NCP

Transport

The sector has historically suffered from split decision making and jurisdictions which are further complicated by the fact that the NCP mandate does not extend to all transport agencies such as Sierra Leone Maritime Agency, Road Transport Authority and Civil Aviation Authority. A Transport Sector Strategy Paper prepared and presented to the Donors DEPAC meeting in March 2007 facilitated a meeting of all sector participants. The National Transport Strategy and Investment Plan (2003-2007) which laid out key sector policy reforms and established priorities for immediate and longer term investments, comes to end in 2007. Policy development is driven by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. However, because of its statutory authority, the NCP plays a major role in the sectoral policy development.

NCP approval was obtained for the liquidation of Sierra National Airlines and the matter is expected to be filed in Court by the Attorney General’s office after Parliamentary non objection of the decision.

A Road Sector Restructuring Committee (RSRC) has been established by the NCP and will assist in the restructuring and reform of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority. The restructuring will see the implementation of the Road Sector Management Action Plan. The process will involve the review of the legal and regulatory framework of the SLRA, the divestiture of the Mechanical Services Unit (MSU) into an independent plant hire company and the creation of an Independent Road Fund that will be responsible for the management and rehabilitation of the road network. A dedicated secretariat is being setup comprising two staff to assist the RSRC in the implementation process.

A Transitional Supervisory Committee for the restructuring of Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC) was established in September 2006 and has embarked on the tasks of clearing the backlog of liabilities and establishing a new management team. An application was submitted to the IDB for a grant of around $450k to rehabilitate the old Iran Khudro buses, upgrade the training school and the workshop. In 2006, 18 Libyan buses were donated to the SLRTC through the GoSL and a further 17 Mini buses were provided in 2007 by the Libyan government. Plans are now in place to deploy these Mini buses for city runs only. After restructuring the SLRTC to a leaner and profitable organisation, the NCP will then consider the various privatizations options towards the end of 2008.

Options for private sector participation are being developed for Sierra Leone Airport Authority (SLAA) while the ground handling services has already been transferred to SLAA until a decision is reached on the restructuring of the whole sector and the mode of private sector participation.

The NCP had established a Project Management Committee (PMC) to oversee the restructuring of the Sierra Leone Ports Authority (SLPA) as landlord port and privatisation of its core activities through (i) concessioning the container terminal, (ii) licensing to service providers for shore handling of non-container (break-bulk and bulk) cargo; and (iii) the definition of the economic and technical regulatory functions associated with the revised SLPA structure which will require new legislation. (iv) Privatisation of the non-core activities of the SLPA. CPCS Transcom, port consultants, was commissioned by the NCP under the World Bank IDA project to assist the PMC in implementing the transition.

The leasing of Ferry Mahera has received approval and the contract is to be signed on Friday, 27 July 07 with handover scheduled for 15 September 2007. Work is progressing on the review of the tender documentation for the SLPA Marine Slipway which is planned to be re-advertised in September 2007.

The PMC under the auspices of the NCP, recently organized a privatisation study tour to Nigeria involving all stakeholders to obtain hands on experience on privatisation matters. The completion of the implementation of the restructuring of SLPA is contingent on securing funding for employee liabilities.

Sierra Leone National Shipping Company is engaged in cargo clearing and forwarding. It does not own any ship but has non-core assets. The strategy will be to sell 100% Government shareholding excluding the non-core assets. The non-core assets would be sold separately.

Mining and General Services Limited was owned 51% by the Government and later the remaining 49% private shareholding was expropriated by the military government without compensation. Legal resolution has to be reached with the 14 minority shareholders regarding the expropriated shares before a divestiture can be considered. NCP has written to the Attorney General seeking a legal opinion on the legalities surrounding the expropriation of these shares.