Sierra Leone Investment Forum

After a decade of war, Sierra Leone in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID) has been working in partnership in establishing a private sector led economic reform after the a decade of based on international best practices.

The government of Sierra Leone has demonstrated their commitment to an investment friendly environment, in order to attract foreign direct investment. Consequently, legislation has been introduced which is designed to provides several incentives to potential investors, including exemption from payment of sales tax for importation of plants, machinery and spares. There measures has encouraged an economic performance which has remained robust, with the real GDP expanding by 7.4 percent in 2004, an improvement from the growth rate of 6.5 percent and 6.3 percent attained in 2003 and 2002, respectively. The sustained recovery in GDP growth is broad based, embracing agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing and services.

Sierra Leone is natural endowed with mineral resources which include high quality deposits of alluvial and kimberlite diamond, rutile, gold, bauxite, iron ore and chronium. There are obvious market opportunities for the development of agriculture, agro-based industries, mining, fisheries, hydropower and tourism.

Finally, Sierra Leone possesses the potential to achieve and sustain much faster rates of economic growth, which it needs in order to make-up for the lost years.