POTENTIAL OPIC INVESTMENT IN REGION: SIERRA LEONE

UNCLAS FREETOWN 000030 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER/ESPRUILL) DEPT PLEASE PASS TO OPIC (BBRERETON) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ECON SL SUBJECT: POTENTIAL OPIC INVESTMENT IN REGION: SIERRA LEONE REF: STATE 5207 ¶1. Per reftel, Sierra Leone needs increased private investment, though the investment climate is still highly problematic, even for those prepared to accept an unusually high level of risk. Post welcomes the opportunity to respond to specific investment proposals to maximize the limited resources available to produce the analysis requested in reftel. ¶2. President Koroma prioritizes development in the agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Post would recommend that potential investors interested in West Africa focus on these areas vis-a-vis Sierra Leone, as such projects would likely receive a higher level of GoSL support than projects in other sectors. FEDZER