The World Bank-funded Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP) has helped the Ministry of Trade and Industry to organise a workshop for the Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC). This committee is made up of key stakeholders from the public and private sectors. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss ongoing trade facilitation initiatives, assess progress in implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement and the performance of the ECOWAS trade liberalisation programme, and strengthen coordination between institutions involved in cross-border trade.
The two-day event was held on 29 and 30 May at the Country Lodge in Freetown. It aimed to gather the views of stakeholders on improving the national business environment, streamlining procedures and strengthening collaboration under the NTFC. Mr Emmanuel Billy Konjoh, Director General of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, expressed his gratitude to the World Bank and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, through the FSRP, for their support to the NTFC in discussing issues that will benefit cross-border traders. He assured stakeholders that achieving this objective would strengthen the Feed Salone initiative by improving market access and fostering strategic partnerships, which would ultimately ensure better incomes for farmers and enable them to produce more. Dr Kepifri Lakoh, PRSP project manager, confirmed the project's commitment to supporting the MTI in harmonising and promoting regional policies aimed at improving trade efficiency.
This initiative will build the capacity of government officials, bring markets closer to the private sector by enabling them to access relevant trade facilitation information to participate in the Feed Salone programme and improve the ease of doing business in Sierra Leone.
