His Excellency President Ernest Bai Koroma has said, government will continue to support enterprises seeking to explore investment opportunities in Sierra Leone by providing the enabling environment, given the country’s huge opportunities.
Speaking on Friday, December 2nd, 2016 during a visit to China Kingho Energy Group, President Koroma said, Kingho has continued to stand by Sierra Leone despite the ebola outbreak in the country.
He thanked the Group in particular and China generally, for supporting Sierra Leone during the fight against the ebola virus. Such support, he said has enabled both nations to enjoy a new strategic partnership.
Speaking further, President Koroma said global challenges like the drop in price of metals added to domestic challenges brought about as a result of ebola adversely effected the country but that government had remained committed to the development plans as contained in the Agenda for Prosperity.
He said he was however happy, that ebola was defeated, leaving the country with great opportunities to move forward.
The Company, the President said, would have to agree on a roadmap on moving forward now that ebola has been won, assuring that government would do all it could to motivate investors and investment opportunities into the country by ensuring an encouraging conducive environment.
Speaking earlier, Chairman of China Kingho Energy Group, Mr. Huo Qinghua thanked President Koroma for the visit, which is the second, in three years.
He said, he was strongly confident in Sierra Leone’s economic growth as the country’s investment climate remains sound and has improved greatly.
His Group, he said, was right to have chosen Sierra Leone as an investment destination, even as he highlighted the difficult moments they had as a result of ebola.
Giving an update, Zhu Wenjian of Kingho Energy Group said, since 2013, global economy experienced profound changes and as a result China’s growth was lowered than expected.
Notwithstanding such challenges, Kingho, he said, would proceed according to agreed “Mining, Beneficiation and Smelting plus Harbor, Rail and Power Integration” concept so as to build the project into a significant binding of Sino-Sierra Leone economic partnership.
He called for government’s continued support to their operations in a range of areas.
Kingho is dedicated to Coal-based clean energy and fine chemical businesses. It started operations in Sierra Leone in 2010 and is mainly engaged in mining, mineral processing, smelting, sales and mineral explorations.
It operates in Tonkolili in the north and Pujehun in the south, both places projected to have huge reserves of Ore.
In another engagement on the 2nd December, 2016, President Ernest Koroma had fruitful discussions with the leadership of China Railway Engineering Company around Sierra Leone’s infrastructure drive especially the construction of the Mamamah Airport.
According to President Koroma, the Mamamah project is bigger than just the airport but includes a new administrative city and was hopeful, that when once work is started, “we come up with facilities and structures that will stand the test of time.”
President Koroma said he was impressed to have seen the capacity of the Company and the work they have done in bridges and roads.
His Government, he assured, was fully committed to the airport, saying, “it is going to be a generational engagement as we are on the road to building a new Sierra Leone”, President Koroma said, also assuring of Government support to their operations.
President Koroma was received by CREC’s leadership and briefed by Mr. Li Changjin, CREC’s Board Chairman.
Meanwhile, President Koroma and entourage are slated to arrive on 3rd December in Jinan, Shandong Province, which houses the headquarters of Shandong Iron and Steel Group.
John Baimba Sesay
Information/Press Attaché
Sierra Leone Embassy
People’s Republic of China
