CULLED FROM AWOKO Sierra Leone News: We need more Chinese Investment Mr President Grab the investment with your two hands Mr PresidentPremier Li Keqiang is currently in Africa doing a four-nation visit starting with Ethiopia. This visit is to continue to bolster Chinese investment and friendship throughout the continent. But the visit is more for the Eastern part of Africa where they have the biggest investment in Africa. He will also visit Nigeria to enhance their presence in the West. Chinese Investment is very crucial to Africa’s development as the continent’s development on technology, education and infrastructure has been very important for our economic growth. Mr President the Chinese has been working with determination to make Africa a better place and we need them in terms of delivering economic growth and meaningfully reducing poverty. We need jobs, we need investment, we need trade, we need foreign direct investment, whether investment domestically but also from the outside. It’s not some magic pill, everybody knows that this is the formula, and finally the Chinese are showing up, again, not just in Sierra Leone and beyond, but around the world with that elixir, that mix of opportunities to really transform Africa. Remember, 70% of the population of these places and Sierra Leone in particular are under the age of 24. There is no escape: we have to create jobs. President Koroma you need to look more on the Chinese side, the sea transportation in the country needs your attention. The current state of our ferries is not encouraging, if we can get a Chinese company to come and invest, it will definitely help ease the pressure on the Lungi inhabitants as well as passengers for the airport. Also the produce from the Provinces are wasting and the people are suffering, the road transportation cannot solve their problems, so if we can get a company that will invest in Railway, it will enhance our economic situation more than 300 percent. Another investment that we should embrace the Chinese on is housing. There are many estate companies in China that are ready to invest in Sierra Leone; all they want is the support from the government. It is time we start investing on high-rise buildings than the bungalows NASSIT and Regimanuel Gray are building. High-rise buildings utilize less space and have more apartments. We need massive investments in these areas and only you Mr President can get them for us by engaging the Chinese. One of the main reasons why high profile delegates are not coming to Sierra Leone is because we lack basic utilities. One of the biggest disadvantages that impede us from moving forward is the airport that is why we need to get the Mamamah airport project off the pipeline and start working on it. A big and modern airport will bring to us many high profile guests and many more flights to help us improve our economy and our image. The Chinese are waiting on the flanks to help make this country a better place. I’m not saying that China should be given a red carpet, carte blanche, to come into Sierra Leone or, indeed, anywhere in Africa, and do what they like. We do need the investment, we need job creation and we do need actual trade and investment in these places. But I think what’s really essential is to focus on what China can do for us, as well as what we can do for China. And I think that discussion is not heard as objectively as it should be. Ultimately, the responsibility of how China engages us is really at the domain of our government. We would not be worried about the risks of neo-colonialism or abuse, environmental abuse and labor issues, if we trusted our government to do the right thing. The first visit to Ethiopia by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, China and Africa reached important consensus on strengthening cooperation on poverty reduction on Monday. According to a joint declaration issued during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to the African Union (AU) headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, China and Africa are committed to strengthening their efforts in poverty reduction and standing together to face challenges brought by poverty. Noting that the task of poverty reduction is still formidable for both China and Africa, the document said it is in the common interests of both sides to conduct cooperation on the existing solid foundation. China and Africa agreed that global development partnership should be enhanced and joint efforts be made to make poverty reduction a priority task in international development cooperation. So Mr President, as I am saying the ball is in your court to engage this great nation who treats us with respect and like a brother to help us reduce poverty and in turn makes you a hero among the people of Sierra Leone. Thursday May 08, 2014
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 22:36:40 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015