$44.3m and not $30m was given to gov’t
December 17, 2015 By Joseph S. Margai (Intern)
World Bank Country Manager, Parmindes Brar, told newsmen yesterday (Wednesday December 16) that his institution gave over forty-four million dollars for two projects, the Social Safety Net which attracted US$14.3m funding and the Supplementary Emergency, Economic and Fiscal Support Operation which had US$30m.
He made this clarification in response to a release from Parliament that it had approved two World Bank projects that cost US$30m.
Brar said the press release from Parliament erroneously stated that 12,000 poverty-stricken households across the regions in the country would benefit from the Social Safety Net, although the project would target 23,000 poorest households in Bombali, Kono, Western Rural District and Moyamba respectively.
“The selection of the households was done based on the integrated household survey conducted by the Government of Sierra Leone some years ago,” he said, adding that the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) is the implementing agency for the project.
The World Bank Country Manger revealed that the first phase of payment to the poorest households would be done on 28 December this year, with a follow-up in January 2016.
He added that 99% of beneficiaries of the project are women, and that NaCSA would be disbursing the sum of Le190,000 per household.
He disclosed that the World Bank took the decision to support the poorest households and the national budget because of shortfalls in revenue generated by the country as a result of the Ebola outbreak in 2014.
He said out of the US$44.3m, the World Bank provided US$40m, while the Department for International Development (DFID) availed US$4.3m for both projects.