Sequel to the just concluded African Union summit in Mauritania where His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio and the Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Alie Kabba had engagements with investors and the business community, a team of investors from Mauritania known as ASML Group has paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Kabba at his Tower Hill office in Freetown.

According to the Head of the ASML Group, Mouhidine Ahmed SALEC BUH, the aim of their visit is to explore possible avenues of investment with a view to enhancing the economic and social development of the country in line with the New Direction agenda for Sierra Leone. Giving an overview of the group, he further stated that, ASML Group was established in 1961 and is now a major industrial group that is active in various sectors of the Mauritania national economy. ‘Our group offers services in the various sectors: energy; infrastructure; and agro industries’, he added.

The Head of Group, Mouhidine Ahmed SALEC BUH thanked the Minister and staff for the warm reception accorded him and the Group and expressed hope for future collaboration and investment in Sierra Leone.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Alie Kabba on behalf of President Dr. Julius Maada Bio welcomed the ASML Group to Sierra Leone underscoring that the New Direction pays premium to public-private sector partnerships that will enhance the socio-economic development of the country.  Dr. Kabba noted that the importance of investment in infrastructure, energy and agro industries is to help the economy grow. This is why, he said, the New Direction is increasingly turning to the private sector as an alternative additional source of funding to meet the funding gap. ‘The public-private sector partnership will create pacification in the economy by making the country more competitive in terms of its facilitating infrastructure base as well as giving a boost to its business and industry associated with infrastructure development (such as construction, equipment, support services, etc.)’, he added.

‘My Ministry as part of its mandate in enhancing economic diplomacy, will create the conducive environment for potential investors in Sierra Leone to attain the objects of the New Direction which we promised to deliver to this nation’, Dr. Kabba said. “We mean what we say and do what we say”, he concluded.

Present were: the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mrs. Nimatulai Bah-Chang, the Director General and Ambassador At-Large, Mr. Paul A.S. Minah; the Director for Africa and Deputy, Mr. Eric Gamanga and Mrs. Juliana Fallah.