Sierra Leone’s devastating 11-year civilwar destroyed much of its infrastructure, and left itseconomy in tatters. In 2004, two years after the end of thewar, Sierra Leone asked the investment climate (IC) advisoryservices of the World Bank Group to help create a betterbusiness and investment climate that will lay a foundationfor the country’s future economic growth. Answering thecall, the World Bank Group’s IC advisory services partneredwith the United Kingdom’s (UK’s) Department forInternational Development (DFID) to design a program to helpSierra Leone improve its business climate, encourage jobcreation, and spur investment. The result of thispartnership was the removing administrative barriers toinvestment (RABI) program, which ran from 2004 to 2010. RABIpioneered a collaborative approach by working closely withthe government, local institutions, and the private sectorto implement a comprehensive, integrated agenda that focusedon reforms in the following four areas: reducing barriers tobusinesses operating in the formal sector by simplifying newbusiness registration.; streamlining tax administration,reforming tax policy, and supporting the national revenueauthority to simplify taxes; creating a platform foreffective and constructive dialogue between the governmentand the private sector in focal areas such as financialsector reform, access to land, and overall improvements inthe investment climate, and supporting reform in thoseareas; and building and developing an effective investmentand trade facilitation structure and promoting Sierra Leoneas a vibrant and desirable location for business, especiallyin the tourism and agribusiness sectors. The RABI programwas innovative and responsive, conducting rapid diagnostics,proposing integrated solutions, and moving quickly intoimplementation with support staff on the ground. The programwas also one of the first of its kind to operate in aconflict-affected country, which demand specialized andtargeted support solutions.
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