By Donstance Koroma
The National Budget Director, Ministry of Finance, Tasima Jah, told journalists at the government weekly press briefing, Ministry of Information and Communications, 8th Floor Youyi Building, Freetown that President Bio’s Executive Orders yielded great dividends.
He noted that the Executive Order on expenditure saved seven hundred and sixty million Leones (Le760m) on travelling alone, as restrictions were placed on travelling, recruitment and procurements.
He cited the theme of the Supplementary Budget, ‘The Road to Efficient Micro Economic Management Prudency’, which is aimed at minimizing leakages and reduce corruption.
Tasimah Jah said it will also help in service delivery for the citizens, adding that the budget focuses on revenue, expenditure and financing, which all will help in harmonizing the wage bill across the working force.
Director Jah said the Supplementary Budget is pro-poor and it is a tax that has been adjusted in many ways to suit the present economic realities.
Responding to concerns by indigenous companies in the area of protecting the country’s Local Content Policy, Mr. Jah said, as a government, they cannot protect Local Content Policy when local businesses cannot stand the test of times in the areas of meeting their obligations as indigenous entities.
Idrissa Kanu, Director Revenue and Tax Policies, Ministry of Finance, pointed out that, as a result of the Executive Order on revenue, weekly government revenue collection has increased from seven billion to twenty six billion (7-26b) leones weekly and three hundred and twenty to three hundred and thirty billions (Le320-330b) billion leones monthly.
According to him, it also has the utmost tendency to increase to four hundred billion leones (Le400b) come October, 2018.
He disclosed that government loans will be spent on tangible development and called on the general public to try and understand that a tax policy is a development tool that takes into consideration citizens’ concerns. He assured all and sundry that the realities of the Supplementary Budget will be sensed by the people in the not too distant future.