The new Mission Chief of the International Monetary Fund, IMF, to Sierra Leone, Ms. Karen Ongley, and IMF Resident Representative, Dr. Monique Newiak, met with President Dr. Julius Maada Bio on November 4 at State House to discuss further ways of partnership.
Presenting the IMF team at State House, Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, thanked President Bio for making time to see them, adding that as protocol demanded it was proper that they meet.
The IMF chief said she is delighted to be in the country, adding that the measures and progress made so far have been very good. She noted that more important is the fact that Sierra Leone and the IMF have a really good partnership. She said she is impressed with the government’s strategy around innovation and digitalization.
In his response, President Bio said Sierra Leone is genuinely committed to making progress economically and socially. He said his government is making efforts to surmount the challenges for which he needs genuine partners. He assured the IMF team that his government is willing and ready to partner and collaborate with the Fund in order to help achieve its goals.
The new IMF Mission Chief joined the IMF in 1998, bringing a wealth of experience to her role. She was previously Mission Chief for West Bank and Gaza and has worked on a range of low and middle-income countries, including Afghanistan, Albania, Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria and Yemen.
