By Thomas Dixon
FREETOWN, Oct. 24 (SALONE TIMES) – Without considering the GDP per capita and minimum wage of other countries in his comparative analyses, Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone has again blamed the world for his country’s economic woes.
Speaking to the congregations of the Jamuil Sherrif Mosque (Mende Central Masque) this past Friday 8 October, President Bio said that the current hardship in the country was not only exceptional to Sierra Leone and it is global problem.
He encouraged them to be listening to international news to affirm and verify his statement, citing England as an example of fuel shortage as people had to stand in queue to buy gas.
He stated that Sierra Leone is not a producer of its own basic commodities like cement, adding that majority of Sierra Leoneans are ashamed to embark on agriculture, which he said to him, is the very reason for the hike in prices of goods and other commodities.
President Bio noted that if Sierra Leone is to solve the problem of hunger, they must pragmatically fix the agriculture sector.
“The only way we can prize our own rice and feed ourselves as a nation, is when we embark on rice farming,” Bio maintained.
However, recent economic report on Sierra Leone disputed the President assertion and blamed contraction in Government domestic revenue which is far less than what government is expending.
According to the report Government revenue dropped by 6.31% to Le695.81 billion in July 2021, and fell short of the programmed target of Le778.26 billion by 10.59% while at the same, saw 20.67% increase of total government expenditure to Le926.25 billion in July 2021 which overshot the target ceiling of Le560.94 billion by 65.13%.
Majority of Sierra Leoneans stated that the President most stop giving excuses but must ensures that he fix the problems.
