The current Auditor General’s Report has exposed recklessspending at the Sierra Leone’s Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (SLWREC).
The Commission which was set up by law to regulate water and electricity companies in the country has been accused in the 2018 report of spending a whooping sum of over Le 253Bn for the fiscal year under review.
The Auditors noted in the report that the entity had spent Le 40, 000,00 in salaries months,Le 146,105,000 in telephone allowances;Le 45,456,237 in DSTV subscription and 21,500,000 in Ramadan allowances. All these sums of money were spent in 13 months.
Fuel inclusive for staff was reported at Le 146,105,000.
ASSL also observed that section 7 of the Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission Act of 2011 has provided that the Chairman and other members of the Commission shall be paid remunerations, fees and allowances and also be reimbursed by the Commission for any expenses incurred in connection with the discharge of their duties as the Commission may determine.
The Auditors had expressly stated that the said provision which had necessitated the above excessive payments be reviewed as it is not in tandem with accountability and transparency mechanisms.
The payments made to the Directors, the report notes quite apart from their salaries and sitting allowances weresaid to beexcessive in their opinion.
AASL also indicated that the Commission should consider economy, efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with the funds of the Commission.
The SLEWRC has, in the last few months, been accused of dodging established procedure of public financial management processes in fixing salaries for top level officials at the Commission including its Director General, Emmanuel Mannah.
It has been reported that the Director General’s employment and salary emoluments have been fixed with complete disregard for the current reforms by government to create an appreciable wages and salaries for Public servants across the spectrum.
Many Sierra Leoneans are yet to appreciate the contributions of the SLWREC which have remained very challenging to the ordinary Sierra Leonean.