00a0the People\u2019s Republic\u00a0of China\u00a0that could help ameliorate the perennialchallenge faced by the country in terms of public transportation.<\/p>\n

During a one-on-one interview with this writer\u00a0held\u00a0in central Beijing on Monday, 12th May, Minister Koroma said, he has \u201csigned an agreement with Poly Group Technology, in the People\u2019s Republic of China, for the supply of 100 new buses to the Sierra Leone Roads Transport Cooperation\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Minister Koroma was\u00a0in the People\u2019s Republic of China, specifically in Macau\u00a0(Special Administrative Region-SAR), with the Director of Airport Transfer Project, Hindolo Sharka, to participate at the\u00a05th International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

He also used the interview to talk about progress\u00a0made\u00a0so far,\u00a0towards the construction of the new Mamamah Airport, as the ministry is working\u00a0on having His Excellency President\u00a0Ernest Koroma\u00a0to do the commissioning by June of this year.\u00a0This was how it went:<\/p>\n

Why the visit\u00a0to Macau?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

It\u00a0was at the invitation of China\u00a0Harbor.\u00a0 China\u00a0Harbor\u00a0is involved in investment projects in Sierra Leone,\u00a0particularly\u00a0with the Port\u00a0Extension\u00a0Project at\u00a0the Queen\u00a0Elizabeth\u00a0Quay.<\/p>\n

This International\u00a0Infrastructure\u00a0Investmentand\u00a0Construction Forum is held in Macau once every year. This\u00a0year, Sierra\u00a0Leone was invited\u00a0amongst 50\u00a0other countries and I represented the\u00a0country, with\u00a0the\u00a0approval\u00a0of His\u00a0Excellency\u00a0the President.<\/p>\n

The forum was attended by a consortium of Chinese\u00a0companies-\u00a0the\u00a0InternationalAssociation\u00a0of Chinese Contractors who are working all over Africa and of coursefinancing institutions like China EXIM Bank(Export and Import Bank of China)\u00a0<\/i>and the Government of the People\u2019s Republic ofChina, represented\u00a0by the Ministry of Commerce. It was a big and successful event.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How big was such a success\u00a0especially for a country like Sierra Leone from the\u00a0viewpoint of\u00a0what\u00a0was or would be gained?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

As a country, I made a contribution to the forum\u00a0particularly\u00a0in my meeting with the Assistant President of China EXIM Bank.\u00a0I impressed upon him that China EXIM\u00a0Bank should\u00a0focus amongst the\u00a0priority\u00a0projects\u00a0or infrastructural projects that have an economic value and quick economic returns.<\/p>\n

In the case of Sierra Leone, I would specifically refer to Port Infrastructure\u00a0Project. This is because\u00a0we are blessed with vast mineral\u00a0resources. But\u00a0one of the problems that\u00a0we\u00a0are facing now is the speedy export of our mineral resources,\u00a0particularly\u00a0Iron Ore, which will bring corresponding revenue earnings to the Government. So,\u00a0the Deep Seaport should be a\u00a0priority\u00a0project in the eyes of China EXIM Bank.<\/p>\n

Also, the construction of the\u00a0nucleus\u00a0of a National Railway Network with dedicated lines to the miningcorridors, so\u00a0that from the\u00a0mines, they\u00a0can transport the Iron Ore to the Deep Seaport which can accommodate the biggest size\u00a0vessels,\u00a0and\u00a0they would be able to speedily export the Iron Ore so we would have the\u00a0corresponding\u00a0returns economically to develop the country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And what was EXIM\u00a0Bank\u2019s response to\u00a0such a\u00a0submission?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

The response was positive because the Assistant President of EXIM Bank immediately invited me to Beijing to\u00a0have\u00a0a meeting with them and discuss that\u00a0project. The\u00a0response was\u00a0immediate, I\u00a0was happy about that.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

You spoke about priority\u00a0projects. The\u00a0country\u2019s blueprint for development the\u00a0\u2018Agenda for Prosperity\u2019 deals\u00a0a lot\u00a0with\u00a0infrastructure. There is the pending\u00a0construction of theMamamah\u00a0Airport, with funding from China. Did\u00a0you discuss this project\u00a0with EXIM Bank?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Let me start with the Prosperity Drive you referred\u00a0to.<\/p>\n

All the economic\u00a0forecasts\u00a0for\u00a0Sierra Leone\u00a0are dependent on returns from our natural resources. It is from those returns that\u00a0you\u00a0can finance agriculture,\u00a0tourism,\u00a0and infrastructural\u00a0developments.\u00a0So, itmakes a lot of sense to concentrate in the speedy\u00a0extraction and\u00a0transportation of those resources to the international\u00a0market. That\u00a0is the only way you can get the revenue to meet with the growth forecasts that have been made for Sierra Leone. So it is important that the\u00a0Government\u00a0invests\u00a0heavily\u00a0in Port and Railway Infrastructure so that we could meet the export target.<\/p>\n

