By: Audrey Raymonda John
One of the renowned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) which had been punctually participating in the budget hearing and presentation activities for over a decade now had highlighted many lapses in the just concluded Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/2024 held at the Ministry of Finance.
Speaking to members of the press at his Goderich Street office in central Freetown, the Executive Director, Citizens Rights Network Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Bai Koroma observed that the Director of Budget, Tasim Jah wasn’t only overruled or overpowered the few selected participants in the process, but Mr. Jah’s conduct was classified as discriminatory against many influential civil society activists and journalists whose role is to ensure that transparency and accountability existed.
Mr. Koroma submitted that many Ministries Department and Agencies (MDA’s) hired private institutions or enterprises to print documents or papers, instead of dedicating the job to the Government printing press as expected to be.
Mr. Koroma also observed that 90 percent of MDAs failed to follow the Finance Act of 2018 (41) of Government printing, noting that there was low turnout by mining companies.
The CRNSL Boss analyzed that the Director of Budget, Tasim Jah overruled 80 percent among concerns raised by CSOs, Non-State Actors (NSA’s) and the media during the hearing process.
Koroma commended the Sierra Leone Police because, according to him the amount of budget requested by our Force 4 Good was far lower this fiscal year than last year, adding that Tasim Jah turned blind eyes or allegedly refused to stand down MDA’S that failed to present accurate budget, there by undermining the process.
He reiterated that lot of MDA’s failed to submit the required 50 copies during the course of hearing or or presentation.
CRNSL Boss also revealed that many MDAs didn’t attend the FY 2023/2024 bilateral budget discussions.
Furthermore, Koroma expressed enthusiasm and commended the Ministry of Lands for not demanding money from the Ministry of Finance but they only advocated for 30 percent from their generated revenue sources.
Koroma discussed that the Sierra Leone National Shipping Company expressed discontent that most of the MDAs are not doing business with them.
However, Ibrahim Bai Koroma recommended that to ensure transparency and accountability in the budget hearing sessions, the Ministry of Finance should give chance to CSOs, NSAs, press and DBOCs to exercise their rights to stand down institutions that aren’t presenting accurate or proper budget.
He proffered that the Ministry of Finance should be vigilant to ensure timely disbursement of funds to government institutions and deliberated that the Finance Ministry should enforce the 2018 Finance Act.
He concluded with the recommendation that the Ministry of Finance should make it dutiful for all MDAs to always partake in the budget hearing arrangements for inclusivity and accountability to be ensured Mr Koroma said during his observations he observed that 65% of MDAs did not come in time to present their budget proposal, the way the Director of Budget frustrated attempts by CSOs, press and NSAs from raising their questions.
He also said that the Director of Budget didn’t submit key information for hearing, as most of the key information detached from the original document that was presented during the budget hearing, the Sierra Leone National Shipping Company was discontent that most of the Ministries are refusing to do business with them he the improper presentation by SALWACO teams and the Money the Sierra Leone Police demanded last year is far lower than what they asked for the 2024 budget hearing of this year.
