By Mohamed Lamin Banya
The United Bank Africa (UBA), one of the leading financial institutions in Sierra Leone as a way of decongesting the banking halls and make transactions easier for their customers has officially launched and unveiled their Cash-Back Point of Sale (POS) for credit and debit card users at their Charlotte Street office in Freetown.
Speaking during the launching ceremony, the Country Treasurer of UBA Sierra Leone, Clement Yeboah, said the launching of the POS is one of their newest additional services to their many existing products.
Students listen with rapt attention
The Director of the Petroleum Regulatory Agency, Timothy Kabba has informed staff and students of the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology (MMCET) at the Great Hall of the Goderich campus that oil and gas would soon be discovered in Sierra Leone and that government would attract the best companies to start the mining of oil and gas in the country observing that diamonds have not benefited the country.
By Aruna Turay
Senior officials of the Rokel Commercial and Sierra Leone Commercial Banks, yesterday 12th February, 2019 tendered to the Commissions of Inquiry (COI) documents with details of the names of debtors who have failed to repay their debts to the said banks for many years now.
The lists of debtors were received by the Registrar of the Inquiry as part of issues to be investigated.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants Sierra Leone, (ICASL), has called at State House to pledge their unflinching support to the vision and goals of the New Direction Government and to commend its stance on corruption.
President of ICASL, Buffy Bailor, said they were aware of the commitment of the New Direction government and the strides already being made towards making Sierra Leone a better place for all, adding that as an institute they were ready and willing to be part of the change that is already the hallmark of the new government.
He said as part of their demonstration of commitment, they had been working closely with the Minister of Finance and had already signed an MoU to further cement their relationship and mutual collaboration for the advancement of the development of Sierra Leone. He noted that they possessed the requisite skills and competencies required to tackle issues and proffer suggestions to enhance transparency and accountability in the country.
“Mr. President, we are aware of and are supportive of your fight against corruption; we can be strong partners in this fight by our inclusion in board oversight processes in the public sector. Chartered Accountants are men and women of integrity and I assure you that your trust in us will not be misplaced.
“As an institute, we are aware of the impending Commissions of Inquiry. We wholeheartedly support the fight against corruption and we believe that the commissions will serve as a strong deterrence to corruption in Sierra Leone. Congratulations sir, on successfully launching the commissions yesterday,” he said.
He also disclosed that the Institute had held a one-day training workshop on tax exemptions and its impact on the economy with a position paper being shared with the Ministry of Finance, adding that that collaboration had contributed to the appointment of the Institute on the Committee that was set up by the Ministry of Finance on the Review of Duty Waivers and Tax Concessions.
In his brief response, President Bio said he had made a lot of promises during his campaign on behalf of Sierra Leoneans, knowing very well that there were other well-meaning citizens who would join his transformative. He said he knew that he could not do it alone and would need the collective support of everyone.
He added: “We have suffered a lot and still do not have much to show for the minerals we have. We want to collectively move on now and make the necessary changes we need as a nation. I am happy that you have come onboard and I am also excited that I have a partner in you in the fight against corruption.”
The ICASL was formed by an Act of Parliament on 12 May 1988 with an overarching mandate to promote and regulate the accountancy profession in Sierra Leone and to ensure integrity, objectivity, independence, confidentiality and professionalism in the accounting profession.
One of Sierra Leone's leading philanthropists, Dr. Adonis Aboud yesterday 30th January 2019 donated a full package of DSTv set to the Branda Medical Centre situated in Makeni, northern Sierra Leone.
Receiving the donation at Multi-Choice/DSTv office on Wilkinon road in Freetown on behalf of the hospital, Brimah Samura thanked Dr. Aboud, Multi-Choice and DSTv for the donation.
The West Africa Logistics Solution Ltd SL (WALS) has declared bankruptcy as conditions in the mining industry deteriorate and their sole customer remains out of business operations.
WALS is a clearing company in Sierra Leone and does most of the clearing for Shandong Steel in their Tonkolili Iron Ore mining project. Shandong Steel stopped all mining operations in November 2017.
SLIEPA CEO, Sheku Lexmond Koroma
Senior officials of the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA), have met with representatives of the Whitaker Group from Washington DC and Invest Africa from London, to discuss the many investment opportunities that Sierra Leone offers.
Both Whitaker Group and Invest Africa are working to promote trade and investments in Sierra Leone particularly and Africa in general.
At a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation in Moscow on Wednesday 30th January, 2019, Sierra Leone’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Dr. Alie Kabba informed him that Sierra Leone is determined to ensure that the country’s historically friendly relationship with the Russian Federation “continues to flourish for the mutual benefit of our two countries and people’s”.
An international survey released on Tuesday said that the global public generally has positive views of Chinese companies for overseas development as they are becoming a major innovative force in the world.
The report "New Perceptions of China Going Global" by advisory firm Brunswick is based on the survey of 18 countries where Chinese companies have significant investments or plans, along with interviews of 300 senior Chinese executives at companies that have expanded internationally or are planning to do so.
