World Bank Supervision Team Briefs Energy Minister on World Bank Funded Projects, Commits to Supporting Sierra Leone’s Energy Aspirations
Venue: Conference Room,Ministry of Energy,Freetown,Wednesday September 20,2023. A supervision team from the World Bank has paid a courtesy call on Sierra Leone’s Minister of Energy, Alhaji Kanja Sesay,to update him on the Bank’s energy funded projects, with specific reference to the Energy Sector Utility Reform Project,ESURP,and the ESLEAP.
Senior Energy Specialist at the World Bank, Paul Kagaba, said the team was impressed with how energy projects funded by the Bank were being implemented,adding that they were grateful to the Ministry of Energy for creating the conducive environment and for forging a solid partnership with the Bank.
He said the Energy Sector Utility Reform Project has been extended to March 2024 on the request of the Government of Sierra Leone,noting that administrative and technical plans were afoot to help make it a seamless transition from ESURP to ESLEAP under the Additional Financing Program.
Energy Specialist at the World Bank,Anshul Rana, said the Bank had demonstrated its interest in the energy sector in the country and had taken steps to ensure that projects funded by the Bank were fully implemented.
In his response, Energy Minister, Alhaji Kanja Sesay, thanked the World Bank on behalf of President Julius Maada Bio and described electricity as a critical driver of national development.
He said he was not oblivious of the crucial role the WB was playing in helping Sierra Leone harness its full energy potentials.
Mr. Sesay assured the team that his Ministry and sector players were fully committed to collaborating with the Bank.
He praised the team for putting together the findings of their mission which he said would be taken in good faith, assuring further that his Ministry would carefully examine the report and improve on areas listed as challenging.
The energy sector reforms continue.
– Austine Luseni , Communications Specialist
Ministry of Energy
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