"The process of developing this MOU was initiated way back in 2015 and we are happy it is finally getting signed today" said Dr. Ibrahim Sorie Kamara, Commissioner Domestic Tax Department as he comments on a brief history of the development of the MOU. He said the signing of the MOU suggests the start of a new era with defined and concrete roles in getting the best out of the mining sector in Sierra Leone.

In his statements, the Director General of the National Mineral Agency Julius Mattai started by highlighting challenges of data management in the public sector in Sierra Leone. As a Geo- Scientist, there is no way the mining sector will record sustainable boom without proper structures in generating and analyzing data which by all standards is a key component of the MOU. He noted that sharing of information between institutions is key in public sector management, the reason why the NMA will do its best to operationalize the MOU and make it a living document. He strongly noted that creating data needs a lot of effort and so much more is needed to ensure that data quality becomes paramount in the operations of institutions of the calibre of NMA and NRA.

As a proponent of data generation and utilization in the not too far away digitized public sector in Sierra Leone, the Commissioner General of the NRA Dr. Samuel Jibao remarked that amongst all the MOUs signed by his administration, the MOU with NMA stands at a very critical aspect of NRA'S operations noting the revenue expectations from the sector. He emphasized the emergence of a data driven economy and how the NRA position itself to fully utilize the era once the institution goes fully digital. ''We are not signing an MUO because we are pressured by international organizations to do so, but the very essence of our processes and productivity demands we do so in order to achieve more.

The two institutions expressed expectations of a good working relationship as they seek to fulfil their part of the pack.