Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698082869606.pdf (Sierra Leone)
OAU DRIVE, TOWER HILL, FREETOWN P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S ____ [HANSARD] ______________ OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT THIRD SESSION-FIRST MEETING FRIDAY, 24TH JULY, 2020 SESSION – 2020/2021 OAU DRIVE, TOWER HILL, FREETOWN P A R L I A M E N T A R Y D E B A T E S ____ [HANSARD] ______________ OFFICIAL HANSARD REPORT VOLUME: I NUMBER: 9 Ninth Meeting of the Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone.
Proceedings of the Sitting of the House Held Friday, 24th July, 2020 2 CONTENTS I. PRAYERS II.

RECORD OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SITTING HELD ON THURSDAY 23RD JULY, 2020 III.

BILL THE SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION ACT, 2020 Being an Act to make Revisions and Supplementary Provisions for the Services of Sierra Leone for the year, 2020.
PRESENTED BY: MR JACOB J. SAFFA [Minister of Finance] 3 THE CHAMBER OF PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE Official Hansard Report of the Proceedings of the House _____________________________________________________________ THIRD SESSION – NINTH MEETING OF THE FIFTH PARLIAMENT OF THE SECOND REPUBLIC _____________________________ Friday, 24th July, 2020.

I. PRAYERS [The Table Clerk, Mrs Bintu Weston, Read the Prayers] [The House met at 10:25a.m.
in Parliament Building, Tower Hill, Freetown] [The Speaker, Hon.

Dr Chernor Abass Bundu in the Chair] The House was called to Order 4 Suspension of S. O.

5[2] COMMUNICATION FROM THE CHAIR II.

CORRECTION OF VOTES AND PROCEEDINGS FOR THE PARLIAMENTARY SITTING HELD ON THURSDAY 23RD JULY, 2020 THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, we shall now consider the Votes and Proceedings of our eighth meeting held on Thursday 23rd of July, 2020.
We shall skip pages 1 through to 4 and start our consideration of the Votes and Proceedings from page 5, any amendments or comments?

Page6?

Page7?

Page8?

Page9?

Last Page, Page 10?

Can someone please move for the adoption of the record of Votes and Proceedings for Parliamentary Sitting held on Thursday 23rd July, 2020?

HON.

MOSES B. JORKIE: I so move Mr Speaker.

THE SPEAKER: Any seconder?

HON.

ISHMAIL S. SANDY: I so second Mr Speaker.


[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [Record of Votes and Proceedings for Parliamentary Sitting held on Thursday 23rd July, 2020 has been Adopted] III.
BILL THE SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION ACT, 2020 MR JACOB J. SAFFA[Minister of Finance]: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I move that the Bill entitled, “The Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2020” being an Act to make Revisions and Supplementary Provisions for the Services of Sierra Leone, for the Fiscal year 2020, be read the first time.

[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [The Bill entitled, the Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2020 has been read the first time] 5 MR JACOB J. SAFFA [Minister of Finance].
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament, I move that the Bill entitled, “The Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2020” be read the second time.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, on the 8th of November 2019, I presented to this Noble House Government Budget and Statement of Economic and Financial Policies the Financial Year 2020, with the theme “Fiscal Consolidation for Human Capital Development”.

This House graciously approved the Budget on the 18th of December 2019.
The 2020, Budget aims at consolidating the gains made during the first year of implementing our Medium-Term Development Plan.

It lays out strategies to sustain fiscal consolidation in order to safeguard macroeconomic stability; continue investment in human capital and proposed targeted interventions aimed at creating job opportunities, especially for our Youths and Women.

Another important element of those strategies is the clearance of legacy arrears owed to suppliers and contractors.
The aim was to enhance the credibility of Government and safeguard the stability of the banking system.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, sadly enough, barely a month into the implementation of the 2020 Budget, the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease [COVID- 19] was reported in China.

The Disease spread quickly across the World within a very short period and by late February 2020, the World Health Organisation [WHO] declared COVID-19 as a Global Pandemic.
The widespread disruptions from COVID-19, to Global Health and Economic Activities had spill-over effects on our economy during January to March 2020.

In particular, the weak Economic activities in our major trading partners’ Economies especially, China and Europe and the consequent collapse in commodity prices was already having a severe impact on our exports.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, building on the lessons from the Ebola Health Crisis, Government took pre-emptive measures even before we recorded the index case on the 31st of March 2020.

Consistent with international best practices in fighting such Pandemics, Government adopted several containment measures including suspension of international flights, closure of borders, partial lockdowns, restrictions on inter-district 6 movements, ban on public gatherings, night curfews and social distancing.
Whilst these measures were meant to save lives, their implementation had adverse consequences on economic activities particularly in the services sector, the second largest sector of our economy.

The hardest hit sectors have been trade, tourism and transportation.

