August 9, 2021
By Dadson A.Musa
The developed countries are way into advanced cashless transactions which is less risky and time saving. There, you don’t carry the risk of your money being stolen or being misplaced. The system is so secure that accountability is easy. We in Sierra Leone are way far from that due to the illiteracy rate and lack of access to smart phones and computers. But it must be noted that government is losing billions of Leones due to this method of collecting rates, dues and some taxes. Individuals are benefiting at the expense of the state which is why government is always cash strapped and go to donors for basic things. The effects of their donations are dictating how to spend, where to spend, when to spend, etc. The ideal thing to do is direct payments into bank accounts instead of passing it through individuals who by human nature pilfer these funds before government gets to handle them.
Government has tried to improve on it with the advent of ASYCUDA, e- governance, etc. There are still stumbling blocks to this as a good number of our compatriots cannot read and write and have no idea how to use android phones or computers.
As a country that needs to get out of poverty and be independent we need to generate our own revenue and be less dependent on foreign handouts. Donor funding and the conditionalities that come with it is hampering our national development. What most regimes do is to play to the donor gallery instead of responding to the needs of their people. We cannot as a country continue to live in poverty amidst plenty.