Author: gleanernewspaper
The Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, has stated that the 5% Import duty tax restored on imported rice in the 2024 Finance Act will not only raise revenue for the government but also protect and promote local rice production in the country. He made this clarification while responding to concerns and comments from Members of Parliament during the debate on the FY 2024 Finance Act. The Minister further stated that this proposal will support the Feed Salone programme by ring-fencing the funds from this tax to support rice production. According to the Minister, this Finance Act also exempts…
His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has received two significant reports from The National COVID-19 Emergency Response Center (NaCOVERC), noting that his government’s well-informed measures and response to the global pandemic earned Sierra Leone the admiration of the world. Dr. Amara Jambai, head of the delegation and Chairperson of NaCOVERC, conveyed his pleasure in informing the President about the completion of two crucial reports: the Intra-Action Review Report (IAR), and the National COVID-19 Report for the period 2020-2022. The report details the findings of an IAR that was undertaken on the 22nd and 23rd of September 2020, to review…
Shadi Gerjawi made this statement on Monday during an interview with the media at the ongoing National Youth and Entrepreneurship Fair (NYEEF) held at the Bintumani International Conference Center, West of Freetown, Managing Director of Africell Sierra Leone Limited (Africell SL Ltd), Shadi Gerjawi, described the National Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship Fair (NYEEF) as a bridge between employer and employee in the country. “At the end of this fair, potential employees need the space to interact with employers, and know what they are yearning to show their talent and skills, they also have the opportunity to drop their CV and…
The Commissioner of NaCSA, Ambassador Ernest Mbaimba Ndomahina and his Deputy, Jimmy Batilo Songa, on behalf of the President Julius Maada Bio, handed over two waste collection trucks to Her Worship the Mayor of Freetown City Council (FCC). This intervention is part of the Green Public Works (GPW) subcomponent of the Productive Social Safety Nets and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) project. The GPW will provide temporary employment for 7,000 youths in rural areas and 6,000 youths in urban areas. At least 50 per cent of all youths supported will be female youths, and 15 per cent will be persons with disabilities.…
Participants from Sierra Leone’s Tourism and Cultural sectors have concluded a three-week seminar on Tourism Planning and Cultural Construction for Sierra Leone, at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration (CACTA) in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. The scholarship, which catered for 25 sector players from the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, the National Tourist Board, the Monuments and Relics Commission, the National Museum, the International Theater Institute, tour operators and travel agencies, community leaders, Councilors, Chef Association, media practitioners and influencers, was facilitated by the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Nabeela Tunis, to enhance the capacity…
President Julius Maada Bio and his Ministers As President Julius Maada Bio’s travelling spree continues in his second term, records from the Annual Financial Statement of the Government of Sierra Leone have shown a huge amount of money spent on overseas travelling by the government of President Bio. The 2023 and 2024 Finance Acts have both seen increases in taxes on essential commodities, while government expenses keep on increasing at an alarming rate. The 2023 Annual Financial Statement revealed that the government of President Bio spent a whooping sum of Le87 billion in 2022 on overseas travel, which is a 20%…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on November 5, 2023 [Reuters/Jonathan Ernst] By Marwan Bishara America’s Middle East diplomacy and Israel’s war on Gaza are two sides of the same coin. Washington’s efforts to shield Israel as it carries out war crimes in Palestine have implicated it in yet another war that threatens to engulf the whole region. Since the Israeli army embarked on its bloody assault on Gaza a month ago, the Biden administration has dispatched its foremost naval strike force, including two aircraft carriers, to…
First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Fatima Maada Bio and Hon. Alusine Kanneh At the 5th Annual National Prestigious Awards and Fund Raising Dinner, the Chief Immigration Officer (CIO), Hon. Alusine Kanneh, received a prestigious award from Womens’Forum Sierra Leone, on the Theme: ‘Making the Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Act Work for a Better Sierra Leone.’ After receiving the award, the Immigration Boss said he was deeply humbled and honoured to have received this award, adding that it means the world to him to be recognized for his hard work and dedication. “I will continue to strive…
Sierra Leone is among eight countries around the world participating in this year’s three-week course on “The Role of Media in Democratic Countries” organized by the JICA Center in Japan and implemented by the NHK Foundation. The training, which attracted Cote D’Ivoire, Maldives, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Ukraine, is aimed at not only understanding the role of media, especially that of Public Service Broadcasting from its participants but it is also aimed at sharing the Japanese experience with participating countries on institutional building for functional improvement and the human resources development system…
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS), in collaboration with the ECOWAS Rice Observatory (ERO) and with support from the Food Systems Resilience Program, convened actors in the rice sector on October 10 and 11, 2023, to develop the National Rice Action Plan draft in line with the Feed Salone program. In his keynote address, Deputy Minister 2 of Agriculture, Sahr Hemore, said that the development of the plan is a sequel to the launch of the National Chapter of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory, called the Sierra Leone Rice Observatory (SLeRO), on February 21 and 22, 2023. He noted…