102. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, our social protection commitments run through in all our major actions and programmes. The APC Government implemented social insurance interventions for the extremely vulnerable of our compatriots to assist them build social and economic resilience.
103. Under the unconditional cash transfer to Disaster Affected Persons, we provided support to over 29,000 households. And almost 1,800 survivors of the August 14 Mudslide and Flooding Disaster in Freetown are being provided with the same support.
104. This is in addition to over 28,000 beneficiaries of Unconditional Cash Transfers from 2014 to 2017 in Western Area Rural, Moyamba, Kono, Bombali, Tonkolili, Port Loko, Kenema, Bo and Kailahun.
105. From 2014 to 2016, the APC Government implemented the Labour Intensive Public Works to support the spot improvement of feeder roads and food production. This initiative provided Temporary Employment to over 21,000 able youth in the rural areas, 47% of whom were females. The project implemented 214 agricultural and spot improvement of feeder road sub projects for able youth in poor households, thereby improving their socio-economic status.
106. In 2016, in partnership with the World Food Programme, NACSA distributed food packages to 23,388 households during the lean season in six districts including Kambia, Pujehun, Port Loko, Bo, Kenema and Kailahun.
107. Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members, the war ended in 2002, but its ramifications on the welfare of our people and the development of our nation persist. To restore the dignity of war-affected persons including war wounded, amputees, and victims of sexual violence, between 2012 and 2015, our Government, in collaboration with UN Women, provided reparation benefits to 4,648 of our compatriots. Various categories of war-affected persons have benefited from skills training and fistula operations. We have also one-off rehabilitation grants to over 1,000 amputees. This is over and above medical assistance to almost 3,000 severely war wounded. We promised, and we delivered!
108. Certainly, it would not have been possible for the APC to produce most of the development results in the last 10 years if it had not prioritised the strengthening and monitoring of Public Financial Management a ministry that our Party’s Standard Bearer, Dr. Samura Kamara, had reformed before moving to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. We inherited a difficult relationship with the IMF in 2007, but with our prudence and perseverance, we restored IMF confidence in Sierra Leone and in its public sector management. On the basis of the APC Government’s firm commitment to the implementation of sound economic policies, the Executive Board of the IMF approved various three-year framework agreement programmes under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF), running from 2010 to June 2020.
109. Immediately after assuming the reins of government, the APC Government reviewed the Government Budgeting and Accountability Act 2005; Financial Management Regulations 2007; Public Procurement Act 2004; and Procurement Regulations 2006. We did that to strengthen the legal framework for budgeting, accounting, recording and procurement. And, in line with its policy of promoting transparency and accountability in the management of public resources, the APC Government enacted the Public Financial Management Act 2016, replacing the Government Budgeting and Accountability Act 2005. We also enacted the Public Procurement Act 2016 to replace the Public Procurement Act 2004 consistent with international best practice in public procurement.
110. We have made the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) in the Accountant General’s Department more functional towards ensuring transparent and effective recording, reporting and accounting of all Government financial transactions. The IFMIS has enabled the Accountant General’s Department to prepare and submit yearly financial statements on the Government of Sierra Leone to the Auditor General in accordance with the legal provisions. This was not the case when we took over governance.
111. We have deployed The Local Councils Financial Accounting and Reporting System in all 19 Local Councils. The Councils also now provide yearly financial statements to the Auditor General on a timely basis in accordance with the legal provisions. We started work on the introduction of a Treasury Single Account System in 2013, to ensure that we have in real time a consolidated view of government cash resources to aid government budgeting and financial planning. A comprehensive inventory of Government bank accounts at the commercial banks was completed and now maintained. We have established more internal audit units, bringing to date the number of MDAs with such units to 43 alongside the 19 local councils, to ensure compliance with laid down public financial management procedures and controls on a routine basis.
We promised, and we delivered.
