Summit Communications: You have been instrumental in creating on investor friendly environment in laying down the framework for foreign investors with measures such as the Investment Promotion Act, the creation of SLEDIC and the development of the duty free export through the AGOA agreement. Dr. Sesay what is your outlook for trade within Sierra Leone in the coming years?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: I think the outlook is very good because we are laying the foundations that will transform Sierra Leone into a very attractive destination for trade and investment. Our priorities are rebuilding infrastructure and strengthening the legal framework and judicial services especially with regards to business. We have already made great strides on the proper legal regulatory framework to benefit trade and investment and importantly we have also managed to attain macro-economic stability in the country. There is a stable exchange rate and inflation is under control. In addition to the Investment Promotions Act, we have studied all the administrative barriers that inhibit trade and investment and are now implementing the recommendations of this study. We really want to make this a very attractive place for investors and are beginning to see many investors showing an interest in Sierra Leone. We see Chinese investors establishing industries here; through my invitation of one of the companies has now established an Industrial and Trade Zone in partnership with the Government and is in the process of commencing preliminary activities for the establishment of an Export Processing Zone where foreign companies will be able to set up and start producing without worrying about getting premises. We are in the process of establishing a Stock Exchange, which will also help private investment. We are working with UNIDO for the development of small-medium scale enterprises and industry. In fact, we've got some premises for the establishment of an Industrial Park in the East End of Freetown and Agro-Processing Centres in different parts of the country. We are getting companies interested in mining. There are now big mining companies that are operating such as Koidu Holdings and Titanium Resources Group. There are companies expressing an interest in the fisheries sector both in terms of fishing and processing. So indeed the prospects are good. Sierra Leone is an attractive place to do business and I think we have laid the foundation for the future prosperity of the investors and the people of Sierra Leone.

Summit Communications: Certainly, one of the things that we found whilst speaking to foreign investors is that they are impressed by the accessibility of government officials. However, there have also been some criticisms of the investment environment here. Export procedures have been described as "complicated." Also, they expressed that there are some difficulties in importing manufactured inputs cheaply and quickly to set-up operations. Dr. Sesay, does the government have any plans to address the kind of concerns?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: Well, actually, export procedures are not supposed to be cumbersome. You don't need any licences or permissions for the export of various items and there are tax-incentives where you don't need to pay customs duties and other charges if you are exporting. What we want to do is to encourage people to locate here and produce products that will be attractive for the foreign market so that we can earn badly needed foreign exchange. So really exporting should not be difficult. In terms of bringing imports, well, my door is open as Minister of Trade, and I try to be as people and investor friendly as possible. Investors can come to me anytime and I talk to them if they need to bring in inputs; I have done this for many companies. If they write to me that they intend to set-up an industry and they need such an input like machinery, equipment or raw materials, normally there are tax-incentives given for those items. For example, equipment would be duty-free and raw materials would only carry a 5% customs duty. If there are difficulties we are always here to intervene on behalf of the private sector to ensure that we remove the obstacles in the way. There is a company Marika Enterprises that is now producing most of the vegetable oil that is in the market. This is a company owned by a young Sierra Leonean and because I wanted to encourage him to invest, I really cleared the obstacles in his way. I made it possible for him to gain access to the complex that he is now using to process vegetable oil and I made it possible for him to bring in all the equipment and machinery duty-free. We do the same thing for foreign investors that come here.

We have also set up the one stop shop at SLEDIC which registers businesses within seven days. We are really doing our best because we want as many investors as possible to come to this country and locate, produce and export.

