By: Mohamed Borbor Mansaray
Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA) is a Government Agency established by the Road Maintenance Fund Administration Act of Parliament in 2010, to finance the maintenance of core road network in Sierra Leone through the Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRA) and 22 Local Councils. By this Act, RMFA does not concern itself with road construction and road rehabilitation but with it central mandate of road maintenance.
From 2018 to 2022, RMFA had annually financed road maintenance programmes in all the 16 districts, including Freetown. Its sources of revenue to fulfil its mandate are mainly from road user charges levied on fuel (Petrol and Diesel) and vehicle licenses and registration fees. For professional deliverability, RMFA has effectively monitored the implemented road maintenance projects and funds allocated to SLRA and 22 Local Councils to ensure value for money.
With this brief introduction, quickly walk through few of RMFA’s achievements in the Road Maintenance Sector from 2018 – 2022:
1. Road Maintenance Works: RMFA provided and disbursed the following Funds to SLRA and the 22 Local Councils for road maintenance programmes across the country:
Le. 91.3Bn in 2019,
Le. 77.3Bn in 2020,
186.0Bn in 2021; and
196.8Bn in 2022
The above mentioned funds were used to undertake maintenance on core national road network and feeder road maintenance; including the constructions of single box culverts, double box culverts, pipe culverts and bridges; concrete drainage works; rehabilitation and maintenance of ferries; fabrication and installation of pedestrian guard rails; flash flood remedial works including drainage cleaning, road marking and data collection on the national road network for effective planning.
2. Completion of Payment of 108 Billion Leones Loan: In October 2016, RMFA obtained a loan of Thirty-Five Billion Leones (Le 35 Bn) from the Commerce and Mortgage Bank. In February 2017, a further loan of Thirty Billion Leones (Le 30 Bn) was taken from Sierra Leone Commercial Bank (SLCB) and Fifteen Billion Leones (Le 15 Bn) from Rokel Commercial Bank, with a total interest of Twenty Eight Billion Leones (Le 28 Bn), making a total loan profile of One Hundred and Eight Billion Leones (Le 108 Bn) obtained from the three local banks.
Since the new administration took over in 2018, the administration has been paying Le 2.45 Bn every month to settle the debts. The administration made considerable achievements in the loan repayment, albeit the huge funding gap and the increasing demand to fund road maintenance activities. However, RMFA completed the loan repayment at the end of Quarter 3 of 2021.
3. Access to Institutional Information: Since the clarion call by RAIC, RMFA has maintained and improved on their functional website and made public other relevant information about the administration. Today the public has the opportunity to see the RMFA Act; Audited Financial Statements (2018-2021); M&E Reports (2018-2022); Implementation Cycle and detailed implementation plan for feeder roads maintenance on its official website.
Also, RMFA has physically provided and distributed its Service Charter to SLRA and 22 Local Councils; RMFA Newsletters, stickers and brochures to key stakeholders; and the installation of six (6) billboards in Freetown, Waterloo, Port Loko, Bo, Kenema and Makeni for organizational visibility.
4. Capacity Building and Support to Implementing Partners for Performance Improvement: RMFA & SLRA conducted Technical Training for Local Council Engineers for the maintenance of feeder roads in August 2021. In addition, RMFA procured and distributed 22 Motorbikes to all Local Council engineers for the supervision of road maintenance activities.
5. Monitoring and Evaluation Activities: The administration maintained its normal operation procedure by ensuring that request verifications were done through site visit to confirm the level of completion and the quality of works, especially for final payment for the Local Councils. Several monitoring visits were conducted by the technical department to ensure that good and quality roads are provided for the public. As if those were not enough, the Board of Directors accompanied by the office of the Chief Executive Officer undertake oversight missions to all the councils, in a bid to identify possibilities for continuous improvement in the implementation of feeder roads maintenance activities.
6. Access to Institutional Information: RMFA has improved and updated its website. The website has all relevant information about the administration, including but not limited to the RMFA Act of 2010; Audited Financial Statements; M & E Reports; implementation cycle and detailed plan for feeder roads maintenance; RMFA Service charter and more.
7. Implementation Cycle and Detailed Plan: From the lessons learnt in previous years and the challenges faced in the implementation of feeder roads maintenance activities, RMFA will maintain the implementation cycle for the councils and detailed implementation plan for feeder roads maintenance activities in 2022. However, RMFA developed a strategy to improve on the follow up processes in monitoring roads maintenance activities. This will ensure strict adherence to the implementation cycle/calendar and by extension improve the overall performance of the councils.
Challenges faced by RMFA 2018-2022
Indeed, there were numerous challenges during the period under review, but these were speedily resolved as the need arise. Few of these challenges are itemized below:
• The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic and the now Russia war in Ukraine continue to disrupt global supply chain thereby affecting production and cost of construction and transportation materials (Cement, iron rod, Fuel). These by extension have affected the cost required for the maintenance of roads and construction of culverts and bridges.
• Delays in submission of annual programmes from both the local councils and SLRA hampered effective planning for project implementing thus endangering the adherence to implementation calendar.
• SLRSA is not paying funds to the Administration as per the Road Traffic Act of 2007 with full details and copies of receipts where relevant. Therefore, RMFA cannot confirm or reconcile the percentage of funds received from SLRSA.
• Although there is a relatively significant improvement in the procurement of works, there are still considerable delays in the process. The implementation plan has six weeks provision for the procurement process. However, few implementing agencies extend far beyond the stipulated duration for procurement.
• The inclusion of major periodic and costly maintenance into SLRA annual maintenance budget account for a reasonable percentage of the budget thereby accelerating the accumulation of maintenance backlog. Inadequate financial resources have hampered effective implementation.
• Conflicts in the Acts of the major stakeholders in the road sector has created conflicts in roles and responsibilities
Recommendations
In conclusion, below are some recommendations include but not limited to the ones stated below:
Possible review of the amount paid by the SLRSA to the Administration (currently 10%) of income received from the Licensing and registration of vehicles.
In addition to seeking donor funding for road maintenance activities, the RMFA realizes that a lot of donor funding for road construction is being channelled directly to the SLRA. At the end of the construction or rehabilitation of the roads, it becomes the responsibility of RMFA to fund the maintenance of those roads. Therefore, we recommend provisions for future maintenance of the constructed roads.
The current rate of fuel levy in Sierra Leone is the lowest in West African sub-region, if not the world at large; costing about 4 US Cents (4 cents of the US$). The impact is low generation of revenue from Road User Charges levied on fuel. Indeed, it is a challenge in terms of raising funds to handle the numerous demands coming from implementing partners engaged in road maintenance work nationwide. Therefore, RMFA recommends an increase of RUC from 4 US-cents to 8-12 US-cents.
The inclusion of major periodic and costly maintenance into SLRA annual maintenance budget account for a reasonable percentage of the budget thereby accelerating the accumulation of maintenance backlog.
Ministry of Finance to support RMFA in financing major period maintenance activities that are costly. This will ensure reasonable number of roads are maintained each year and reduce the accumulation of maintenance backlog.
