By Ibrahim Joenal Sesay
FREETOWN, Mar. 30 (232news.com) – The Protector of the Public Purse-Audit Service Sierra Leone has exposed huge corruption at Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA).
According to the recent audit report, they reviewed a contract agreement and contract addenda between the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration and the Ship Registration Bureau Limited-Sierra Leone Maritime Administration Shipping Registration (SLMARAD) for the sale of the Sierra Leone flag of convenience on the registration of ships and that they also reviewed the records presented by the management of the SLMA regarding the sale of the Sierra Leone Flag of Convenience – Registration of Ships.
That based on the documents submitted, they (Auditors) observed that the contract requires that – ‘All payment in respect of this agreement by the SRB through the new company to the Registrar shall be made within 90 (ninety)days of every year to such account to be specified by the Registrar.’
“From the information provided for 2019, the indicative GoSL share of the revenue generated was US$767,070.28. However, only US$287,192.64 was remitted by the SLMARAD, leaving an outstanding of US$479,877.64 not remitted by the SLMARAD. This amount was however not disclosed in the revenue arrears in the General-Purpose Financial Statements,” the report revealed
The report added that in 2020, the indicative GoSL share of the revenue generated was US$705,149.57; however, only US$296,991.95 was paid, leaving an outstanding of US$408,157.62 not remitted by SLMARAD, and that the said amount was not disclosed in the revenue arrears in the General-Purpose Financial Statements.
The Report also noted that the parties to the contract representing the GoSL lacked the expertise to monitor the agreement and are unable to determine the number of units of flags sold by theSLMARAD , adding that they could not determine the total revenue generated from the sale of the flag of convenience.
“In conclusion, revenue totaling US$888,035.26 is owed to the Government of Sierra Leone by the Ship Registration Bureau Limited-SLMARAD,” the reported stated.
More on this in subsequent editions
