Sierra Leoneans are starting to question the New Direction’s financial discipline drive as they undertake very expensive and economically burdensome programs that do not resonate well with this drive.
Overseas Trips and Long Presidential Motorcades
The President has been criticized by many Sierra Leoneans for engaging in numerous overseas trips abroad with bloated delegations reminiscent of the APC days. It is no secret that these trips have dire economic consequences on our weak economy which is still grappling to adequately meet the provision of basic social services and other competing priorities for its people.
The President many believe, does not need to be at all regional and International conferences or mini meetings with large delegations when we have our foreign and diplomatic representatives in all these countries as well as regional and international organizations. He has been labeled as the most travelled President in the country when one considers the time he has spent in office.
Another issue that has continued to amaze Sierra Leoneans is the long Presidential motorcades that accompany the President across the country.
The ongoing Presidential ‘’Thank You Tour’ ’across the country which has almost been transformed into a campaign tour has been described as very expensive as almost all government functionaries accompany the President. It is no secret that these convoys have implications as far as fuel and perdiem are concerned.
A seasoned diplomat resident in the country intimated this press that the New Direction is not very different from the APC when it comes to spending the country’s resources.
Wage Bill Control
Many Sierra Leoneans including the International Community commended the initial stance of the Bio Government at controlling the wage bill which stood at Le 140 billion as at the time they took office.
They have taken giant strides at instituting a number of measures meant at controlling the wage bill even though some did not get the desired outcomes. This was largely because, there was no monitoring, a situation which was also equal to when the APC announced a cut on all government spending prior to the proclamation of an economic recession.
Even though a Government pay roll clean up exercise supported by some donors have succeeded in exposing some 6,000 ghost workers in our pay roll, we still continue to have the new regime employing huge numbers of workers mainly on patronage and political considerations bypassing the Public Service Commission whose job is it to employ public servants.
The proposed establishment of the Wage Bill Commission to harmonize salaries of workers has also been criticized by many Sierra Leoneans including members of Parliament as a ploy to create more jobs for party supporters and sympathizers.
The Leader of the NGC, Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, while making his submission on the FY 2019 Budget at the well of Parliament cautioned the government noting that they are spending too much instead of growing the economy.
He advised government to stop the hiring and hinted that the current hiring is merely to create jobs for ‘’the boys’’.
The Wage Bill according to unconfirmed sources from the Ministry of Finance currently stands at Le 240 Billion.
Government Hosting International Events
The Government of President Bio has also in the past few months been criticized for hosting the C10 inter ministerial meeting alongside the ‘’Hands Our Girls Campaign’’ organized by the First lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone and also the hosting of the anti-corruption crusader, PLO Lumumba.
It is no doubt that, the country’s resources must have been spent in all of these high profile events. How can a government which is on record as having inherited the worst economy since independence be lavishing monies on such programs and activities when teachers, members of parliament, doctors and other workers in the country are crying for better conditions of service?
It is a fact that, the government has scored huge successes in terms of mobilizing domestic revenue and this is the time to continue to tighten the strings around how such monies are spent with a very clear focus to quickly address some of the most pressing economic challenges confronting the country.
The Bio Government should not be fooled into thinking that it has succeeded. It should push for more fiscal and prudent management of our resources alongside a robust and zero tolerance corruption campaign with a view to weed out non-conformists within their ranks.
Night gathers and Now Our Watch Begins.