Talking\u00a0about the\u00a0Mamamah Airport\u00a0Project; indeed\u00a0it is a priority project of the\u00a0Government\u00a0and we have gone very\u00a0far. In\u00a0my discussions with the Assistant President of EXIM Bank and the\u00a0Manager of\u00a0the African Export\u00a0Loan Department\u00a0of EXIM Bank\u00a0and China Railway International who\u00a0are\u00a0the contractors, we\u00a0are\u00a0now\u00a0at the\u00a0stage\u00a0of reevaluation .This is because the project is now going to be divided into two\u00a0phases; Phase\u00a01 and 2.\u00a0Phase 1 will make the airport operational and will cost a total of 200 million dollars .Phase 2 will be additional services that will not be\u00a0contingent\u00a0on the airport after Phase 1\u00a0and those will come in later at a cost of 112 million dollars.<\/p>\n

China\u00a0Railway\u00a0International\u00a0(contractors)\u00a0will\u00a0be having\u00a0a Board Meeting to\u00a0finalize\u00a0the\u00a0reevaluation process\u00a0and meet with EXIM Bank. All\u00a0we are waiting for now is a final date for us to come back with the Minister of Finance and sign the Loan Agreement for the\u00a0commencement\u00a0of the Mamamah International Airport.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

So, in\u00a0essence funds are now available for that?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

Yes,\u00a0funds\u00a0have been\u00a0approved by EXIM Bank\u00a0for that. But we have to complete the procedural\u00a0arrangement\u00a0and then funds will be released.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Any\u00a0specific\u00a0date of\u00a0commencement?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

We expect His\u00a0Excellency\u00a0the President to commission the project in\u00a0June. We\u00a0are working\u00a0towards\u00a0that.\u00a0China Railway International have asked\u00a0us for\u00a0the allocation of 10 acres of land for them to do their\u00a0works yard.\u00a0That\u00a0land, with\u00a0the cooperation\u00a0of Chiefdom authorities has been allocated and they are\u00a0now\u00a0working on preparation and mobilization to commence the project.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Public transport system is a\u00a0major challenge in Sierra Leone.\u00a0What\u00a0is your ministry doing to address this problem?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

I have signed an\u00a0agreement\u00a0with Poly Group Technology\u00a0in the People\u2019s Republic of China for\u00a0the supply of\u00a0100 new\u00a0buses to the Sierra Leone Roads\u00a0Transport\u00a0Cooperation\u00a0.Those\u00a0buses, hopefully, should\u00a0be delivered to Sierra Leone by August-September\u00a0this year.\u00a0This will go a long way in easing the transportation problem\u00a0facing\u00a0not just\u00a0Freetown but\u00a0the country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

There is a ban on the use and importation of right-hand vehicles into Sierra Leone. Why did you take such a decision and when is the implementation date?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n
\n

It was announced 1st<\/sup>\u00a0September 2013\u00a0and since then Sierra Leoneans have\u00a0complied. No right-hand vehicle has\u00a0entered the country through the Port since then because we have a monitoring system.<\/p>\n

The ban is in conformity with the laws of Sierra\u00a0Leone especially the Roads Traffic\u00a0Act. It is in conformity with the UN World Decade for Action and Road Safety and in conformity with ECOWAS Protocol.\u00a0Our roads are designed for left hand vehicles for you cannot see incoming vehicles which causes a lot of\u00a0accidents, amongst other reasons.<\/p>\n

The full ban comes into effect 1st<\/sup>\u00a0of September 2014. That is one year after the announcement.<\/p>\n

We have given a public notice announcing garages that are doing the conversion. I started it myself for I own a right-hand vehicle which I\u00a0have converted myself.<\/p>\n

The penalties will be; no registration of right hand vehicles after 1 september 2014 and secondly any time you drive such a vehicle, you will be fined\u00a0Le 500,000. I am calling on Sierra Leoneans to call on the garages that have been identified to do the conversion because there will be no sacred cows for the law will be applied fully.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sierra Leone\u2019s\u00a0Minister\u00a0of\u00a0Transport and Aviation\u00a0(MTA), Leonard Balogun Koroma, has\u00a0disclosed efforts being made by the Government of His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma, through his ministry to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":67399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[671,673],"tags":[1418,1825],"class_list":["post-67398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-national-news","tag-leonard-balogun-koroma","tag-slrtc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=67398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67398\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/67399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=67398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=67398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sierraexpressmedia.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=67398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}