Summit Communications: I'd like to introduce the next question with your words. You said and I quote: "Trade and not aid is the key to Sierra Leone's futue." We are keen to understand how the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper is going to examine the trade related issues for the Sierra Leonean economy and how that particular policy initiative would address the trade-related needs of Sierra Leone?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: The country still needs aid. We are emerging from a war situation and there are tremendous needs and competing priorities so we are going to need aid for a long time to help us stand on our feet. But I believe that for sustainable long-term development, this country and any other country, needs trade and investment. The aid helps but only as a means for the country to develop, to move beyond aid into trade and investment. This is why our emphasis as a government is to make this country as attractive as possible particularly for foreign direct investment but also for domestic investments. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper that has been completed has mainstreamed trade and investment to ensure that first of all, the business environment will continue to improve. We will be looking at the legal and regulatory framework to ensure it is even more investor friendly and we will be looking at competition policy and property rights. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper also looks at some of the activities that need to be put in place in order to promote private sector development. For example, the provision of micro-finance for small-scale industry or supporting the co-operative societies that have been developed in every chiefdom of this country and providing micro finance for them. One of the key difficulties that the private sector faces in this country is access to finance. When they have developed a good proposal how can they access international finance to help them implement their proposals? These are all issues that are going to be looked at. Sierra Leone has access to many markets; to the US markets through the African Growth and Opportunity Act and to the EU market through the "Everything But Arms" initiative. We will have access to the Chinese market through some general preferential arrangements for goods of Sierra Leonean origin. So there are ample markets for our goods. We are also looking at product development because what is required now is the development of quality products that would enable us not just to have access but also to gain entry into these markets which entails competing on a global stage. The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper focuses on private sector development and tries to put in place activities and programs to enhance the development of that sector.

Summit Communications: You mention AGOA. This is obviously a very lucrative avenue for Sierra Leone to access the North American market. Will the range of products that Sierra Leone exports to the US be expanded soon? Is there anything further that Sierra Leone, you as Trade Minister like to see coming from the AGOA.

Dr. Kadi Sesay: Well, in terms of AGOA there are many products we could export. There are many agricultural products that can be exported to the US so we are trying to meet the hygiene standards required for these products to gain access to the American markets. We have managed to acquire the visa for textiles exports and we are now holding discussions with companies from different parts of the world - including a US company - to see how we can establish partnership on the ground for a garment industry for export to the US markets. Already at least one Sierra Leonean company is at the advanced stages of discussions with an Indian and an American Company to commence the production of nurse's uniforms and boxer shorts for export to the American market. There are already orders for these. However, what they need to do is to get cheaper fabrics and so they are trying to source fabrics from different parts of the world that would make it possible for them to participate in the AGOA scheme. These companies also want to set-up a textiles industry and a shoe- factory here for export to the U.S. We are hoping that with these openings and the support from companies from different parts of the world, we will be able to access the American market.

The AGOA legislation itself is good. It is meant to help African countries to develop products and bid competitive and export duty-free and quota-free to the US market. Another underlying component of AGOA is to encourage American businesses to locate in Africa and produce and export to the US markets through AGOA. That is the component that doesn't seem to be working very well right now. We are seeing a lot of Chinese companies locating in different African countries and producing garments for export and we are seeing Indian and Bangladeshi companies doing likewise. In the last meeting we had on AGOA, the view was expressed that the US government should put in a lot more effort in encouraging American investors to locate in African countries that are beneficiaries under AGOA and produce for the American market and also in making finance available/accessible to investors in Africa. These were some of the recommendations that were made in our last meeting. A lot of these African countries do not have the required finances for them to produce these quality products that can access this American market; so although the market access is there, there is no market entry. So, unless there is access to finance, we believe the best solution is to attract American companies that are able to tap into the resources in the American markets for investment financing and encourage them to come here, make use of the cheap salaries and the other facilities that are available to produce for the American markets. If we can do that then AGOA will be more successful. AGOA also has an underlying component of capacity building. I think there is a need for the capacities of industries in the developing countries to be supported and strengthened for them to be able to gainfully engage in AGOA.

