During her inspection visit to the Bureh Beach Village World Bank funded construction site under the Sierra Leone Economic Diversification Project (SLEDP) on September 20, 2024, the Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Nabeela Farida Tunis, received several complaints from residents regarding sand mining at Bureh Beach. The residents expressed their disappointment, stating that this activity is hampering community development and threatening the beach’s natural beauty.
In her opening remarks, Minister Tunis thanked the residents for voicing their concerns about the illegal sand mining in the community. She noted that the current World Bank founded construction site under SLEDP offers significant benefits to the community and urged residents not to engage in activities that could undermine the project’s sustainability.
The Minister emphasized the need for decisive action to address the situation and called for collective responsibility and collaboration.
With September’s theme being “Tourism Multiplier Benefits,” the Minister highlighted the positive impact that tourism has on Bureh Beach Village and the country as a whole, citing that Bureh is one of the areas for the Budapest and this investment by World Bank will enhance the Touristic site and generate additional revenue.
She stressed that if sand mining continues, it could deter tourists from visiting, resulting in a significant loss for both the residents of Bureh and the country.
The Minister urged the community to implement mechanisms to put an end to the sand mining. She encouraged residents to act as surveillance agents and report any sand mining activity at Bureh Beach to the Headwoman, while also discussing the issue of sand mining at John Obey.
The Minister expressed thanks and appreciation to the community for adopting the model to have a private Sector manage the facilities for five years after which the community will take over management. Therefore, the importance of them acquiring skills during this five year period is for them to be able to maximize revenue generation.
Minister Nabeela also commended them for maintaining a positive relationship with the contracting firm and called on the contractor to expedite work and ensure that the finished product meets the high quality expected.
MTCA Communications.
