March 3, 2021
By: Aruna Kamara
It is good to put on a critical lens to analyze issues in the country without fear or favor for the people to have deeper understanding in order make an inform decision. And you are welcome as you read the first piece in this column. I am looking at the Sierra Leones People’s Party (SLPP) led Government addressing the much trumpeted breath and butter issue in the country.
“This Government inherited a baseline situation characterized by high level of poverty, huge domestic and external debts, huge arrears to suppliers, double digit inflation, low domestic revenue collection, poor financial management and corruption as well as poor relationship with partners including the IMF and the World Bank.” These were the exact words of the Finance Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa in his article published on the front page of this Newspaper on Monday, 1st, 2021, and was equally trending on the social media, which ignited a heated debate with a lot of tongues wagging as to whether the SLPP government has been able to change the narrative of the economy it allegedly met in ‘coma’, if I cold borough the words of the Minister of Information.
I was traveling on a bus from Freetown to Bo on Monday this week when a passenger sitting by me took the A-Z Newspaper from me and saw the banner headline: SLPP is providing the bread and butter …. Jacob Jusu Asserts. The passenger screamed and insinuated that ‘SLPP government is not serious.’ He went on to say ‘how can you address bread and butter issue when the SLPP government is involved in corruption with the chief minister now at the center stage of egregious corruption in his office, with surveys substantiated the claims. ‘Meanwhile chief minister denies the allegation.
Interesting, there was a staunch supporter of the SLPP on the bus, who furiously reacted to say that the allegation that the SLPP is corrupt is baseless and unfounded. The green house man said this is the best government so far that Sierra Leone has gotten, with President Bio at the hemp of affairs well focus with his technocrat like JJ Saffa around him massaging economy to give it a life again.
While this debate was going on between the APC and the SLPP, I kept quiet in order to arm with facts to enable me bring out this article for public consumption.
Of course, there is always accusation and counter-accusation between or among political parties. When the SLPP took over the mantle of leadership, with the late Tejan Kabba at the hemp of affairs, he inherited a lot of problems, amidst coups- who was overthrown and brought back as a democratically elected government. He inherited some of the problems that ignited ten years civil war in the country including corruption. Thank God he gave birth to institutions like the Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Revenue Authority.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has a sacred mandate, and when fully executed without fear or favour, poverty will be reduced, there will be increase in revenue generation and monies taken as debts will be judiciously utilized. But the question on the lips of Sierra Leoneans is that ‘’ is the SLPP government really addressing the breath and butter issue, when there is the chief minister is now the centre of focus for allegedly involving in corruption.?
Well, If you are ask those in the red house, they will say, it is completely a lip service to say SLPP is addressing bread and butter issue. It is an opposition voice, it is expected that they should be critical of the SLPP government, and that they should not be seeing taking something hook line and singer. It is the responsibility of the APC party to put the ruling government on its toes to do the right thing. Of course, the National Grand Coalition is becoming very critical of the SLPP led government. This is what I expect from the opposition parties. This should not just concur on things that are not good for the nation.
The Finance Minister has been so vociferous over addressing the bread and butter issue. Some aspects of his analysis on a addressing the bread and butter issue needs to be subjected to research. My lecturer who thought me Research Methods at Njala University , Dr. Turad Senesie, who is now the minister of lands, said that before a problem is solved, it is predicated on a research.
Let us try to find out what has been the step taken to address the bread and butter issue by the SLPP led Government. We now here from the finance minister: ‘’First, the Free Quality School Education (FQSE) provides immediate savings for families who used to spend on tuition, books and transportation. Assume a family with 3 school going children spending about Le 1.5 million on tuition and books. Also assume that family lives around Lumley and the children used to pay Le10,000 each for transportation to and back from St. Edwards or Prince of Wales. This means for 20 school days in a month, this family will pay Le 200,000 for a child and Le 600,000 for the 3 children. With the school bus introduced, each child pays now Le 4 to and back to school. This means that same family now pays Le 80,000 per child for 20 school days and Le 240,000 for 3 children. Effectively, the school bus now creates a savings of Le 360,000 for that family for every 20 school days in a month. For a year (assuming 9 months of schooling), the family now saves Le3,200,000 which again can be used for private consumption and investment. Adding savings from tuition waiver and books of Le 1.5 million brings total household saving of Le 4.7 million approximated at US$500 per year about the minimum loan size provided by Munafa Fund.’’