Summit Communications: The turnaround in this country's fortune in the last few years is very impressive. It is testament to Sierra Leone's renewal that there are so many foreign investors here. The United States is Sierra Leone's second largest source of exports and second most important import destination. In which areas do you think American resources either co-operate investment or aid can be best utilised?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: Well, priority number one is Agriculture and Agro-processing both for the domestic and international markets. We have a wonderful climate as you have seen, we have excellent soil and we have an abundance of arable land available for investors that may want to come and invest in agriculture or agro-processing. Our marine resources are also ripe for development. We have some of the best fish in the world. Clearly there is room for investment in that sector, but not just for fishing, but also for fish canning and processing. Tourism is a key area. Our beaches are among the most beautiful in the world. There are openings for investment in the tourism sector in terms of the construction of tourism facilities, hotels, etc. We are also focussed on expanding the manufacturing industry in this country and this is why we are working towards the establishment of an Export Processing Zone to make it easier for foreign companies to locate here, access manufacturing facilities and start producing either for the local market or for the export market. In the mining sector; we also have gold, bauxite, iron ore, rutile and now we are looking into the oil sector as well. The prospect for oil is good and there are companies already exploring. The second bid round is going to be held soon so we need companies that could come in for oil exploration. The results of the sesmic survey that has been done, are very promising indeed. And this is why Repsol, a leading international company is now doing exploration here. I think they have progressed further than anyone else as far as that sector is concerned. We are waiting to read their report to see whether we can move forward but I think the indicators are very good.

Summit Communications: When is that report coming out?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: We are not sure. But you see we are not solely interested in mining now. In the diamond sector, we want industries set up here for cutting and polishing of diamonds. And there are already applications that we have received from companies interested in doing that. And we hope that by next year, there would be at least one company located here for cutting and polishing diamonds.

Summit Communications: Another initiative of yours that we noticed was the Sierra Leone Diaspora Investment week that took place in June in London. How else you are building links between Sierra Leone and the Diaspora. If you have any plans as well to hold similar kind of events in the United States.

Dr. Kadi Sesay: Well, we did. In fact, about two years ago, together with other colleagues, I co-organised a home coming conference for Sierra Leoneans returning home for the Christmas holiday. That meeting proved to be very, very successful because we brought them all together and talked to them about the investment opportunities that exist in Sierra Leone and to encourage them as Sierra Leoneans to invest. If you have a very good job you don't need to settle here but you can still find ways of investing and encouraging friends to invest in Sierra Leone. As a result of that meeting, quite a few Sierra Leoneans have already invested in the country.

We believe that if we can convince Africans and particularly Sierra Leoneans in the Diaspora to start investing in their own country, this will also encourage foreigners. They will believe that there invest be something good happening in that country if their own nationals living abroad have decided to invest their money in their country. So we are taking this very seriously.

Summit Communications: And we believe that you are looking at organizing a Sierra Leone Investment Forum for March 2006?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: Yes in March 2006. I wrote to the Commonwealth Business Council sometime last year inviting them to partner with us to organise an International Investment Conference here in Freetown. We are working towards March 2006. We hope to attract some serious investors and that the National Commission for Privation will have developed some attractive packages for the parastatals to be privatised.

We also hope that by then we would have got some of the study reports on the integrated framework that we are working on finished. This is a multi-donor initiative that is now going to look at Sierra Leone and work on initiatives on how to make Sierra Leone attractive and competitive in the global market. So we are doing a study on various sectors to see what needs to be done to increase the competitiveness of Sierra Leone. And we hope that by March 2006 we would have received at least some of the draft report so that we will be in a position to report at that forum some of the areas for which we want to attract investment in this country.

Summit Communications: Another issue that we wanted to tackle during the interview was that of regional trade barriers. I am going to introduce this question with another quote of yours. You said: "We are trying to open up and remove ECOWAS trade barriers so that the products in this country can be exported to member countries." However, Sierra Leone has some of the highest trade barriers in the ECOWAS region. What reforms are you looking to bring in to address this issue in the coming months and weeks?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: We have had reports from the private sector that some of the tariffs in Sierra Leone are high compared to those in the neighbouring countries and as a result of this, there is smuggling taking place where business people could prefer to go to neighbouring countries, buy goods and smuggle them into Sierra Leone without paying the necessary duties that they are supposed to pay. That issue is being addressed in two ways. Firstly there is an ongoing ECOWAS Tariff harmonisation process with a timetable that has been laid down that member countries must adhere to. Sierra Leone has already begun the harmonisation of the tariffs with some of the products. Clearly, there is a lot more that needs to be done and as Minister of Trade, I have held several discussions with the Ministry of Finance on this issue. The Ministry of Finance is looking into this and harmonisation by 2006 a lot more products should have been brought in for harmonisation. Once this process is complete then all of the tariffs in the sub- region will be the same and so you won't have the leakage which you are having now or the disadvantages from which our importers here seem to be suffering.