Agriculture, fisheries, and manufacturing sectors are also being adversely affected.

The uncertainty created by COVID-19 is also delaying the inflow of foreign direct investment into the economy.
As expected for most countries, overall, domestic output is projected to contract in 2020, with adverse consequences for domestic revenue mobilisation.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this unprecedented Pandemic is threatening to reverse our gains in stabilising the economy and hard-won economic recovery of the past twenty four months.

Like most countries in the World, Government is trying to strike a delicate balance between saving lives and saving livelihoods.
This Supplementary Budget seeks to achieve this objective; hence the theme “Saving Lives and Livelihoods”.

Speaker, Hon.

Members, in view of the foregoing, it is compelling that we prepare and submit to this Noble House a Supplementary Budget for the Financial Year 2020 for the following reasons: Firstly, the outbreak of COVID-19 and its impact on the Global and Domestic Economic activities have rendered the assumptions that underlined the FY 2020 macro-fiscal framework redundant.
In particular, the Macroeconomic Framework agreed with the IMF for the 2020 Budget, has been revised to reflect the impact of COVID-19 on Domestic Output, Inflation, Revenue, Expenditures, Exports, Imports, Public Debt, Foreign Direct Investment, Official Grants and Gross Foreign Reserves.
Secondly, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, unlike the case of the Ebola fight, even before the first index case, the President Bio led Government prepared the Quick Action Economic Response Programme [QAERP] as part of measures to respond quickly and effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The overall objective of the QAERP is to maintain macroeconomic and financial stability, as well as mitigate the impact of the disease on households and businesses.
The Government also prepared a comprehensive COVID-19 7 Health Sector Response Plan.

In this respect, new priorities have emerged that require budgetary allocations to ensure timely and effective delivery of services.

Some of the activities contained in these response programmes were not provided for in the original 2020 Budget.
Thirdly, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, given the urgent need to safeguard macroeconomic stability and to ensure the implementation of the QAERP and the Health Response Plan, Government decisively engaged development partners for support to the COVID19 Response programmes.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, due to the visionary leadership of His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio; the credibility of the response programmes and the professional engagement with partners, I am not only pleased but also proud to report to this noble House and the general public that our development partners have responded positively by providing higher-than expected concessional resources and debt relief to enable Government implement its response programmes.
The details of these resources will be disclosed later in the statement.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the key objectives of this Supplementary Budget are; [i] To implement the COVID-19 Health Sector Preparedness and Response Plan in order to strengthen our health systems to save lives; [ii] To implement the Quick Action Economic Response Programmes to save livelihoods; and [iii] To continue the implementation of the original 2020 Budget priorities, which will continue into 2021, as part of the recovery efforts in the post COVID-19 period.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, on the basis of the foregoing and other reasons, and consistent with Section 42, Sub-section 1 of the Public Financial Management [PFM] Act, 2016, I hereby present the Supplementary Budget proposals for the 2020 Financial Year to this Noble House for consideration and approval.
8 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, before disclosing the details of this Supplementary Budget, permit me first of all to provide a brief update on economic and budgetary performance for the first half of 2020 and the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.

Macroeconomic and Budgetary Performance during January–June 2020.
Macroeconomic Performance, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the widespread disruptions from COVID-19 to the Global Economy, combined with the proactive measures adopted to contain the spread of the disease in the country, have to a large extent dampened economic activities in 2020.

The situation would have been worse had it not been for the timely Economic and Health response rolled-out by Government, before recording the index case.
Mr Speaker, an analysis of Preliminary data of key indicators of economic activity including exports, private consumption, manufacturing outputs, Tourist arrivals, and fuel consumption indicated Modest Economic activities during the first half of 2020, relative to the corresponding period in 2019.
Accordingly, real GDP, which recovered strongly by 5.4 % in 2019 and was projected to grow further by 4.2% in 2020, is now expected to contract by 3.1 % in 2020, largely due to the adverse impact of COVID-19 on key sectors of the economy.
Mr Speaker, inflationary measures increased during the first half of the year largely, due to disruptions in the supply of basic food items emanating from restrictions on inter- district travel, partial lockdowns and the COVID-19 induced panic buying to stock up food and non-food items.

Consequently, inflation, which had declined to 13.9 % at end 2019, rose to 15.6 % in March before moderating to 14.4 % in June 2020.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the trade deficit widened to $227.5 million in Quarter 1, 2020 from US$164.0 million in Quarter 1, 2019, mainly due to the sharp drop in exports.

Domestic exports fell to $111.1 million in Quarter 1 of 2020 from $139 million in Quarter 1, 2019.

