By Kadijatu Bangura, Reporter, D.S
Freetown, Sierra Leone – Dr. Abdu Muwonge, the World Bank Country Manager, recently visited Statistics Sierra Leone (Stats SL) to commend the organization for its significant achievements in providing credible statistics over the years. The purpose of the visit was to obtain an update on the implementation and management status of the Harmonizing and Improving Statistics in West Africa (HISWA) Project.
The HISWA project, a World Bank Group initiative, aims to harmonize, strengthen, and enhance the national statistical systems of seven West African countries, including Sierra Leone, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, and Côte d’Ivoire. The project focuses on producing, disseminating, and improving the use of core economic, social, and administrative statistics.
Andrew Bob Johnny, Statistician-General of Stats SL, expressed gratitude to the World Bank for its support through the HISWA Project. He highlighted the project’s numerous benefits, including the facilitation of household-based surveys, the modernization of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and improvements in data accessibility and dissemination. He also acknowledged the Project Fiduciary Management Unit (PFMU) of the Ministry of Finance for its effective management of the project’s fiduciary activities.
Moses Williams, Chairman of the Stats SL Council, commended the World Bank and the HISWA Project team for their role in sustaining the institution throughout the project’s lifespan. He urged the Bank to continue including Stats SL in future funding plans and projects beyond the current project’s expiration in December 2025.
Dr. Muwonge congratulated Stats SL for its vital contributions to national development, emphasizing the importance of the organization’s work in planning, policy formation, resource distribution, and implementation of development initiatives. He also stressed the need for an enabling environment to allow Stats SL to fulfill its mandate effectively.
The engagement concluded with an update from Dr. Albert Kenneth Bangura-Will, the Project Coordinator, on the current status of the HISWA project.
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