NEWS ECOWAS Ranks S/Leone First for Mainstreaming Aid for Trade into National Development Agenda Posted by on Feb 3, 2010, 02:46

Sierra Leone has been highly praised by the Executive Secretariat of Aid for Trade in Geneva for taking the lead in accessing Sierra Leone’s quota in Aid for Trade Fund, and making judicious use of it. Its role in adopting International and Regional policies into National Development Agenda was acknowledged by development partners, especially for putting up visible comparable structures and at the same time undertaking discernible modern reforms to improve the investment climate.

This emerged after Sierra Leone’s Deputy Trade & Industry Minister Ms. Mabinty Daramy presented a paper entitled “Mainstreaming Aide for Trade into National Development Agenda; The Sierra Leone Experience”. The Executive Director of the Integrated Framework Executive Secretariat Dorothy Tembo underscored the significance of the integrated framework and in that regard applauded the West African Country for strides taken in that direction to the full view and hearing of fifteen West African Cabinet and Deputy Trade Ministers and or their representatives at the ECOWAS Conference Center, Asokoro in Abuja Nigeria Thursday January 28 at a two- days “Aid For Trade” review Meeting.

Sierra Leone was commended for her efforts for being among the very first countries to get its EIF TIER (1) project signed. Development Partners also noted the gains made by accessing Aid for Trade within record time, thus synchronizing both local and international Policies in line with International acceptable standards. Other participants who witnessed the ceremony were Representatives of International Donor Countries and Multilateral Partners, including  ITC, IMF, World Bank, DFID, UNCTAD,UNIDO and WTO),Sweden, Japan, China, France, Italy, Germany.

She also used Sierra Leone as a case study to address complaints by some representatives of other West African countries classified as non starters, who expressed their grievances regarding their inability to access the Aid for Trade funds. The Integrated Framework Initiative was launched in 1997 for Least Developed Countries (LDC) by six core Agencies including IMF, ITC, UNCTAD, UNDP, WB and WTO to assist LDC’s enhanced their capacity to address trade related problems and facilitate trading system. The Objective was geared towards taking mainstream trade into National Development Plans/processes such as poverty Reduction strategy Papers, and assist in the Coordination of delivery of trade related technical assistance. Aid for Trade, especially the Integrated Framework Initiative, has become a serious tool to fight poverty in Least Developed Countries.

In her contribution, she said Sierra Leone was able to effectively use Aid for Trade to address her country’s program and projects using among other things a partnership approach in accordance with the principles with the Paris declaration of Aid effectiveness. Accessing Aid through the integrated frame work initiative requires a country going through  four different phases  including  an official request, and a preparatory phase, Technical Reviews, The establishment of a National Steering Committee, the Diagnostic trade integration studies phase ( which identifies constraints and translation of the Preparatory phase into follow up activities), a  Validation Phase , wherein national stakeholders validate the conclusion of the DTIS and proposed action outlined in the Action matrix and the Implementation phase which has to do with the support of development partners accompanied by progression towards integration of policies into programs. According to the Deputy Minister of Trade Ms. Mabinty Daramy, Sierra Leone has completed all these phases. “We conducted the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study (DTIS) with an action matrix that forms the basis for the implementation of two projects, namely: Tourism development and the Trade policy project with funds to the tune of One Million United States Dollars ($1M) from the Integrated Framework Window 11.

The Integrated Framework was enhanced as a result of a review by the donors and the Executive Board. Under the new arrangements, Ms Mabinty Daramy said Sierra Leone has also benefited from the Enhanced Integrated Framework TIER 1, project with funds to the tune of approximately $920,000 for the establishment of the National Implementation Arrangement, which included the establishment of the National Implementation Unit.  EIF TIER 11Guidelines  for the  funding of trade related projects (outlined in the DTIS) will be released by the EIF secretariat soon  from which Sierra Leone will receive funding to implement  trade related Projects thereby helping realizing President Ernest Bai Koroma’s Government Agenda for Change” Said Hon. Daramy.