[{"bbox": [82, 147, 1128, 472], "category": "Table", "text": "<table><tr><td>Official production and trade statistics are not (timely) available</td><td>Medium</td><td>High</td><td>Seeking rigour in data collection and actively involving the beneficiaries of the project.</td></tr><tr><td>Physical infrastructure related challenges affecting value addition and market access</td><td>Medium</td><td>High</td><td>Benefitting from the existent support focused on energy access, feeder roads etc.</td></tr></table>"}, {"bbox": [92, 478, 510, 506], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Outcome 3: Improve business environment"}, {"bbox": [82, 525, 1128, 833], "category": "Table", "text": "<table><tr><td>Lack of willingness of the national authorities to implement the necessary business environment reforms and lack of enforcement of the existing laws and regulations</td><td>High</td><td>High</td><td>Linking the implementation of the business climate environment reforms with specific results and outcomes of the policies and regulations. Maintaining close dialogue with the Government on key business topics such as taxation, land rights and trade facilitation.</td></tr></table>"}, {"bbox": [92, 877, 253, 902], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### Lessons Learnt:"}, {"bbox": [92, 919, 1120, 1054], "category": "Text", "text": "The 2015 Report of DFID¹⁶ states that “*donor driven institutional reforms have generally failed to foster competitive markets, growth and jobs in practice*”. It is true for Sierra Leone, which in the last decade has received a substantial support from donors such as the World Bank and FCDO, to improve its business environment. However, when we read the 2017 Business Environment Diagnostic of Sierra Leone¹⁷, we observe that today the country has almost the same private sector development issues and there has been little improvement in the area."}, {"bbox": [92, 1069, 1120, 1176], "category": "Text", "text": "In general, it is important to avoid overambitious projects in terms of scope or timing but remaining flexible depending upon the specific needs of start-ups. Institutional capacity building and implementation assistance have been instrumental in determining the success of interventions. Government ownership should also be ensured to achieve tangible results."}, {"bbox": [85, 1600, 894, 1624], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁶ Manuel, C., 2015. Investment Climate Reform Doing it Differently: What, Why and How. DFID LASER."}, {"bbox": [85, 1622, 775, 1645], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁷ Manuel, C. and Katiyo, L., 2017. Business Environment Reform Diagnostic-Sierra Leone."}, {"bbox": [1015, 1678, 1142, 1705], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 12 of 24"}]