Relative to Quarter 4, 2019, domestic exports dropped by 54 %.
Imports increased to $338.6 million in Quarter 1, 2020, from $302.6 million in the corresponding period in 2019 due mainly, to the increase in the importation of Food and Medical Equipment and Supplies.
9 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, reflecting the disbursement of budgetary and balance of payments support by the International Monetary Fund [IMF] and the European Union, gross foreign reserves of the Bank of Sierra Leone increased to the equivalent to 4.0 months of imports as at end June 2020, from 3.5 months of imports.
With additional budgetary support by the World Bank disbursed in July, I am again proud to report to this Noble House that our reserve position will be nearly 6 months of imports covered [Applause].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the increase in foreign reserves, combined with the directives on forex transactions, as well as the Trade Facility of $ 50 million provided by the BSL, relieved pressure on the forex market.
As a result, the exchange rate was relatively stable, depreciating by only 3.3% from June 2019, to June 2020.

Relative to December 2019, the exchange rate appreciated marginally during the first half of 2020.

Mr Speaker, Monetary policy during the first half of 2020 continue to focus on containing inflationary pressures while mindful of the impact of COVID-19 on the economy.
Accordingly, the BSL reduced the Monetary Policy rate to 15.0% in March 2020, from 16.5 % in February 2020, to stimulate economic activities.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Preliminary Fiscal Data indicates that domestic revenue collected from January to June 2020, amounted to Le2.65 trillion compared to the original target of Le3.04 trillion for the first half of 2020.
Most of the shortfall of Le383.5 billion was recorded in the second Quarter of 2020 when the incidence of COVID-19 infections started rising in the country.

Whilst revenue collection in Quarter 1 was broadly on target, revenue collected in Quarter 2 was Le310 billion lower than the original target for the Quarter.
Mr Speaker, the shortfall in revenue collected during the first half of the year was due to severe shock to economic activity, general weak tax compliance and delays in the implementation of Administrative reforms due to COVID- 19.

In addition, the granting of income tax deferrals and relief to businesses as well as allowing importers to use the warehouse duty suspense regime also contributed to the 6 short falls.
Deferred import GST payments amounted to Le11.3 billion; delayed import 10 duties, Le28 billion; income tax deferrals for hotels, Le4.5 billion; and for mining companies, Le15 billion.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, total programme grants received during the first half of 2020 amounted to Le332.2 billion.

These include Le119.4 billion of budget support disbursed by the European Union and Debt Relief of Le32 billion.

Project grants amounted to Le209.6 billion.


Mr Speaker, the impact of Covid-19 on the Economy in 2020!

Prior to the outbreak of the Covid Pandemic, the Economic outlook was bright; the Pre-Covid projection was indicated that the Economy will grow by an average of 4.5% over the Medium term 2020 to 2022.

Agriculture and services were expected to be the primary drivers of growth.

Inflation was projected to return to single digits by 2022, reflecting the projected increase in domestic food production.
The primary budget deficit, the key indicator of Fiscal Sustainability was projected to improve from a deficit of 0.6 % of GDP to a surplus of 0.3 % of GDP.

The current account deficit, including grants, was projected to narrow down from 13.8 % of GDP in 2019, to 11.3 % of GDP in 2020.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, however, the weak economic activity in Sierra Leone’s main trading partners, including China and Europe, and the related drop in demand for Sierra Leone’s exports, combined with the COVID-19 containment measures have dampened economic growth in 2020.

In particular, social distancing, restrictions on inter-district movements and partial lockdowns are adversely affecting activities in the Agriculture sector, given the labour-intensive nature of local farming practices.
Foreign Direct Investment [FDI] in the Agriculture sector is also being delayed.

Reflecting virtual containment measures and these external factors, the growth of the agriculture sector is now projected to slow down to 3.1 % during 2020, from the pre- COVID-19 projection of 4.2 %.

Growth of the industry sector [comprising mining, construction and manufacturing] will slow down to 4.5% in 2020 from 7.6% in 2019, mainly due to weak manufacturing output and drop in mineral exports as commodity prices fall.
The disruptions in FDI inflows into the Mining Sector, in general, is also delaying the resumption of Iron ore mining in both Tonkolili and Marampa and 11 commencement of Bauxite mining in Port Loko.

The cancellation of flights constrained the export of diamonds.

The disruptions in global supply chains continue to make it difficult for manufacturing companies to receive supplies of raw materials and intermediate goods.

This, in turn, has weakened manufacturing and construction activities.
Consequently, the industrial sector is expected to contract by 8.6 %.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Services sector, which has been the hardest hit, is expected to contract by 12.6% in 2020.

In particular, Trade and Tourism have been affected most severely.

