By Hassan Osman Kargbo
Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, who also a leading main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party flag bearer aspirant for 2028 elections, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara Esq. has urged the Government of Sierra Leone to address the country’s alarming SLE 63.69B public debt challenge with the utmost urgency.
Lawyer Kamara Esq. recently took to his official social media handle where he noted that Sierra Leone’s public debt in 2023 alone is up to SLE 63.69 billion which he urged Government to address urgently.
It is not a secret that since President Julius Maada Bio took over his second term in last June, Sierra Leoneans have witnessed an unprecedented increase in the prices of commodities couples with economic hardships.
Some people are saying that the country is currently going down the drains and the politicians seem not to take the issue very seriously.
The senior opposition APC member informed that the aforementioned amount of money is a burden to the country and that particular debt would be covered by the people of Sierra Leone and it wouldn’t be limited to this current generation, adding that it would also be extended to their grandchildren.
He reiterated the need for the re-examining of government’s spending habits, especially on the too much overseas travels of the governing Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government functionaries.
“Our public debt increase by 23.2% in 2023 reaching SLE63.69 billion. This debt burden forced to be toted by us, will mostly likely be shifted on the shoulders of our grandchildren. We need to re-examine spending habits, like foreign travels and public wastage through corruption,” he stated.
Currently in Sierra Leone, the high cost of living has led many homes not to afford the basic three meals per day. A country where according to J.F.K, the public debt only for 2023 is over 63 billion Leones, and its citizens cannot earn more than $5 per day, it’s very difficult for it citizens to survive with their family.
Also, According to the World Bank, Sierra Leone’s debt burden reached 98.9% of the GDP at the end of 2022 and this problem of debt was exacerbated when this government came to power in 2018. Bio plans to add more debt on the nation with his white elephant projects like the Lungi Bridge which is expected to thrust at least U.S $4 billion more debt on Sierra Leone. In addition, here is the progression of debt for a small country named Sierra Leone: “Sierra Leone external debt for 2022 was $2,331,196,990, a 4.88% decline from 2021.
Sierra Leone external debt for 2021 was $2,450,704,006, a 16.19% increase from 2020.
Sierra Leone external debt for 2020 was $2,109,178,657, a 13.65% increase from 2019.
Sierra Leone external debt for 2019 was $1,855,825,335, a 5.61% increase from 2018.”
Moreover, The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) is the institution charged with the responsibility of auditing the fiscal activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country. The ASSL every year exposed how the Bio regime is mismanaging public funds. ASSL has deliberately labelled the 2022 Audit Report as “A reminder to Bring Duty Bearers to Account”.
To show that this regime is seriously mismanaging public funds, under the executive summary of the 2022 audit report, one hundred and eight (108) audit of which thirty-two (32) are ministries and departments, forty-five (45) public enterprises and commissions , twenty-two (22) Local Councils , six (6) Diplomatic Missions and three (3) performance audits.
The executive summary also categorically stated that the report in question contains irregularities with financial impact that the audit institution wish to bring to public parliament in accordance with 95 (1) of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016.
Also, to show that corruption and other mismanagement of public funds is visible in the country, The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) informed the general public that it has come to their attention that some Public Officials are using officially-assigned Government vehicles and property in a manner that is inconsistent with the use of public assets.
According to the Interpretation Section of the Act, a public property [such as vehicle, house, computer, etc.] includes property belonging to Government, or to the people of Sierra Leone or a section thereof, or to a local authority, or to a Government Company, any commission or committee established by or under the Constitution or by or under any law, whether in Sierra Leone or elsewhere.”
The Commission wishes to therefore register that use of Government property should be in line with the Best Practice Guide on the Use of Government Vehicles, Government Quarters, Telephones, Computers and other Office Equipment developed by the Commission. For the use of Government vehicles, for example, the Guide states that vehicles are to be used only on Government business Use of vehicles for personal reasons is not considered to be Government business. If however the need for a variation of this rule arises, each instance will be considered solely on its merit and approval given by the Head of Department or the Deputy in writing. Exceptions to the above are in the case of accident, sickness or breakdown.”
The Commission also draw the attention of Public Officials to Section 48 (1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008 as amended in 2019, which protects Public Property, and which states that “any person who fraudulently or otherwise illegally damages public property commits an offence.”
The general public is therefore requested to report to the Commission any suspected misuse of, or damage to Government vehicles and other Government property to the toll free lines, 077-985-985 or 077-986-986, or to any of the Commission’s offices in Freetown, Bo, Kenema, Kono, Makeni and Port Loko.
With all of these, government needs to up its game in ensuring that the people experience better living in the country.
