Business, Commerce, Economy : Sierra Leone

During the slave trading period, Sierra Leone was a haven for freed slaves. Founded by British philanthropists, the country remained a British colonly for more than two centuries. Sierre Leone gained independence in 1961, at the beginning of the African decolonization movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Since independence, Sierra Leone has been politically troubled. After seventeen years of political turmoil, it was reorganized as a one-party state in 1978. In 1985, President Siaka Stevens resigned, naming Gen. Joseph Momoh the new president. Momoh agreed to establish a multi-party democracy, and a new Constitution was ratified in 1991. However, before elections could be held, Major Valentin Strasser ousted Momoh in a military coup. His aide, Maada Bio ousted Strasser shortly thereafter. In 1996, elections finally occurred. On March 29, 1996, President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah took office. But he fled the country after another coup in May 1997.

The African Development Bank Group  (http://www.afdb.org/)
Site contains basic economic indicators and project reports for Sierra Leone and other African countries.

African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)  (http://agoa.gov/)
Official web site of AGOA, includes reports, statistics, news of legislation, the full text of the act, and other documents.

Annual Statistics Digest 2001  (http://www.sierra-leone.org/links.html)
"Statistics from the Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Development and Economic Planning, Government of Sierra Leone."

Bank of Sierra Leone  (http://www.bankofsierraleone.org)
"Site provides exchange control and diamond export regulations, annual reports, the Bank’s Bulletin, speeches, etc."

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)  (http://www.ecowas.info/sleone.htm)
Official website of ECOWAS a regional organization which aims to promote trade and economic growth among member countries. Site provides a description and structure of the organization, country profiles of each Member state, publications, and press releases.

International Trade Administration  (http://www.ita.doc.gov)
Site provides a country profile of business and economic trends in Sierra Leone.

Mbendi Information Services  (http://mbendi.co.za/index.htm)
Site provides country profiles and information on business opportunities in the oil, chemical, mining, and other industries in Ghana and in other African countries, companies and organizations active in various industry sectors, the leading business and government personalities, details of conferences and exhibitions, and a directory of products and services.

National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA)  (http://www.nacsa-sl.org)
‘Established as a “Social Fund” in November 2001 the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) is the successor to the National Commission for Reconstruction, Resettlement and Rehabilitation (NCRRR), a ministerial-level government commission that co-ordinated post-conflict humanitarian, relief and reconstruction assistance and provided oversight to donor-funded projects’.

Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture  (p://suspended.absol.co.za/pebble16d8.html )
Site contains a profile of the Sierra Leone Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, an annual report, and Sierra Leone’s business directory.

Sierra Leone Export Development and Investment Corporation  (http://wildcard.nic.cx/?domain=www.slis.cx )
Site provides information on the investment climate and business opportunities in Sierra Leone.

Sierra Leone Lifestyle  (http://www.sierra-leone.org/links.html)
"Operated by the Sierra Leone government, the site highlights business and tourism information."

Sierra Leone in Figures 1998  (http://www.sierra-leone.org/links.html)
"Statistics from the Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Finance, Development and Economic Planning, Government of Sierra Leone."

Statistics Sierra Leone  (http://www.statistics-sierra-leone.org)
Site provides statistical indicators for Sierra Leone.

United Nations Development Programme  (http://www.undp.org)
Site contains the Human Development Report for 2002, including a national report for Sierra Leone.

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)  (http://www.uneca.org/)
Site includes links to reports, news sources, a database of meetings and events on Africa, an archives on ECA activities, and other organizational information.

United States. Agency for International Development -- Africa  (http://www.info.usaid.gov/regions/afr/)
Site includes a comprehensive Africa section covering programs on private sector development in Sierra Leone and other sub-Saharan African countries.

United States. Census Bureau. Foreign Trade Statistics  (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/)
"Site provides information on the US Trade balance with Sierra Leone."

United States. Department of Commerce. International Trade Administration (ITA)  (http://www.ita.doc.gov)
Site provides a country profile of business and economic trends in Sierra Leone.

West African Bankers' Association  (http://www.wabao.org)
The Association covers Benin, Burkin Faso, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

World Bank Group  (http://www.worldbank.org)
The World Bank Group is composed of five organizations: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The Group provides substantial amounts of data, statistics and full-text documents and reports on various sectors of economic and development development in Ghana and in other sub-Saharan African countries.

World Trade Organization  (http://www.wto.org/)
Site provides trade statistics for Sierra Leone and full-text official documents on trade and investment-related topics.