Press Conference with Paul Wolfowitz World Bank President Freetown, Sierra Leone, July 21, 2006 Mr. Vice President, Ministers, Ambassadors, and Members of the Press, I think this is the 8th country in Africa that I’ve visited since becoming President of the World Bank. And my first visit last year was to Nigeria, and President Obasanjo of Nigeria said Africa is a continent on the move. And over the course of the last 13 months as President of the World Bank, I’ve seen many signs of that movement. One of those signs is a statistic that probably should be mentioned more often than it is – six years ago, some 16 African countries were in a state of war or civil war. That number is down to six now. It’s still six too many, but I am happy that Sierra Leone is one of the 10 that has found peace. I think peace is perhaps the most valuable national resource. It’s certainly more valuable than oil or diamonds. I was in Tanzania last week. It’s one of the rare African countries that’s known peace through its history, and you can feel the benefits to the country from that. And I remember reading about your country six years ago. I remember talking to an immigrant to the United States from Sierra Leone, who told me, in a heart-breaking way, what was happening to his family and the families of his friends. And I hoped that somebody would do something, and I am very happy that somebody – many people – did something. Many people from many countries – including some very brave peacekeepers from Nigeria and the United Kingdom, from other countries. And, obviously from what I have seen here, the people of this country have done a lot too, to make it possible to actually see progress in a country where once things looked almost hopeless. In fact, in some measures, Sierra Leone is one of the most successful of what we call post-conflict countries – those countries that have emerged from war and conflict. We do a lot of measurement in the World Bank. One of the things we measure is the performance of countries, in particular in the areas of governance and delivering aid and services to their people, and this country has a performance rating that is among the best of the post-conflict countries in Africa. There is a saying, Mr. Vice President. In Washington, they say “no good deed goes unpunished,” which means as soon as someone says “thank you” or “congratulations” then they say, “but”… So here is the “but,” and I think you know that there’s a lot more work to be done in many areas, and in so many areas I suppose sometimes you don’t know where to begin. But the sense I have is that you’ve made an important beginning in decentralization, and even a very bold move in that direction. Every country is different, and I wouldn’t presume to say what’s right for Sierra Leone. But I do think experience shows that the more authority can be moved down to the local level, the more control people have over the resources that are supposed to benefit them, the more successful development is, the more effective aid is, and the more people prosper. So it seems to me it’s the right direction, and I encourage you and your government to continue leading in that direction. It’s sometimes unusual to find a central government willing to move that way, so I compliment you for that. Another important area is the area of governance and anti-corruption, and you mentioned the IGAP initiative. I told the Vice President just now it’s one of the most ambitious programs I’ve seen in a developing country for strengthening governance and anti-corruption, and you do it in an environment that is, as they say diplomatically, challenging. But I think you, Mr. Vice President, said that corruption was one of the things that brought about the terrible tragedy of Sierra Leone. That seems to me correct, and you can’t afford that experience a second time. And the third area that seems to me that needs attention, and it could bring significant results, is to make it easier for private business to operate in this country. And I don’t mean big foreign companies – although I am not against big foreign companies if they are helping the people of this country, and, clearly, you could benefit from more foreign investment. But, most of all, I mean the people, the small business people of this country who want to grow into a medium business, or the people who don’t have a business and want to start one. Government can’t figure out whether a sewing shop in a little community is going to be profitable. Only the people who live there and the people who have the industry to figure out how to get a sewing machine and get started can do that. But when they decide to do that, it doesn’t help if they have to get 26 licenses from 16 different government offices, and spend a year getting their business started. It means they won’t start their business. Either they won’t start their business, or their business will stay in the so-called informal sector, and the country won’t benefit as much. I think there’s a lot of work that can be done there, and probably some of it is easier than you think. Let me just say in conclusion that I’ve been struck talking with a number of my staff, including Mats Karlsson, who is our country director. He lives in Ghana, but he comes here very often. And James Sackey, who is our country manager here. Who’s been here two and a half years, with his family back in Washington or in Ghana –I am not sure where, but in any rate not here. And you ask them, “Is it tough?” and they say it’s satisfying. People feel good about working here because they feel that they are making a difference and accomplishing something. And that’s because the people of this country are moving forward, and I think – even though I didn’t expect to say Sierra Leone is an example of Africa moving forward –I think it is, and I congratulate you. Thank you. |
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