The COVID-19 containment measures, including travel restrictions, flight cancellations and quarantine measures, have reduced tourist arrivals and hotel occupancy levels to almost zero.
Social distancing, owing to the fear of contagion and inter-district lockdowns, have disrupted local transport and adversely affected the livelihoods of Drivers, Traders and other informal workers.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the spread of COVID-19 has also adversely impacted the external sector of the economy with serious implications for the domestic exports.
The lockdowns in China and Europe have weakened economic activity in those countries and disrupted global supply chains, which in turn has reduced the demand for exports whilst the closure of land borders and disruptions in shipping activities have also affected imports.

Consequently, merchandise exports are projected to drop from the initial projection of $912 million to $593 million in 2020.

Imports will drop slightly from $1.3 billion to $1.2 billion.
As a result, the trade deficit will widen to $620.9 million from the initial projection of $406.3 million.

The current account balance will widen to $611.2 million [15.8 % of GDP] from the original projection of $466.9 million [11.3 % of GDP].

Mr Speaker, the weak global economic activity and general uncertainty due to COVID19 has disrupted international financial flows, especially foreign direct investment inflows to Sierra Leone.
The emerging balance of payments deficit due to the fall in exports, combined with the importation of essential commodities, including Medical equipment and supplies is estimated at $120 million.

Sierra Leone’s Public Debt is expected to increase to 77.0 % of GDP compared to the original projection of 66.0 % primarily due 12 to the reduction in GDP.

Of the total debt stock, external debt will increase to 55.0 % of GDP compared to 47.2 % anticipated earlier.
Domestic debt will increase to 22.2 % from the initial projection of 19.4 % of GDP in 2020.

Against the background of these widening fiscal and current account deficits, Government requested support from the IMF for debt relief under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust [CCRT] and additional financing under the Rapid Credit Facility [RCF] to close the emerging financing gaps and stabilise the economy.
I am happy to report that the IMF, World Bank, European Union, African Development Bank, IDB and other partners have responded positively to Government’s request.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, taking into consideration the potential threat to the health and stability of our country, Government developed a short term Quick Action Economic Response Programme [QAERP] and a COVID-19 Health Response Plan with the twin objectives of saving lives and livelihoods.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, before proceeding to report on progress in the implementation of the QAERP and Health Sector Response Plan, I wish to reiterate once again the Government’s commitment to transition from the COVD-19 response programmes to the implementation of our Medium term National Development Plan [MTNDP].
Mr Speaker, as we implement the QAERP and the Health responses programme, Government and partners are undertaking various Socio-Economic Assessments of the impact of COVID- 19 to ensure a seamless transition from a response phase to the recovery phase through the implementation of our Medium-Term National Development Plan.
We do not anticipate having a separate recovery plan to run parallel to the Medium-Term National Development Plan as Government does not want to lose focus on our Medium Term Aspirations consistent with our commitment to the AU 2063 Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the implementation of the COVID19 Health Response Plan and the QAERP will play a significant role in saving lives and protecting livelihoods.
This Supplementary Budget seeks to consolidate these efforts to lay the foundation for Economic recovery by continuing investments in Human Capital 13 Development and Infrastructure.

Accordingly, the Supplementary Budget provides funding for the completion of critical road projects, the provision of electricity and safe water supply to key Districts and free quality school education programme.
The implementation of these activities will continue into the 2021, Financial Year to support Economic recovery in the post COVID-19 period.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the overarching objective of the QAERP is to maintain macroeconomic and financial stability as well as mitigate the impact of COVID- 19 on households and businesses.

To this end, QAERP comprises five programme objectives with a financing requirement of $136 million.
The programme objectives of the QAERP, some of which are expected to continue in the post COVID-19 period are as follows: [i] Building and maintaining an adequate stock level of essential commodities at stable prices; [ii] Providing support to hardest-hit businesses to enable them to continue operations and avert lay-offs of employees; [iii] Expanding safety nets to vulnerable groups; [iv] Supporting labour-intensive public works; and [v] Providing assistance for the local production and processing of staple food items.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of the QAERP, Government established a governance structure consisting of a High-Level Coordinating Group and Technical Working Groups for all pillars of the programme with clear terms of reference.

The Ministry of Finance Co-chairs this coordinating platform with the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development [DFID] and also hosts the Secretariat.
A comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation framework, comprising key performance indicators [KPIs] and implementation milestones, has been developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders to monitor the implementation of the QAERP and ensure 14 accountability in the use of resources.

The KPIs and the implementation milestones will be tracked and monitored via a real-time, online dashboard, which will be updated weekly by the Pillar Working Groups and validated by the QAERP Secretariat.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the first Pillar of the QAERP focuses on building and maintaining adequate stock levels of essential commodities at stable prices.

Through this Pillar, the Bank of Sierra Leone launched a five hundred billion Leones [Le500 billion] Credit facility to support the production, importation and distribution of essential commodities at concessional interest rates.
As at 15th of July 2020, a total of Le287 billion [about $28.7 million], representing 57.4 % of the total facility of Le500 billion [$50 million], has been accessed by importers and manufacturers.