Airbus Selects Sierra Leonean Company for Business Development Programme
Track Your Build (TYB) Ltd, a Sierra Leonean company established by Ing. Edmond B. Nonie has been selected as one of Africa’s top ten tech companies to participate in the #Africa4Future accelerator programme organized by Airbus, in partnership with German development agency GIZ. Airbus is one of the largest aeronautics and space companies in the world. The company produces the world’s largest passenger airliner, and is a leading manufacturer of satellites and equipment for space exploration and earth observation.
Chief Executive, Ibrahim Brima Swarray
By Prince C. Kamara
The National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) headed by its Chief Executive, Ibrahim Brima Swarray has explained the importance of the Price norm 4th Quarter 2018 that was launched yesterday Tuesday 15th January, 2019 in the conference room of the Ministry of Finance, George Street in Freetown.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and West Africa Regional Stock Exchange, Bourse Régionale des Valeurs Mobilières, has signed an agreement to cooperate toward improving corporate governance practices of listed companies.
Under the agreement, IFC will help BRVM design, develop, draft and implement a Corporate Governance Code in several West African states including Sierra Leone.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation, the biggest entrepreneurship programme in Africa, is set to open the 5th Entrepreneurship Programme application cycle on January, 1st, 2019.
The applications will be hosted on the largest digital networking platform for African entrepreneurs, TEFConnect – www.tefconnect.com.
According to a press release from the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Lagos Nigeria over the weekend, on 1st January 2019, at 12am, West Africa Time (WAT), the Foundation will begin accepting applications for the fifth cycle of its Entrepreneurship Programme and the 1,000 selected applicants will join the current 4,470 beneficiaries of the programme.
His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has engaged a high-level delegation from the Egyptian energy producing company, El Sewedy Electrometer, where he promised to provide the conducive environment for investments in Sierra Leone.
During the meeting at the Haqyatt Resort, Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, Chairman and CEO of the company, Engineer Emad Z. Elsewedy, said his company had been to Sierra Leone once during the meter installations in 2004, a project he described as their opening to Africa.
By John Koroma
A Sierra Leonean Physician trained and based in the United States of America, Dr. Fouad Sheriff, over the weekend opened the Cotton Tree Pharmacy at Pademba Road in Freetown with the aim of providing affordable treatments and drugs to meet the needs of Sierra Leoneans at home and abroad.
“Cotton Tree Pharmacy will carry genuine brand name and generic products for the body sourced from makers across the world,” said the Dr. Fouad Sheriff, adding that the pharmacy’s warehouse sells retail and wholesale drugs as well as medical accessories to health care professionals.
EITI Validation Team meets VP Jalloh
The Hon. Vice President Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh on Thursday November 8th 2018 stated that the ‘New Direction’ Government is taking the issue of transparency in the Extractive Industry very seriously.
He made this statement during a courtesy call on him at his Tower Hill Office in Freetown by the EITI Validation Team from Oslo, Norway who are in the country to assess whether the EITI implementation of the country is consistent with EITI standard.
High Commissioner Tamba Lamina (right) discussing with the High Commissioner of the State of Kuwait, who is also the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in London
Barely two weeks into his post, Sierra Leone’s newly-appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Tamba Sylvanus Lamina, is off to a flying and busy start.
From his office in central London, High Commissioner Tamba Lamina is busy working his way through tons of diplomatic files, dusting off and reactivating long ignored projects, as well as working hard to unveil new plans that should spark more international interests in Sierra Leone, which should help to transform the nation’s image in line with the policy goals of the government’s New Direction Agenda.
Amb. Anthony Navo Proudly Discloses: New Ultra-Modern Studio for AYV
By By Prince C. Kamara
Africa Young Voices (AYV) Media Empire is the biggest media institution in Sierra Leone with about 80% national coverage in terms of news, entertainment, sports programmes for television, radio and newspaper. AYV also has a commercial printing press.
The AYV currently operates two television channels (channels 33 and 34), a radio station and a newspaper. Next year the media conglomerate is considering launching a quarterly magazine.
TEF Cover 1, 2, 3 and TEF 1: Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu and The President, Republic of Ghana, Dr, Nana Akufo-Addo, at the TEF Entrepreneurship Forum 2018, the largest gathering of young African entrepreneurs, and the launch of TEF Connect, the world’s largest digital platform for African Entrepreneurs , organised by The Tony Elumelu Foundation in Lagos on Thursday
Thursday, October 25, 2018: 5,000 African entrepreneurs, private and public sector leaders and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem convened in Lagos on Thursday, October 25, 2018 for the annual Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneurship Forum.
Kono market women are not happy
By Aruna Turay
Following the unfortunate incident regarding the fight between the Coalition for Change (C4C) and the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) supporters, past Sunday 28th October, 2018 in the Koidu city, Kono district, the Kono Members of Parliament have condemned the action of supporters of both parties on the one hand, criticizing the police for their high-handedness on the C4C supporters on the other hand.
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