96397 Sierra Leone: Country Results Profile April 13, 2012 Sierra Leone: Transforming a Nation and Addressing Fragility Overview Sierra Leone is quickly seeking to become a transformed nation with middle-income status, through its pursuit of key reforms in infrastructure, energy, private sector development and job creation—all underpinned by decentralized human development service delivery, improved public sector governance and social accountability. However, the country still carries its post- conflict attributes of fragility in the form of high youth unemployment, corruption and weak national cohesion. In closely contested presidential and parliamentary elections planned for November 2012, the current Agenda for Change of the ruling government will be challenged the New Direction of the opposition. Challenge MULTIMEDIA Sierra Leone still carries its post-conflict attributes of high youth unemployment, corruption and weak national cohesion. In presidential and parliamentary elections planned for November 2012, the current Agenda for Change of the ruling government will be challenged by the New Direction of the opposition. Problems of poor infrastructure, including roads and energy, and widespread rural and urban impoverishment still persist in spite of remarkable strides and reforms MORE undertaken by the country. There is also a Slideshow: A Sign Language School in Bo daunting challenge faced in enhancing District, Sierra Leone transparency in managing the country’s vast Slideshow: Sierra Leone: Recovering from natural resource endowments. Years Pirate Fishing in Sierra Leone Approach Through its Joint Country Assistance Strategy (JCAS) with the African Development Bank, the World Bank is supporting the country’s Agenda for Change: 2008-2012, More Results which puts priority on three growth drivers, namely, agriculture, energy, and transport infrastructure, underpinned 25 % by human development, governance, capacity development, private sector growth, and management of natural resources. IDA support has included assistance for policy reforms in the areas of information and communications technology (ICT), increase in the volume of energy, infrastructure and macroeconomic management agricultural production, sales and export, which yield through budget support (provided in harmonization with other dividends to beneficiaries budget support donors). IDA has also been involved in consisting of over 70 percent women. supporting human development, the productive sectors and governance. In addition, IDA has focused on strengthening country systems, including through support to decentralized services and public finance management and helping to build the demand for good governance. MORE INFORMATION Results Country Website Through a range of investment and policy lending support Country Brief from the International Development Association (IDA) and Country Assistance Strategy leveraged trust fund resources in 2011, Sierra Leone has: Data and Statistics (1) boosted decentralized service delivery with a tenfold improvement in the uptake of health services at the local level compared to three years ago, which now serve mainly the needs of over 80 percent of pregnant women and lactating mothers, (2) removed major constraints to agricultural productivity and profitability, resulting in an average increase of 25 percent in the volume of agricultural production, sales and export, which yield dividends to beneficiaries consisting of over 70 percent women, and (3) improved energy supply with the regular supply of electricity to Freetown almost every day of the week compared to three days a week from three years ago. In addition, IDA and leveraged support by the World Bank have boosted key reforms at the national level, which hold the potential of unleashing new investments and economic growth in the country. These reforms include the telecommunication and ICT sector where the existing monopoly for the international telecom gateway that constrains the sector from realizing its full growth potential, is on its way to being removed—evident by the government’s publication of a firm timetable for revoking the monopoly of the gateway. Combined with Sierra Leone’s recent impressive performance in the Doing Business 2012 scores, the above-mentioned reforms suddenly make all of these sectors more attractive to investors and entrepreneurs—typified by the establishment of new companies across the country. The enormous spin-offs from vibrant energy and telecom sectors will benefit the people of the country in the coming years. There is still a lot of work to be done in implementing these reforms, which will require resoluteness, but it has been a great way to end 2011 for Sierra Leone. Bank Contribution As of June 30, 2011, the total commitments of IDA to Sierra Leone increased by 50 percent over the previous year to US$157.6 million. This increase came on the back of successful leveraging from trust funds and regional allocation. Actual disbursement was US$114 million, representing a 60 percent increase from the previous year. Portfolio quality also improved as indicated in the portfolio performance review and new mitigation measures were identified for current risks through a pragmatic action plan. Studies and discussions to strengthen capacity in government are being implemented. Partners The World Bank in Sierra Leone has maintained close partnerships with other donors, especially the African Development Bank with whom it mutually implemented its Joint Country Assistance Strategy. Toward the Future IDA will continue to support Sierra Leone in pursuing its key priorities in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), with special focus on strengthening economic governance, improving human development, and boosting infrastructure and productive sectors. The IDA portfolio will continue to be based around budget support and projects in key sectors. The expectation is that budget support would allow the government to continue to take forward key policy reforms, while projects would provide support for capacity development and supporting critical investments. Developing a sharper focus on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and results, both at the country- and project-level, will be priorities, as will be improving the portfolio quality. New projects in the areas of decentralization, fisheries, youth, financial sector and energy would allow IDA to contribute to significant improvements in the lives of ordinary Sierra Leoneans. Policy dialogue with the government and other stakeholders will focus on policy options and managing risks, including in the extractive industries. IDA will continue to leverage its national allocation through additional support from other sources. Beneficiaries Regina Sheriff is self-employed at her own cocoa plantation in Kpandebu village, eastern Sierra Leone, where she is settled with her husband who works as a school teacher. She shares with her husband the responsibility of taking care of their five children and six other dependants, including her ageing mother and her husband’s sick father. As the only survivor of her late father’s children after the war, Regina is now the sole inheritor of a three-hectare cocoa farmland where she makes her living from the cultivation, processing and export of cocoa. Beyond her earning from farm work, Regina is also entitled to a share of profit in the Munafa Cocoa Cooperative, which buys and exports her produce and provides her, along with the other Munafa cooperative members, the skills, services and marketing information required to add value, price and profit to the produce they sell. The Munafa Cocoa Cooperative is one of the three cooperatives supported in Sierra Leone by the export promotion component of the IDA-financed Rural and Private Sector Development Project.