ADDRESS BY MANUEL MÜLLER, AMBASSADOR OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO SIERRA LEONE ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMISSIONING OF THE EU FUNDED INVESTMENTS IN KENEMA DISTRICT

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ADDRESS BY MANUEL MÜLLER, AMBASSADOR OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO SIERRA LEONE ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMISSIONING OF THE EU FUNDED INVESTMENTS IN KENEMA DISTRICT

12.03.2024 Press and information team of the Delegation to SIERRA LEONE

ADDRESS BY

MANUEL MÜLLER,

AMBASSADOR OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

TO SIERRA LEONE

ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMISSIONING

OF THE EU FUNDED INVESTMENTS

IN KENEMA DISTRICT

Salutations!

Wuna Kabbo. A de grit una all!

For me as Ambassador of the European Union, it is a great pleasure to be here with you today at this historic event.

The Indian economist Raja Chelliah once said- "Everybody loves decentralisation, but only to his level."

I am pleased to be sharing this stage with dedicated Ministers, Members of Parliament, and members of civil society organisations who are committed to ensuring that every village contributes to the country's development goal. The EU is honoured to have supported Sierra Leonean efforts to implement a strong decentralization.

Kudos to the District Council for putting together this event!

Today is a significant day. As Ambassador of the European Union, I am excited to see the results how local authorities assisted the people of Kenema District and its neighbouring areas, implemented with funding from the European Union.

For many years, the European Union has been a strong supporter of Sierra Leonean devolution processes, viewing them as essential to boosting accountability and enhancing service delivery.

The European Union has been listening to the Local Councils. The Councils report difficulties that they encounter in fulfilling their responsibilities. Local Councils request a stronger level of decentralisation. Local Councils also are working strongly to overcome ongoing capacity challenges in administrations. Local Councils have the wish to get more adequate and reliable resources to provide sufficient services.

We are delighted to have collaborated on enhancing decentralisation in Sierra Leone through the European Development Fund. The title of the project is "Support to Civil Society and Local Authorities for Local Development in Sierra Leone".

It is evident that in Sierra Leone - like everywhere in the world - the central government alone cannot resolve the challenges surrounding achieving good governance. Prosperity requires decentralisation and a focus on sustainable development goals.

We think that in order to deliver results at local level, it is important to govern in close proximity to them. This also enhances transparency. Citizens can see what elected bodies have implemented and hold decision makers accountable.

In order to enhance truly the prosperity and well-being of all citizens, it is essential to strengthen the governance structures that are most accessible to them.

Put simply: "Accomplish locally what can be done locally."

This is the reason why the European Union supports Sierra Leonean efforts for subsidiarity and decentralisation. These efforts encourage the empowerment of local authorities and civil society, and promote partnerships between local governmental and non-governmental actors to boost local development.

The cooperation between the European Union and Sierra Leone has been instrumental in supporting local economic development, particularly for farmers in the district, aligning with the government's 'FEED SALONE' agenda.

I am pleased that I could hear today that this initiative, supported by the European Union, has significantly helped Kenema District Council fulfil their responsibilities. This means to deliver public services to rural communities, resulting in tangible rural development outcomes.

Furthermore, by building an ultra-modern hall, a funeral home, and implementing the cadastral system, the Council is sure of secured additional revenue sources to ensure long-term service provision to the community.

The development of markets, culverts, bridges, and milling centres stimulates economic growth and creates job opportunities for various community members. The bridges and culverts built on feeder roads have connected communities to markets and other services like education, health care, and agriculture extension. I believe this has significantly enhanced agricultural productivity and accelerated business growth. Ultimately, the cooperation between European Union and the Local Councils increased the Council's revenue generation. This means that the Council now can do much more for the people; more service delivery.

Farmers are now motivated to transport their produce to markets allowing traders to buy produce directly from the farms, leading to increased productivity and promoting commercial farming.

The constructed grain storage facilities can help farmers store excess produce during harvest and provide communities with food during lean periods, promoting community food security.

We believe that the Sierra Leonean initiative that we supported has significantly contributed to economic growth and social cohesion for the benefit of Kenema District and Salone as a whole, in line with the Government's 'BIG 5' priorities.

We are pleased that private operators will oversee the investments, thus improving the public-private partnership, especially at the local level.
For economic development to occur, it is essential for local authorities to collaborate with private partners and civil society organisations. This cooperation increases the ability to provide services that meet the specific needs and goals of their communities. This concept is not merely theoretical; it is a fundamental aspect of the internal functioning of the European Union, an Union of 27 member states which themselves are composed of a wide range of levels of devolution. Taking decisions on the grassroots level is a key element to be near to the citizens.

Honorable Minister,

I would like to commend the significant efforts of the central government to promote decentralisation. At the same time, I hear from the District Councils that the annual budgetary allocation to local councils is very low and that the transfer of funds can even be lower than the allocation. I think, Honorable Minister, that you share this observation. I am convinced that you are an ally to the Councils in being a strong proponent of improved budgetary deconcentration and a stronger public financial management at all levels. I only can encourage you to continue your strong advocacy for the district and local levels in the budget deliberations.

We also encourage you, Honorable Minister, to continue to advocate that the Government ensure consistent and timely financial support for the local councils in accordance with the relevant legal provisions.

For Councils to maintain their level of service delivery and financial sustainability, it is crucial that central Government allocations are both timely and sufficient.

We hope that the investments funded by the European Union will be used and maintained properly, leading to a positive impact on people's lives.

In conclusion, the European Union remains dedicated and ready to assist the Government of Sierra Leone in enhancing decentralisation.

We are confident that local socio-economic development will flourish through meaningful devolution.

MEK WI DƆN LƆKALLY WETIN WI DAE DU LƆKALLY SO WI ƆL GO BƐNIFIT LƆKALLY

I appreciate your time and attention.

Wuna tenki!