By Marilyn King
232News
_____________________________
The National Council for Civic Education and Democracy (NaCCED) with support from the Ministry of Finance, has launched the regional and public engagement on the 2024 citizens budget at the Port Loko District Council Hall, in Port Loko City.
The Mayor of Port Loko City, Alie Badara Tarawally, in his welcome remarks stated that the 2024 citizens budget is an important process and a development for Sierra Leone.
He added that as political leaders they believed that when government came close to parliament of Sierra Leone and make them understand what is happening is the best approach.
He assured NaCCED that Port Loko City and Port Loko District Councils are twin Councils, and they cannot be separated easily, because anything that has to do with the people of Port Loko they ensure that they are there, and want to be present to discuss issues that has to affect the welfare of the people of Port Loko.
He furthered that NaCCED always have their cooperation and programs that care to the wellbeing of the people of the city and district of Port Loko.
He maintained that their doors are opened at all times, and NaCCED to ensure that all their programs are coordinated with councils, because they are the people representative in the grounds.
The Chairman of NaCCED Kalilu Totangi, said since 2021 the ministry of finance has been working with them at the National council of Civic Education, for them to do the citizens budget, which is simplified version of the book.
He stated that he sits with his team and take the important things that the public will want to know about, like how the Economy are growing and not growing, and what is causing the inflation, where the inflation it is, and where it is not, and also where the money are coming from and where it is going.
He said all these questions the public wants to know, so they took it and put it in a simple English and put it in the book, added photos in there and crafts them with tables that will be able to explain what is inside the big National Budget.
He said they believe that the people of Sierra Leone need to understand what the government is doing on their behalf, and how it will affect the people, stating that they decided to put it inside animation that will raise some questions on the ordinary man’s mind, and they tried to answer the questions, showing pictures and crafts so that people will understand what is going on.
He noted that at Civic Education they have three levels of Civic Education and they are forcefully bringing knowledge and understanding. He said they targeted Civil Society and district budget, oversight committee members.
He added that they spoke with the ministry of finance to support them to carry the information so that the people will know exactly what will happened, so that they will not carry false rumors.
He mentioned about the None State Actors (NSA) who are people that will sit and watch what government offices sent and take what they want.
He also said the NSA are the ones that are asking questions and sit with the ministry of finance and drew the National Budget Plan that they read in parliament.
He continued that they will be going to the regional headquarters like Makeni, Kenema, Bo, and if they have any chance, they want to go in all of the district councils and all of the university campuses, so that more people will know and aware of the citizen’s budget.
He noted that the ministry of finance supported them and gave them the resources to do the animation, and paid his transportation to the regional districts.
Questions from CSOs from different regions climaxed the occasion.
