By Sallieu S. Kanu
Sierra Leone’s President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on Monday September 18, 2023, held a progressive meeting with the Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Challenge Corporation, Alice P. Albright in United States.
President Bio said in his tweet on Monday that, they discussed their partnership and shared commitment towards promoting sustainable economic growth and development in SierraLeone.
“I pledged my Government’s commitment to sustaining policies that promote good governance, democracy and the rule of law,” President Bio said in his tweet.
“My Government values the enduring relationship that we enjoy with the United States, as well as the MCC, and we shall continue to work towards deepening the relationship.”
“The rigorous and thorough yearly scorecard remains an important tool through which we will continue to engage citizens on progress towards achieving our development aspirations,” he said.
The meeting came after the Millennium Challenge Corporation diverted from its original timeline for considering approval of a compact for Sierra Leone over concerns about the outcome of the 2023 general elections.
In a statement, the MCC said it will continue to engage with the Government of Sierra Leone in the spirit of a longstanding partnership but did not mention a possible timeline for the approval of compact programme.
MCC Compacts are five-year grant agreements between MCC and an eligible country to fund programs designed to create an enabling environment for private sector investment. To be eligible for compact assistance, countries must meet certain scorecard indicators set by the MCC. Sierra Leone has passed 11 out of the 20 indicators on the Millennium Challenge Corporation, according to the 2023 scorecard, making it the country’s fourth consecutive pass since President Julius Maada Bio took office in 2018.