As part of this support, the National Revenue Authority [NRA] has also been deferring taxes due for the importation and manufacturing of essential commodities.

The NRA is allowing importers of essential commodities to utilise the customs warehouse suspense regime.
The usual stringent requirement of a Commercial Bank performance bond was relaxed to allow importers to use bonds issued by Insurance Companies.

The NRA also waived the usual application fee and provided income tax reliefs for an initial period of three months to the hospitality and Aviation Sectors, which have been the hardest hit.

These tax deferrals will account for almost a third of expected domestic revenue.
This intervention has ensured the continued availability of essential commodities, especially rice, fuel and other basic food stuff in the country.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Trade and Industry ensured enhanced trade surveillance and monitoring of market prices to ensure availability of essential commodities.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the second Pillar of the QAERP focuses on providing support to Small Medium Enterprises [SMEs].
I am pleased to report that we are far advanced in designing the National Micro-Finance Programme to be commonly called, [Munafa Fund].

Nationwide consultations with relevant Stakeholders, including NGOs and SMEs, have been completed.

Consultations with the Bank of Sierra Leone and Commercial Banks are on-going.
An amount of Le 50 billion is provided in this Supplementary Budget for the National Micro-Finance Programme at concessionary 15 interest rates for SMEs to complement the efforts of the Bank of Sierra Leone [Applause].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the third Pillar of the QAERP is focused on providing support to vulnerable groups.
Through this Pillar, we have expanded the existing cash transfer programme implemented by the National Commission for Social Action [NaCSA] from thirty-five thousand [35,000] beneficiaries to seventy-thousand [70,000] beneficiaries, including persons with disabilities.
With support from the World Bank, we developed an Emergency Cash Transfer Scheme targeting an additional twenty-nine thousand [29,000] beneficiaries including households affected by COVID-19 and informal sector workers mostly petty traders, and low paid workers in the tourism and other service industries.

Using domestic resources, we disbursed Le4 billion to NaCSA for cash and in-kind support to more than eleven thousand [11,000] persons with disabilities.
In addition, this Supplementary Budget has provided Le55 billion for social safety nets covering cash transfers and food assistance as well as salary compensation for three months for workers in the hotel industry.

Government is also providing bailouts to the Sierra Leone Airports Authority [SLAA], Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation [SLRTC] and the Sierra Leone Postal Services [SALPOST].
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the fourth Pillar of the QAERP focuses on providing jobs for youths.

Due to COVID-19, business activities have contracted and many youths have lost jobs.

Through labour intensive road works, we will rehabilitate about one thousand, two hundred kilometres [1200km] of trunk and feeder roads around the country.

This will not only create jobs and support livelihoods for nearly five thousand (5,000) young men and women, but also help link our farmers to markets.
The procurement process for these road works has already been completed.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the fifth Pillar of the QAERP focuses on improving local production.

Under this Pillar, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry [MAF] has developed a Local Food Production COVID-19 Response Plan.

The Plan focuses on large scale mechanical cultivation of rice and other food crops to boost local production and 16 to promote livestock production.
Specifically, MAF aims to produce 25,000 Metric Tons of “Paddy rice” by.

Ploughing, harrowing and seed harrowing of 10,000 Hectares of land for rice cultivation in 10 Districts [Tonkolili, Bombali, Moyamba, Bonthe, Pujehun, Kailahun, Kenema, Koinadugu, Karene and Kono] [Applause].

Supporting Farmer Based Organisations [FBO] in these selected locations with 70,000 Metric Tons of Seed Rice and 3,500 Metric Tons of Fertiliser.
Provision of food for work with support by the World Food Programme [WFP]; Provision of Pre and Post-harvest Equipment and Machinery; Furthermore; MAF aims to diversify production by; Providing maize seed and fertiliser to support the cultivation of 500 Hectares; with projected production of 1,470 Metric Tons for Poultry Feed Production; Providing assorted vegetable seeds to cultivate 500 Hectares, consequently increasing the resilience of the most vulnerable groups; and Establishing a cattle resettlement scheme through the provision of “barb wires” for construction of ranches.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, to achieve the above stated targets; MAF engaged Multi-lateral Agencies and other partners supporting the Agriculture sector.

They were notified about the COVID-19 Agriculture Response Plan, planned activities for 2020, and the need for partners to restructure their project Portfolios to make provisions for supporting the Local Food Production interventions under the QAERP.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Government made an initial payment for 250 Tractors in February this year.

Due to lockdowns in manufacturing countries, notably China and India, there were delays in the delivery of these Tractors.

The first batch of tractors arrived in June when it was apparently getting late for land preparation and upland rice planting.

