He said they had evolved from the earlier foreign aid department of the ministry of railways of China into a large scale state owned enterprise with national super grade qualification for project contracting.
He stated that the Dream Atlantic Garden Villa Project started two years ago to contribute to the infrastructural development of Sierra Leone in line with President Koroma’s Agenda for Prosperity.
“I am therefore calling on Sierra Leoneans to give support to the project as with your support CCECC-SL will become the most efficient infrastructure and engineering company in Sierra Leone,” he said, while stating that they would continue to strengthen the friendship between the two countries.
Minister of tourism and cultural affairs, Sidi Yahya Tunis, said the project was a manifestation of government’s support to direct foreign investment and that would serve as an example to the rest of the world that Sierra Leone was a private investment friendly environment.
He described the project as a boost to revenue generation and job opportunity for the country.
Be the commissioning President Koroma said the first phase marked a remarkable moment in the recent history of real estate development in Sierra Leone and would serve for several purposes. He said the project would provide housing for certain segments of the market whose requirements were captured in the designed development feature of the estate.
He added that it would also send a symbolic message that residential estate development of international standard can be done in Sierra Leone.
The president said “more importantly, the investment by foreign private business would reinforce our strong message to all well-meaning investors that Sierra Leone is an investment destination and ready for business.”
“The estate villas are located among the most popular and exotic beaches in the country and it resonated our avowed determination to develop Sierra Leone infrastructure and a symbolic move to show government’s effort to making Sierra Leone a tourist attractive nation”.
President Koroma said he was aware that it was their responsibility to provide affordable housing for the citizenry and that government was fully aware that there were huge demands for affordable housing in the country and therefore government was going to support such an initiative to continue by allowing more foreign investments in order to address the situation.
He called on the company to consider building houses that suit those in the middle and lower income levels in the country.
