According to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Denis Vandi, a 100 solar borehole project in Sierra Leone is currently ongoing, although it is still in the bidding phase and needs consultations and education.
Dr. Vandi inked the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) Contract with the Saudi Fund for Development on June 22, 2022, and Sierra Leone will profit from it. It will include the construction of schools and hospitals.
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As per the Ministry of Finance, countries with a high risk of debt distress requested debt service suspension with their donor partners at the Saudi Fund for Development as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the global economies.
The Saudi Fund for Development sent a five-day working delegation to follow up on ongoing projects, including the rehabilitation and development of Fourah Bay Bay College (FBC), the construction of 100 solar boreholes, and the $25 million Saudi-funded Education Support Project.
Dr. Denis Vandi on a 100 solar borehole project
Together with the funding for the FBC rehabilitation and expansion project, the finance minister commended the borehole project initiative.
In the field of health, Dr. Vandi said that the initiative of a hospital project is commendable. It provides for the establishment of an ultra-modern facility with the appropriate medical equipment and skilled personnel that can reduce the number of individuals needing medical care abroad.
Abdulrahman Alharbi, the head of the Saudi Fund for Development delegation, said that once the technical design of the boreholes and the project to support education have been evaluated, they will look forward to engaging in the commissioning of both projects. They also expressed hope that the preparation and evaluation of the hospital project will be finished before they return to Saudi Arabia.
According to Financial Secretary Sahr Jusu’s statement, the government secondary schools in Kenema, Bo, and Magburaka, among other historic institutions, would be affected by the education support project.
The other institutions receiving support include the Bunumbu Teacher’s College, Milton Magai Technical University, and Prince of Wales School.
