As part of ongoing engagements at the Investing in African Mining Indaba, the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Timothy Musa Kabba, today (10 May 2022) met with the Executive Director of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), Mark Robinson, and the Head of Operations of the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), Maude Vallee, respectively, in Cape Town, South Africa.
During the meeting with the Executive Director of EITI, the discussion focused on ongoing progress by Sierra Leone in implementing the EITI standards and addressing transparency issues in the minerals sector in the country. The Minister informed the Executive Director that the new Mines and Minerals Development Bill 2022, which is before Parliament for enactment, contains key provisions on transparency issues and disclosure of beneficial ownership, among others.
The EITI Executive Director lauded the strides made by Sierra Leone in disclosing mining revenue and full disclosure of mining contracts, and assured the Minister that the EITI stands ready to support Sierra Leone to promote transparency and develop the minerals sector.
During the meeting with the Head of Operations of ALSF, the discussion focused on how the ALSF could provide legal support to Sierra Leone in addressing mining issues, including contract negotiations. The ALFS head informed the Minister that the institution has a pool of carefully selected legal firms, with expertise in different fields, who they can call on to provide legal and other technical support to African countries in handling complex mining matters. The aim is to empower government with the necessary knowledge and resources to ensure balanced, fair and equitable outcomes, to ultimately improve good governance in the mining sector.
The Minister welcomed the opportunity to tap into the resources of the ALFS, and assured them that Sierra Leone will make good use of this opportunity moving forward. The Sierra Leone delegation continues to make meaningful partnerships with the view of promoting the development of the minerals sector.