The Public Private Partnership Unit in the Office of the President under the supervision of the Vice President ends a two days training workshop on Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government today.

The training which was sponsored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) looked at the need to promote infrastructure development through The Public Private Partnership Unit in the Office of the Vice President.

The 2 days’ workshop on the Theme: “Orientation and Risk Analysis” took place at the Beccles Davies Hall, St. George’s Cathedral House on Gloucester Street.

The essence of the training was to capacitate top government officials that have management responsibilities in MDAs to understand the opportunities presented through the PPP approach to developing and managing government infrastructure.

The understanding is that PPPs increase efficiency in project delivery and operation; reinforcing competition; access to advanced technology; and reducing government budgetary constraints by accessing private capital.

Another advantage of PPPs is that it further addresses contractual risk obligations and the allocation risks between public and private sector entities, financing of such arrangements and effective oversight of PPPs.

In her opening remarks, the Chairperson for the occasion, who is also the Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President, Madam Francess Piagie Alghalie, said the workshop indicates President Bio and Vice President Juldeh Jalloh’s commitment to revamp the private and public sector on an initiative that will enable both sectors to benefit from each other through a well-defined infrastructure that will be of great economic benefits to the nation.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) representative in Sierra Leone, Mr. Samuel Joe, told delegates that the private sector in Africa want to see profits while the public sector is very concerned to see developments from its investments policies.

He said there are a lot of challenges that need to be addressed by both sectors especially when the Sierra Leone private sector requires expansion as investments in the private sector which UNDP thinks is the right path to any nation’s development.

The Deputy Attorney General who doubles as Deputy Minister of Justice, Mr. Napoleon Koroma, told delegates that both the private and public sector had complex responsibilities over the years as they faced political, legal and financial challenges.

To this end, the government of President Bio is setting up a National Investment Board that will determine development in the Private Sector.

The Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Dr. Robert Shankerda, talked of his Ministry’s commitment to ensure development in the private sector.
For his part, the Director of Public and Private Partnership Unit, Mr. Abu Kamara, schooled delegates on the overview of PPPs and the PPP Unit.

The Minister of Trade and Industry Dr. Sandy was also in attendance and spoke of his Ministry’s commitment to the ideal of empowering the private sector through public engagement and initiatives.

The Director said the PPP is a contractual agreement between a public and private sector entities through which the skills and assets of each sector are shared in improving public infrastructure facility for the use of the general public.

He highlighted the PPPs critical stages and the procurement phase, the PPP related legislation in which he said the differences between the PPP Act and the Public Procurement Act includes among others project identification, approval, tender process, contract finalization and monitoring.

He outlined the methodology used to finance most major transformational PPP projects known as project finance which relies primarily on Cash Flows.

He gave a summary of public/private partnership unit in Sub-Sahara Africa including Nigeria, Lesotho, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Sierra Leone.

Director Kamara also spoke of PPPs advantages to the Sierra Leone government which the rigorous project preparation process of PPP’s enhance bankability and will give government the ability to deliver on its estimated USD12-15 billion cost on key new direction projects.

The workshop continues today with a chronology of vital points, strategies, and challenges for delegates to always observe.