The Director of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED), Dr. Sheka Bangura, has briefed Parliament on the Ministry’s progress and ongoing activities, highlighting key areas of the country’s national development planning and coordination.
Dr. Bangura made the disclosure while presenting a status report on the activities of MoPED, following a request from members of the parliamentary committee.
In his presentation, he outlined several priority areas, including the status of the African Development Plan, the implementation of the African Union Agenda 2063, efforts to mobilize development financing, financing for development at chiefdom and constituency levels, and the status of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Sierra Leone and at the ECOWAS level.
He explained that one of the Ministry’s key responsibilities is coordinating the implementation of the National Development Plan, which involves working from the central government level down to districts, chiefdoms and communities.
According to Dr. Bangura, the coordination process enables the Ministry to compile progress reports and present them to the country’s highest political authorities for consideration and guidance.
He noted that producing comprehensive development reports requires coordination with district councils and chiefdom-level structures. He also identified the Ministry’s research section as an important component of the planning process, particularly in providing evidence to inform policies and their implementation.
Dr. Bangura further highlighted the role of the Ministerial Cabinet in providing strategic guidance to the national planning process.
He said the Ministry’s planning structures also review development plans to ensure that they are aligned with the country’s National Development Plan and broader development priorities.
The Director reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of Sierra Leone and development partners to implementing the national development strategy.
He said the Ministry’s work is guided by the country’s key development priorities, including the three life-saving sectors and the five big game changers, which he described as important drivers of the government’s development agenda.
Dr. Bangura assured the committee that MoPED would continue to strengthen coordination, planning, research and monitoring to support the effective implementation of national development programmes.