Elsewhere, in addition to the Investment Promotion Act, we are working on an Investment Incentives Act. It was developed in conjunction with private sector representatives and the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade are considering final drafts to this bill. We hope that maybe, by the end of the year, it will have gone through because this is looking specifically at the tax incentives that investors are entitled to. The reason why we want to separate tax incentives bill is because we want it to be transparent and predictable so that investors coming to this country can pick-up that document and know exactly what their entitlements are without needing to negotiate with anyone. Once the bill is passed it will also lessen the burden on business people in the country, because the incentives are going to give tax-holidays to certain sectors, and reduce tariffs in others - particularly sectors that are labour-intensive and that are going to create a lot of employment.

Summit Communications: Coinciding very nicely with the publication of our report as well! Dr. Sesay, I think you can see from the layout of our report that as well as talking to the top private business people and ministers and institutions within a country, we are also always very interested in talking to the personalities that are spearheading the changes taking place in any country. We understand that you have a background in education. Is that correct?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: I was a lecturer in English Literature, English Language and African Literature for twenty years and I rose to the position of head of the department of English Language and English Literature. I suppose the classroom is a great teacher. It strengthens you and prepares you for various positions in life. I think it has made things a lot easier for me moving from the classroom to a public life. I didn't move from the University straight to being a Minister. I first became the Chairperson of the National Commission for Democracy and Human Rights and it was after heading that institution for about six years, that I was appointed Minister of Development and Economic Planning. I held that position for three years before I was moved to the current position of Minister of Trade and Industry. I think the classroom and research background also helps, because if you are working in an environment where there is a difficulty in getting the best personnel in the world to work with, even for your speech writing and the development of documents and projects, you should have a research background. If you come from an academic background, you are prepared, you can do the work yourself. I do not depend, for example, on anyone to write my speeches; I do it myself because it is very difficult to get somebody to satisfy me.

My background also makes it easier for me to diversify and learn things. Because of my academic background, I can pick up a book on economics and master it quickly. I can tackle international trade issues. I can do the research quickly and I can grasp the issues. And then because, being a Minister, there are a lot of public events that you have to take part in there is a lot of public speaking; and if you are a lecturer in English, you are already halfway there. I don't have the difficulties which some of my colleagues might have because they are not used to facing an audience. I have faced audiences all my life as a teacher. I don't have any nerves at all because of my background. So it has been a wonderful training ground, really, the classroom has helped me tremendously.

Summit Communications: Another thing that we were very keen to communicate to the renders of the New York Times is your role as a leading woman in Sierra Leone. There are still very few women who hold top decision making positions in Sierra Leone, although things are moving certainly in the right direction. Do you, Dr. Sesay, feel an increased responsibility to be a role model for another women in Sierra Leone?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: It is a challenge. It is a great responsibility. Sometimes it could even be a burden. In an African country where there are not very many women holding top positions, particularly in political life; you become an instant role model, you became an ambassador and a mentor, and so it becomes a great responsibility. You don't want to set a foot wrong. There are so many young people that look up to you and sometimes you hear young kids writing essays on what they want to be when you grow-up and they say "I want to be like Dr. Kadi Sesay." It is great responsibility, as you know that you owe it to those young people not to do the wrong thing and to get things right. You have to do well in your job. You have to be, perfect even in your private life. You don't want to allow any scandals as a woman. You are like put on a pedestal by the young people and you don't want to shatter their dreams. It is a challenge. You feel that you have extra responsibility and that you owe it to those people to do well. You work extra hard because you believe that if you succeed, you are opening windows of opportunity for other women. I am beginning to see that happen. I think more and more women are coming forward and I also think that although it is true that there are not too many women holding top positions in this country, since the war, things have changed for the better because during that time a lot of women were forced into playing decision making roles when they found themselves with the children were in displaced camps or refugee camps and had to struggle on their own, they had to feed the family. Many women became heads of households for their families and they played roles which hitherto many of those women never played before. They were exposed to workshops, seminars and skills training programs and by the end of the war it was an eye-opener for a lot of women. I also attended some of these workshops during the war and I said to myself, the women of Sierra Leone will never be the same again.

