October 7, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara (BO)
The Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Swaray has said that the SLPP led government is a government with a human face and has increased the MUNAFA loan from thirty billion to one hundred billion Leones to address the suffering of women in the country.
He made this statement at a Press Conference held at the J& E Resort Hotel in Bo last week, designed to respond to the increase in the price of goods.
“President Bio has realized that the women who are in the majority, are suffering and decided to increase the MUNAFA loan for them and the interest rate is 9%, this is not a killer interest rate as it used to happen which make people to flee to pay the interest rate,” he noted.
He stated that people have fled for the payment of micro credit loans, pointing out that this is the friendliest interest rate in the history of Sierra Leone since independence.
Speaking to A-Z Newspaper in Bo, some beneficiaries of the MUNAFA loan lauded the information minister for coming to the Bo to inform them that the President has increased the MUNAFA loan.
A trader at ‘Sober Wan Market’ in Bo, Jannet Jusu said that this is indeed a sober government that President Bio is leading, as it caters for the needs of the women.
“The women have been in dire need of loan and if it is been increased. I am sure that more women will now benefit from the loan,” he said.
Madam Jusu added that “women have been disappearing into a thin air to pay the killer interest rate with double digits, unlike the MUNAFA loan that is so friendly that is being paid without stress.’’
She however called on those managing the MUNAFA loan to thoroughly monitor the financial institutions that are giving out the loan to ensure that women in the remote part of the country have access to it.
Sia Mustapha, a trader at Bo Central Market said that it is difficult to get this type of leader we have now, who has the women as his focus, who has been marginalized for quite a long time.
“Women have been suffering in silence but President Bio has come to liberate us from poverty so that we can be supportive to our husbands with low income status. We will give President Bio the fullest support to succeed to change the narrative of the suffering of the women.’’ She noted.
Madam Mustapha caution that those who have benefitted from the MUNAFA Loan should ensure that they pay back so that other women who are on the waiting list will also benefit and it is good news that President Bio has increased the MUNAFA Loan to help alleviate the suffering of the women.