By: Precious Miracle Kargbo (Snr)
In a significant boost for Sierra Leone’s trade and development agenda, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Ms. Rebecca Grynspan, has pledged to fast-track support for the upgrade of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) and to conduct an E-Commerce Readiness Assessment for the country.
The commitment was made during a bilateral meeting with President Julius Maada Bio on the margins of the World Economic Forum on 21 January 2026.
Ms. Grynspan reaffirmed UNCTAD’s mandate to promote inclusive development and expand trade opportunities for developing countries. She emphasized the organization’s practical approach to capacity building, noting that UNCTAD’s goal is to empower countries to manage and sustain their own development processes.
“We are very pragmatic. We build capacities and allow countries to run for themselves,” she said.
The UNCTAD Secretary-General commended President Bio’s leadership and active engagement on both regional and global platforms. However, she also highlighted persistent challenges facing developing nations, particularly unsustainable debt levels that strain national budgets and limit investments in social services and infrastructure. These challenges, she noted, are especially relevant to Sierra Leone’s development context.
President Bio welcomed UNCTAD’s assurance of accelerated support for upgrading the ASYCUDA system, describing it as critical to improving customs efficiency, revenue collection, and trade facilitation. With declining external aid, the President stressed that strengthening domestic revenue mobilization has become increasingly important.
He also underscored the significance of the E-Commerce Readiness Assessment, explaining that it would help Sierra Leone evaluate its digital ecosystem and identify opportunities for growth in the digital economy. “The E-Commerce Readiness Assessment is vital for us because we need to assess the ecosystem,” President Bio said.
Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alpha Ibrahim Sesay, recalled earlier engagements with Ms. Grynspan, which focused on cooperation in key areas such as competition policy, trade facilitation, and intellectual property rights. He noted that these discussions reflect a shared commitment to providing technical assistance that can strengthen Sierra Leone’s trade framework and competitiveness.
In a separate engagement during the forum, President Bio also met with Mr. Ignazio Cassis, Vice President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The meeting explored ways to deepen bilateral relations and identify collaborative initiatives to support regional integration and stability within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
As Sierra Leone continues to confront economic and structural challenges, UNCTAD’s commitment to enhancing the country’s trade systems and digital readiness offers renewed optimism for unlocking new economic opportunities and fostering sustainable, inclusive growth.