The Finance Minister Jacob Jusu Saffa Thursday 10th June, 2020 exposed the lies and incompetence of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party SLPP, President Julius Maada Bio led administration to address “bread” and “butter” issues associated with the national economy.
Mr Saffa is said to have promised the country during the last presidential and general elections campaigns that the SLPP under President Bio and him as Finance Minister would solve the “bread” and “butter” problems of Sierra Leone.
It is exactly two years two months now since the government set in to work yet national economic hardship situation keep reversing on a back pedals from bad to worse with poor standards of living of the people.
Responding to questions from presenters on Radio Democracy Good Morning Salone breakfast show programme, Mr Saffa admitted that his administration is not yet there in solving the “bread” and “butter” problems of Sierra Leone.
He said even if four-five other finance ministers come after him they still will not be able to fix the problems to make the present economic situation so easily, pointing out good number of the issues will always remain unaddressed.
The minister is on record for not offering the professional advice to President Bio and the government on sound economic policies within his responsibilities for increased economic hardship faced by the people with abject poverty.
Dogging from certain questions from the presenters Mr Saffa who has been recently brought under the spotlights by the accountability Civil Society Organization, Budget Advocacy Network, for not being transparent the management of fiscal management information at the Finance Ministry, refused give figures for debts Sierra Leone owes donors.
The minister stopped short from further commenting on other related issues, even as the Government President Bio continues to lend money from donor partners, which he referred to as “grants.”
He however refused to state reasons as to why third quarter subventions have not been allocated to Ministries Departments and Agencies.
Apart from that he embattled with controversy issue of doctors salaries, which was last week debunked and countered by members of the Sierra Leone Medical and Dental Association, for deceiving health care workers especially during the deadly COVID19 pandemic.