Sierra Leone is seeking support from mining companies to fund redevelopment of its road and rail network, reported Reuters. According to the country’s mining minister Alhaji Abubakarr Jalloh “We are trying to create a situation in which mines can be the basis for our infrastructure developmentâ€. The new government of Sierra Leone is expected to reveal its new mining strategy in early-2008, which encompasses a complete review of all mining contracts.%%Jalloh said “We are saying if you want to mine bauxite, iron ore, rutile, we want all these companies to come together and create a plan for a massive harbour that will have the capacity to take big ships and to have a railway system and a future networkâ€. In the past, mining firms paid attention only to their immediate infrastructure needs and built these railways and the harbours only to convey the iron ore, added Jalloh “All sorts of companies are coming in; they want to take the remnants (of old mines) and just load the barges. We will be left with the same problem we have now,†he stated.
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