The Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources (MMMR), together with the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA) and the National Minerals Agency (NMA), on 18th December 2023, paid a total of SLL 9.1 million leones (9.1 billion old leones) as Diamond Area Community Development Fund (DACDF) to 57 mining chiefdoms 11 districts across the country.
According to the Deputy Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Umaru Napoleon Koroma, who represented the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, the payment of DACDF was made to these chiefdoms as part of Government’s mechanism to ensure that diamondiferous communities benefit from the proceeds of the diamonds mined in those communities. He explained that the DACDF was initiated in 2001 and represents one-quarter of the 3% tax levied on the value of artisanal diamonds exported from the country. He pointed out that the fund is designed to support transformational efforts whereby communities themselves could benefit from diamond resources by returning a portion of mining wealth to communities, and to enable local communities, led by the Paramount Chief, to promote their own development agenda that would address issues related to poverty and basic service provision. The Deputy Minister further explained that although Government manages the mineral resources on behalf of the citizens, it is the responsibility of all Sierra Leoneans to support Government in its efforts as the mineral wealth belongs to all Sierra Leoneans. He therefore encouraged chiefdom authorities to discourage and clamp down on illegal mining as the DACDF is an incentive scheme to reduce the level of illegal artisanal mining by linking the number of licenses issued to the amount received by each Chiefdom/District located in a diamondiferous area; the more artisanal mining licenses issued in a chiefdom the higher the amount received by that chiefdom and by extension the district. He assured the beneficiaries that the Government of Rtd. Brigadier Dr Julius Maada Bio is fully committed to promoting the development of the minerals sector and to ensure that Sierra Leoneans derive full benefits from the mineral resources of the country. He advised the beneficiaries to utilize the money for the intended purpose and to strictly follow all guidelines and reporting requirements to ensure prompt payments of DACDF in the future.
In his address to beneficiaries, the Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Hon. Tamba Lamina, assured beneficiaries that Government is determined to ensure that development touches every corner of the country and that his ministry will support all initiatives aimed at developing rural communities. He explained that the DACDF was one such mechanism by which Government ensures that the last man in the village benefits from the proceeds from the country’s diamonds. He encouraged the people to continue to support Government’s efforts by discouraging illegal mining and utilising the money for the intended purpose.
Explaining the guidelines for the utilisation of the DACDF, the Director of Communication and Community Affairs at the NMA, Ibrahim Satti Kamara, stated that the DACDF money is intended to compliment Government’s efforts to promote development in rural communities, and therefore the funds should only be used to implement development projects. He said that beneficiary chiefdoms must consult with all stakeholders and submit project proposals for approval to the DACDF Committee, comprising the MMMR, the MLGCA and the NMA, and that the funds should only be spent to implement approved projects. He informed them that the DACDF Committee will only approve sustainable development projects that will benefit the larger population and can be maintained over a long period of time. The Director also informed the beneficiaries that they will be required to submit regular reports on the status of project implementation, and that the Committee will conduct quarterly monitoring visits to ensure judicious use of the funds for the intended purpose.
Receiving the cheques on behalf of their respective chiefdoms and districts, the Paramount Chiefs and Chairpersons thanked President Bio and his Government for his commitment and support to promoting development at the local level and assured the Minister that they are fully committed to supporting the President in his unrelenting drive to promote development. They noted that the distribution of the DACDF money will go a long way to reverse the resource curse and transform local communities.