The MAF therefore, contracted private tractor owners to support land preparation for farmers across the country.
However, these tractors will be readily available for the next planting season.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, in addition to the five pillars that focused on the core QAERP objectives already mentioned, Government also established a Macro-Fiscal Working Pillar to monitor and advise on the Macroeconomic impact of COVID-19.

This Pillar also advises on external resource mobilisation.
In addition, a dedicated Private 17 Sector Coordination Platform was constituted to coordinate tripartite dialogue between Government, Private Sector, and Development Partners to ensure that the QAERP measures and actions reflect Private Sector’s concerns.

It also supports the framework for the implementation of the QAERP to benefit from the resources, assets, and capabilities that the private sector can offer in support of the response.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, in the Health Sector COVID-19 Response Plan Implementation Progress; Government, through the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and with support from development partners, developed the COVID19 Health Sector Preparedness and Response Plan.
The key objectives of this plan are to: [i] Mitigate the spread of COVID-19; [ii] Minimise deaths from COVID19; [iii] Protect wider health services to ensure lives are not unnecessarily lost due to non- COVID-19 health causes; [iv] Strengthen health systems and infrastructure; and [v] Mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods.
Mr Speaker, to achieve these objectives, the Health Sector Response plan for COVID-19 focuses on five strategic interventions, namely: [i] Surveillance; [ii] Isolation or Quarantine; [iii] Testing; [iv] Clinical case Management; and [v] Risk Communication and Social Mobilisation for Behavioural Change.

Mr Speaker, to ensure that the responses are effective; Government established the National COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre [NaCoVERC], to coordinate the plan.
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund was also set up with emphasis on Public Accountability and Transparency in the use of COVID-19 resources.

The COVID-19 18 Health Response is fully decentralised, following the establishment of the District COVID19 Emergency Response Centres [DiCOVERCs].

The DiCOVERCs are headed by District Coordinators who collaborate with the District Medical Officer to ensure a whole- of-Government and multi-agency approach in responding to the COVID19 pandemic at the district level.
The NaCOVERC provides strategic direction to the DiCOVERCs to ensure that there is command, control, coordination and communications [C4].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the implementation of the Health Response Plan has enabled the Government to control the spread of the Virus.

The number of COVID-19 testing laboratories has been increased from three to five across the country.

The current laboratory capacity improved from 200 PCR tests per day in March to over 478 PCR tests per day in June 2020.
The analytical turnaround time has also decreased from 12 hours in March to 8 hours in June 2020.

Beds have been available for every positive case, as a result of advance planning by Case Management.

Bed expansion has moved from 30 treatment beds in March, to over 720 treatment and community care beds in June.

Over 95 % of all confirmed cases have been safely isolated at Hospital Isolation or Community Treatment Centres [CTCs] and Community Care Centres [CCCs].
60% of the confirmed cases have recovered and been discharged as of June.

Over 100 Social and Mental Health workers have been trained on COVID-19 awareness.

They are currently deployed to provide Psycho-Social support and ensure appropriate care, de-stigmatisation, and community understanding of the Virus as well as how to engage with suspected positive cases.
Extensive Risk Communication and Social Mobilisation Campaigns on the use of Face Masks, Social Distancing and Hygiene Practices are on-going across the country.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the contraction in Economic activities due to COVID- 19 is adversely affecting Domestic Revenue Collection in 2020.

Domestic Revenue is projected to drop by Le1.10 trillion [$110 million] from the original projection of Le6.47 trillion [14.8 % of GDP] to 5.40 trillion 15 [13.0 % of GDP].
Depressed Economic activity will reduce revenue from corporate and personal income taxes, Goods and Services Tax [GST], mineral royalties and fuel taxes owing to reduced private 19 consumption, closure of businesses, fall in employment levels and lower Mineral Exports.

Lower imports will reduce import and excise duties owing to the drop in dutiable imports.

Mr Speaker, accordingly, Income taxes are revised downwards by Le201.6 billion to Le2.0 trillion from Le2.2 trillion.
Of this, corporate taxes are revised downwards by Le39.8 billion to Le340.3 billion from Le380.2 billion, owing to the projected fall in profit levels as economic activities decreased.

Personal Income taxes are revised downwards by Le161.8 billion to Le1.66 trillion from Le1.82 trillion owing to the closure of businesses and the laying-off of employees, especially those in the Private Sector.
Revenue collection from Goods and Services Tax [GST] is also revised downwards by Le310.4 billion to Le 930.6 billion in the revised budget from Le1.24 trillion in the original budget.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Customs and excise duties are revised downwards by Le348.1 billion to Le1.19 trillion in the revised budget, from Le1.54 trillion in the original budget.
Of these, excise duties on petroleum products are also revised downwards by Le124.1 billion to Le506.3 billion from Le630.4 billion due to the reduced economic activities.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, in recognition of His Excellency, President Julius Maada Bio’s track record in the implementation of Sound Economic Policies and Reforms; his unflinching commitment to the fight against corruption as well as the manifestation of his pledge to manage the resources of the state efficiently, our development partners have responded positively to his request for support during these difficult times, engendered by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, total grants and concessional financing pledged by our development partners will increase by Le1.19 trillion to Le2.96 trillion in this 2020 Supplementary Budget from Le1.77 trillion in the original 2020 Budget.

