March 23, 2021
By Ilyasa Baa
European Union (EU) Ambassador to Sierra Leone has assured the country of EU’s continued support towards protecting the environment.
Ambassador Tom Vent made this assurance recently at the launching ceremony of the Conservation Trust Fund in Freetown.
He said the task ahead is challenging, noting that the ministry is faced with a lot of work considering the unregulated activities affecting the environment.
He stressed the need for strong laws in respect of protecting the environment. He referenced the deforestation activities saying “unregulated construction activities should be addressed.”
He maintained that recently, the EU provided institutional support to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the forestry division at the ministry of Agriculture in protecting the environment for the good of the country.
Launching the fund, the Vice President, Dr. Juldeh Jalloh noted that the Conservation Trust Fund is part of government’s commitment in ensuring that the environment is highly protected.
He said the fund would enable the government address issues relating to the environment. The Vice President added that the basket fund would empower the government with the needed resources to support nationwide conservation programmes.
The Minister of Environment, Prof. Foday Jaward, described their five years strategic plan (2021-2025) as one that would help the ministry do its work in protecting the environment.
He lauded His Excellency President Bio’s vision in establishing a separate ministry for environmental issues.
This new ministry, which is sixteen months old, is driving projects and programs geared towards comprehensive environmental protection.