By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Presenting the Fiscal Year 2024 Budge for Second Reading as Chairman of Finance in the well of Parliament, Hon. Frances Amara Kaisamba has on Tuesday 21st November 2023 assured Sierra Leoneans that the budget is people’s centered and would improve the country’s situation.
“The budget would definitely help alleviate our situation. It is a good budget for the country and it is a people’s centered budget,” Hon. Kaisamba assured.
I’m his presentation, Hon Frances Amara Kaisamba who doubles as the Chairman of Finance in the well admitted that there is inflation of commodities in the country but justified that even the strongest countries in the world are equally grabbling with the same inflation, adding that it is a global inflation and it affected not just Africa.
Zooming on the taxes in the budget raised by the people and the opposition MPs in the House of Representatives, the Hon. clarified that other countries particularly in the west world have numerous taxes which enable them to provide efficient services. He recalled that there was no tax imposed on rice, cement and iron road but affirmed that the country is still experiencing uncontrollable inflation.
“If we don’t impose taxes, what can we do as Government to render services. The Government needs to raise money to take care of its expenses. These taxes will not affect the citizens as they will not affect any price inflation,” Hon Kaisamba assured.
The Hon further admitted that he could not conform that they had done everything as he affirmed that there were still challenges but expressed that they had made landmark gains in the midst of those challenges. The Hon. made mentioned of the effort intensified in youth employment making reference to the car wash centres established across the country which he said had been very helpful to the youths in getting their survival.
The Chairman of Finance in the well Hon. Kaisamba assured that they cannnot politicize agriculture as he emphasized its significance to the country. He called to mind vibrant Institutions that he said we’re sufficiently producing rice in the country but said all of those are now moribund. “The Government has again thought it as it has allocated 1.1 billion New Leones to agriculture,” he emphasized.
Directly responding to Hon Kaisamba’s presentation whilst addressing the budget, the Hon. from Bombali, Salieu Osman Sesay affirmed that the chairman was honest in his presentation. He however, opined that all that was mentioned in the budget could only be achievable if the macro variables presented in the budget would be carefully taken care so as to prevent inflation from eroding it.
“As long as you cannot control inflation, as long as you cannot control the exchange rate, there is no why you can achieve what is in the budget. The exchange rate is one that has never been taken care of,” Hon. Salieu opined.
Hon. Salieu Osman Sesay recalled that before President Bio became President he made mention of leakages in the revenue which he assured to tackle if he became President. The Hon reminded the President to work on that path instead of reintroducing another tax on the country’s staple food that might worst it price in the market.