It is the onus of any political party ruling the country to fulfill its promise or else it will be shown exit door. It was President Bo who campaigned on the platform of providing free and quality education, so we expect him to fulfill his promise. Ensuring that education is accessible and affordable is in line adhering to human right laws enshrine in the national instrument-Constitution of Sierra Leone.
In fact, much is left to be desired in the actualization of the Free and quality educations as heads of Schools are bitterly grumbling with delay in the payment of the subsidy. This subsidy is used to help the principals or head teachers effectively run their school. Some of the teachers who are not on government pay roll, the subsidy can be used to motivate them to stay in school. So if the subsidy is not regular; coming in very late at time when the heads of schools are in indebted. Is that a way of addressing read and butter issue? Well, I will somehow agree with some school of thought who will advance the point that the Free and quality education is novelty and is bound to be faced with challenges. But after the five years, I can put on the critical lens to give an opinion whether it was successful or not.
Let us continue to hear from the Finance Minister against advancing the point of addressing bread and butter. ‘’Second, the incomes policy of this Government includes raising salaries of workers, raising the minimum wage and minimum pension. Since 2018, this Government has raised salaries of health workers by over 100%, teachers by over 50% and general work force by at least 20%. By April this year, Government will also increase salaries for all security personnel and staff of tertiary institutions. Government increased minimum wage from Le 500,000 to Le 600,000 and minimum pension from Le 25,000 to Le 250,000…..’’
Have the institutions set up to ensure that minimal wage bill is reflected on the salaries of workers, working in that direction. Go to the media houses and verify whether they are paying the minimal wage bill let alone to talk about the paying their NASSIT. Well, not all media houses are doing it. I am elated, however, that the SLPP led government has strengthened the IMC by giving it more teeth to bite. The IMC has been reviewed and we expect it to be robust in ensuring that there is food on the table for journalist’s .Equally, Journalists are crying over the bread and butter issue. Looking at the work of the IMC is what I will do later.
Can we continue to hear from the Finance Minister how they are addressing the bread and butter issue. Yes, of course. ‘’ Third, this Government has embarked on planned infrastructure development including electrification and provision of pipe borne water to district capitals as well as road construction. Work has either started or about to commence in all districts. Besides, the social benefits of these, it is expected it yield positive economic benefits through direct employment for our youth thereby providing them ‘bread and butter.’’
The Government should ensure that the delay in the allocation of the resources to the MDA including the local councils must stop. This is responsible for the poor delivery of services by this MDAs and corruption raising its ugly head in those MDAs. If the allocations are coming in late they cannot be effectively monitored. Research has shown that successive governments-be it APC or SLPP are victim of this. Sierra Leoneans want to see that there is improvement in that direction as have we have seen in the early disbursement of funds for the road maintenance finds. If funds are allocated early it will help in addressing the bread and butter issue in the country. But much is left to be desired in this desired in this direction but I hope to see under the green house led government that one is addressed. Let the teachers, councils and other MDA’s get their funds early in order to stop the bitter grumbling of delay in the allocations of funds.
Let us now get the final bite of the Finance Minister on addressing the bread and butter issue. ‘’ Government has acquired huge quantities of tractors and other farm implements. These tractors will be readily available for 2021 planting season. Funds were also made available for cultivation from the budget and realignments of projects to address the consequences of COVID-19. It is expected that farm yields in 2021 will be very encouraging despite the corona virus. The Agricultural sector plays a pivotal role addressing the bread and butter issue. In fact, Some Sierra Leoneans think when there is massive food production in the country; the government has addressed the bread and butter issue. But if you go to the market even the home grown food is expensive let alone to talk about imported food Most of the agricultures set up like the Agriculture Business Center (ABC) are no longer functioning. They are now white elephants, being used not for the intended purpose. How can the bread and butter issue be addressed t when structures are not functioning.
However, it is good to commend the SLPP led government needs to be commended for its strides to address the bread and butter issues, despite the challenges it faces amidst the COVID -19 fights. Well, I may not exhaust the points raised by the finance minister, but critical lens is on the3 look out to see how the SLPP led is fulfilling the promises in the Manifesto of President Bio. Lonta.
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