By Josephine W. Lagawo in Freetown
232News
Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, Sahr Jusu has said that the Electoral Commission Sierra Leone will be receiving NLe225 million for June 2023 election from the Ministry of Finance.
He made this statement last Wednesday September 21st 2022 at the Ministry of Finance Hall George Street in Freetown on the Theme: Final Year 2023 Policy Hearing and Bilateral Budget Discussions with MDAs and Stakeholders which will commence on September 21st and end on October 7th 2022.
Jusu pointed out that they had earlier given NLe140 million and that in November this year another NLe72.5M will be disbursed.
He stated that the challenge they faced in 2020 was low revenue performance in the budget due to COVID outbreak and the Ukraine Russian war.
According to him, the ministry is doing all its best that why government and other countries have met twice to discuss on the issue and that they have dished out US$93BN for which Sierra Leone will be given US$ 500M and that the government will get more funding from World Bank which is $ 1.6m .
He explained that in the 2023 fiscal year they are giving preference to Roads, Energy, Bridges, Health and Education.
He said that Government has reduced tax from 20% to 10%, noting that government subsidy on fuel is about US$ 313M and that they have been paying electricity bills to the tune of Le 54bn.
He said that they have recruited twelve thousand teachers and eight thousand nurses and that is the reason the wage bill has increased.
In his keynote address, Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, Vice President of Sierra Leone said that they budget hearing is happening in difficult times not only in Sierra Leone but all over the world, noting that there has been energy crisis across the globe due to the Russian-Ukraine War.
He pointed out that government has invested largely in education all over the country although there are challenges with additional classrooms.
He revealed that on health alone the budget increased from 6% to 14% and that the ratio of nurses to patient in Sierra Leone is better than the sub-Saharan ratio, noting that they as a government are ensuring that their sisters and mothers deliver safe in the hospital although there is a room for improvement in the health sector.
He stated that the Government needs to do more in agriculture because when one improves on agriculture, it will create room for thousands of job and farmers will get access to capital.
He explained that that energy production was 6% but now it is above 34% due to government interventions with the CLSG project, noting that energy is critical in investment generation.
He explained that the government has been supporting infrastructure in the country as there are town ship roads, Bridges, Hospitals which they need to complete.
He said that in terms of governance they have done a lot they have passed both MCC scored card and the ETI by 87%
The Vice President pointed out that for the electoral process he has advised the ministry to give them funds early because late preparedness will cost a lot of money.
He said that it is the responsibility of the government to protect the business people, highlighting that they need them and cannot drive them away and that their constrains should be looked into.
“If I were the Minister of Trade, every Thursday I would be visiting business people and ask them about their constrains,” Vice President said
He advised that the Ministry of Trade must create dialogue with business people, stating that MDAs must be aggressive in engaging donor partners especially in human capital development and should not only depend on government budget.