The women of Sierra Leone played a key role in the democratisation and peace building process of this country. It was the women that marched the streets of Freetown crying down military rule at the time when a lot of the men were too scared to do so. The women led the way in the cry for peace, they travelled to neighbouring countries, they talked to international agencies and so they played such a key role to the point that, by the end of the war, when the civilian government was restored, they knew that the women had to be rewarded. A Ministry for Gender was established and women reached cabinet rank for the first time. Women held the positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs; Minister of Development and Economic Planning; Minister of Trade and Industry and Minister of Health. For the first time, we had a woman as Chief Electoral Commissioner. No woman has ever even been a member of the Electoral Commission, let alone the Chief Commissioner. There is now a woman at the head of the Independent Media Commission for the first time. Things have changed, and now I am hearing men saying to me, they don't even mind having a woman as Vice President for the next elections.

Summit Communications: So would you like to be Vice President!?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: Well, you don't run for the Vice Presidency. The Presidential candidate has the privilege of choosing who his running mate should be. But it is just that things are changing. We may not be that many, but there are openings now for women and more and more opportunities are being made available at the top end. And I believe this is going to have a ripple effect for other women in this country.

Summit Communications: I'd like to introduce the next question with the words of a great man, Nelson Mandela. He said: "After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb". You have gone a long way in a relatively short political career in your country in the last few years. What are your hopes and aspirations for your country in the coming years?

Dr. Kadi Sesay: My hopes for Sierra Leone are very high indeed. We have a tremendous future ahead of us because there are huge opportunities for the development of this country. I believe Sierra Leone will once again occupy a very special place within the West African sub region. This government is putting in place not just cosmetic programs to impress the people of Sierra Leone, but more longer lasting and sustainable programs that will make Sierra Leone shine in the world. And I strongly believe that we as a country and a people will achieve that. There are clear programs that are being put in place by this government for the implementation of infrastructure programs for electricity, water supply and the road network etc. I believe that within the next couple of years, Sierra Leone will be held up as an exemplary country for post conflict countries in the world that went right down to the bottom but has managed to dust itself off, lift its head up and rise up to the sky.

For me personally, I know that I am lucky to have had the opportunity to serve. Often you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't have the opportunity to serve you cannot shine. But I have been very lucky right through my life. As a University lecturer, I rose to the top. As a Chairman of a National Commission for Development and Human Rights, I have put in place structures that would stay in this country for history and posterity to judge. The National Pledge - which has now become a national symbol together with the National Anthem - was developed by the NCDHR when I was heading it. Now, when we hold our cabinet meetings, before we even start, we stand up and we recite the National Pledge making a pledge to work for the development of our country. For me, that is a huge achievement. So, all I ask for, is to continue to have the opportunity to serve in whatever capacity that is comparable to my qualification and talent, experience and expertise. That is all I ask for, because I believe that I have a role to play in the development of this country and I believe that I am prepared to perform that exercise and work to make Sierra Leone into one of the best countries in the world. I just want to be part of that historical process.

Summit Communications: I'd like to give you the opportunity of sending a last direct message to the readers of New York Times -a message of friendship or invitation as you wish.

Dr. Kadi Sesay: Sierra Leone went through a long period of terrible and devastating war, during which, a lot of atrocities were committed. The international community throughout the world saw and read about some of these atrocities and that is the image that seems to have been imprinted on the minds of many people in different parts of the world. We want them to know that there is a new Sierra Leone; a Sierra Leone that is transforming itself into an attractive country, a Sierra Leone that it is now one of the safest in West Africa and that is an attractive place for investors to come to, providing investment opportunities that will yield huge dividends on their investments. I want to invite them to come to Sierra Leone and see for themselves.