Sierra Leone should consider accelerating efforts in mobilizing domestic revenue to avoid indebtedness, a senior official of the International Monetary Fund cautioned on Monday.
David Lipton, First Deputy Managing Director of the Fund, who is on an official visit to the country, said the lender was pleased to be supporting it that they wanted their programs to help make progress.
He added that their goal was delivery, noting that the Fund was happy that that’s the focus of the government.
“Very importantly, the government needs to be developing strong enough potential for the mobilization of domestic revenues so that it doesn’t end up overborne by debt,” Lipton said at a meeting with Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa.
According to Lipton, his mission to the country included engaging the government on how it could attain this.
He added that the visit was also an opportunity for him to visit some of the subjects that the government was placing emphasis on development priorities, like education, human capital development, technology and infrastructure.
“I hope to gain some insight here, and to hear also about your development plans and I also hope to exchange views with a wide range of people including those in government,” he said.
It is his first visit to the country and it comes as Sierra Leone seeks to strengthen relations with the IMF which suspended support to the country in late 2017.
Lipton is scheduled to meet with President Julius Maada Bio on Tuesday, according to official sources.
He will also visit local public schools, meet with civil society and the Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone.
KC/as/APA