September 28, 2021
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
As he presented 115 billion Leones as the 2022 fiscal year budget, the Financial Secretary Sahr Lahai Jusu, has yesterday the 27th of September 2021, justified that the Ministry of Finance pays the automation licenses close to one-two million dollars a year for all MDAs, and paying subscriptions for all the MDAs to international organizations has actually impacted the annual budget of the Ministry of Finance.
“We are here this morning to present the Ministry of Finance budget in the ongoing budget hearing. We actually presented hundred and fifteen billion Leones budget despite the Budget ceiling was 62 billion. We have to give a level playing field to other MDAs including the ministry of Finance”, he said.
Sahr Jusu added that the budget bureau in the Ministry of Finance provided a budget ceiling of 62 billion Leones just like any other MDAs but based on the activities that they do, prompted them to present the one hundred and fifteen billion Leones.
He furthered that the vast difference in the budget ceiling with the one presented by the Ministry of Finance is just normal to any other ministries. He said some ministries are provided with fifty billion ceiling for example, but will present over one hundred billion.
“We are human beings just like any others in the MDA`s. The Ministry of Finance provides services for all MDAs and is also the hub of the resources of the country”, he explained.
He clarified that the delay in the disbursement of funds is not only limited to other MDAs but also to the Ministry of Finance. He reminded that the Ministry of Finance has provided about seventy-five billion Leones which is about 80% allocation to Local Councils as at September.
He acknowledged that the delay in the disbursement of funds always happen adding that, if the expected daily in revenue is ten billion but five billion Leones is coming in will definitely cause such delay in disbursement.
Sahr Jusu continued that the daily revenue expectation is twenty-five billion Leones but because many things are manual and not automated, leads to the fluctuation of the daily revenue generation which poised a very serious challenge to the Ministry of Finance.
With regards to the inflation rate on commodities, Sahr Jusu noted that Sierra Leone`s economy is affected with domestic and external factors. He concluded that across the world, inflation on commodities have increased but the prizes in Sierra Leone are relatively better than the neighboring countries. He said the price of rice and fuel are the lowest in Sierra Leone as compared to other countries in West Africa.