Of this amount, budget support will increase by Le936.3 billion to Le1.97 trillion from Le1.0 trillion in the original budget.
The increase in budget support includes the disbursement of $100 million and $7.6 million by the World Bank as budget support and contribution to the 20 Heath Sector Response Plan, respectively.

Mr Speaker, the World Bank will also disburse $25 million under the Regional Energy Sector Budget Support.
In addition, the European Union disbursed the fixed tranche of the 2020 Budget, support of 10 million Euros during the first half of 2020 and is expected to disburse the remainder of 15 million Euros in the second half of the year.

The African Development Bank will disburse $24.5 million as COVID-19 Crisis Budget support.

In addition to the direct budget support provided by our Budget Support partners, the IMF disbursed $143.2 million as balance of payment support under the Rapid Credit Facility.
The Leone equivalent of this amount totalling Le1.39 trillion is on-lend to Government to finance budget activities.

Furthermore, the IMF is providing debt relief in the amount of $22.7 million in 2020 under the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust [CCRT].

The G20 Group of countries are expected to provide $ 9.7 million as debt deferment under the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative [DSSI], shifting repayments into the future.
Project grants provided by our Multilateral and Bilateral Partners will increase by Le12.3 billion, to Le747.5 billion, from Le735.3 billion in the original budget.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, to ameliorate the impact of COVID19 on Domestic Revenue Collection, Government will continue with the revenue enhancing measures articulated in the original 2020 Budget, including the automation of tax processes; expand the tax base through the rationalisation of duty and tax waivers; strengthen tax compliance; closing leakages and minimising tax evasion and avoidance.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the development and implementation of COVID-19 Response Programmes necessitated changes in Government expenditure priorities.

This Supplementary Budget seeks the approval of this Noble House to reprioritise some of the budgetary allocations in the original 2020 budget.

This is needed to provide the Fiscal space to fund critical activities necessary for building health sector resilience and keeping the economy stable.
In view of the foregoing, total expenditure and net lending is revised upwards by Le1.2 trillion to Le10.5 trillion in the Supplementary Budget from Le9.35 trillion in the original 2020 budget.

The upward revision in overall expenditures reflects the increase in both recurrent and capital spending related to the 21 implementation of the QAERP and the Health Response Programme.

Recurrent expenditure is increased by Le447 billion to Le6.92 trillion from Le6.48 trillion in the original budget.
Similarly, the Capital budget is also revised upwards by Le728.7 billion to Le3.6 trillion in the supplementary budget from Le2.87 trillion, reflecting mainly the increase in the domestic capital budget by Le716.4 billion.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the supplementary budget makes provision for the implementation of the Government’s Health Sector and Economic Response to COVID- 19.
Accordingly, an amount of Le308.8 billion is allocated to the health response interventions including Government’s contributions to the operations of NaCOVERC of Le200 billion, Ambulance operations, Le26.6 billion, Mortuary Services for 20 hospitals, Le16.4 billion and laboratory and X-ray services, Le65.8 billion.

Mr Speaker, in addition, an amount of Le298.3 billion is allocated for the implementation of the QAERP.
These include allocations for: [i] Support to Small and Medium Enterprises [SMEs] through a dedicated Credit Facility and Micro Credit Scheme of Le50 billion; [ii] Social Safety Nets of Le50 billion comprising Cash Transfers and Food Assistance of Le20 billion and bailout to State-Owned Enterprises [SOEs] of Le15 billion; and support to the tourism sector, Le20 billion; [iii] Labour intensive public works, Le102.
7 billion, and [iv] Agriculture, Le90.7 billion, of which, food production activities is allocated an amount of Le70.7 billion.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, allocations for Subsidies and Transfers are revised upwards to Le1.29 trillion to cover the transfers to NACOVERC of Le275 billion.

Transfers to Local Councils; Grants to Tertiary Educational Institutions; Energy Subsidies; transfers to TSA agencies and the Road Maintenance Fund will remain as budgeted in the original 2020 Budget.
The allocations to MDAs including Defence, Police, Correctional Services will also remain as originally budgeted.

The sum of Le115.9 billion is allocated for the payment of outstanding obligations under the Free Quality 22 School Education Programme covering second and third term school fees, procurement of Teaching and Learning Materials and Core textbooks.
An amount of Le167.9 billion is allocated for first term school fees, teaching and learning materials and Diet for Board Home schools for 2020/ 21 school year.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, to continue the implementation of the original 2020 Budget priorities, domestic capital expenditure is increased by Le716.4 billion to Le1.78 trillion from Le1.10 trillion in the original 2020 budget.
For the second half of 2020, an amount of Le460.5 billion is allocated for the completion of critical road projects including Le261.6 billion for the implementation of the on-going MOUs with road contractors for the completion of the Hill-Side Bye Pass Road, Lumley-Tokeh Road and township streets in Freetown, Bo, Kenema and Bonthe as well as spot improvement of roads in Kabala and Krubonla.
An amount of Le198.9 billion is allocated for the rehabilitation of city and provincial township roads in the Western, Central and Eastern Freetown, Waterloo, Bo, Bonthe, Kenema, Kailahun, Mattru, Yiffin and the completion of Tiama-Njala University Road.
Mr Speaker, Honourable members, the Energy Sector is allocated Le172.0 billion for the next 6 months only, for the electrification of seven district towns [Kabala, Kambia, Kailahun, Moyamba, Pujehun, Bonthe and Mattru]; and the repairs of Government- owned Thermal Plants.
In the Water sector, an amount of Le146.0 billion is allocated for the next 6 months, for the Freetown Water Supply Improvement Project; Bonthe Water Supply System and the Six Towns [Kambia, Kabala, Magburaka, Kailahun, Moyamba and Pujehun]; Water Supply Project.
Mr Speaker, in an effort to mitigate the impact of climate change in the country and to create jobs, an amount of Le45 billion is allocated for Tree Planting and Le5.0 billion to National Protected Area Authority to enhance monitoring and surveillance of protected areas across the country.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this Supplementary Budget also provides a budgetary allocation of Le20 billion for the reconstruction of Military Forward Patrol Bases as well as for the procurement of equipment for the Engineering Unit of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces [RSLAF].

23 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Government will continue to improve public expenditure management during the remainder of 2020 to ensure that COVID-19 and other resources are utilised effectively and efficiently.
In this respect, Government is putting in place measures to manage and monitor COVID-19-related spending with support from development partners.

These include the setting up of the COVID-19 Fund [CF] at the Bank of Sierra Leone, to pool funds with a counterpart account at a Commercial Bank to execute the emergency spending.

This represents an improvement over the multitude of makeshift funds and agencies during the Ebola response.
We have already begun regular reporting on the use of these emergency funds and intend to further redefine the coverage of these reports, and follow best practices in the management, oversight and reporting of the accounts.
There will also be an ex-poste audit by Audit Service Sierra Leone of COVID related interventions; within 12 months of the end of the Fiscal Year as required under the Constitution and laws of Sierra Leone including the PFM Act, 2016, to ensure Transparency and Accountability for effective COVID response.
We also plan to publish on the Government website large public procurement contracts related to crisis mitigation, the names of the companies awarded contracts, their beneficial owners and ex-poste validation of delivery.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, successful implementation of the QAERP and Health Response Plan will not only save lives and protect livelihoods but also put us on the path to accelerate efforts to resume the effective implementation of the Medium-Term National Development Plan in the post COVID-19 recovery period.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let me use this opportunity to thank His Excellency the President, Rtd Brigadier Dr Julius Maada Bio, for his exemplary leadership in steering the socio-economic and political affairs of the state especially during these difficult times.

His guidance during the regular economic management briefings has been extremely useful [Applause].
The Honourable Vice President, Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, in his usual frankness, has been very helpful in guiding the Ministry of Finance on issues affecting the lives of the ordinary men and women of this country.

I would like to thank the Chief Minister and Cabinet colleagues who continue to show 24 understanding during these difficult times.

I want to assure them of the Ministry’s commitment to timely disbursement of resources as the fiscal situation improves.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the two Deputy Ministers of Finance for their support in providing good leadership to the Ministry of Finance.

These two colleagues have also been very instrumental in the resource mobilisation drive of the Ministry.
Let me also appreciate the Financial Secretary and the Principal Deputy Financial Secretary for complementing my efforts in instilling fiscal discipline in economic management, and for the effective execution of the budget during these challenging times.

The Chief Economist, Directors and staff of the Ministry of Finance are also appreciated for supporting me in crafting and Implementing Economic Policies and Programmes, including this Supplementary Budget Policy Statement.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Governor, Deputy Governor, Management and Staff of the Bank of Sierra Leone, have been very cooperative in the coordination of Economic Policies and particularly, in rolling out one of the key programmes of the QAERP.

The Commissioner-General of the National Revenue Authority and his Staff have done extremely well in the Domestic Revenue Collection in the midst of weak Economic activity engendered by COVID-19.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I would like to commend the House of Parliament including your very self, the Clerk and his Staff for the usual Bi-partisan manner in handling Economic and Fiscal Management matters brought to this Noble House for consideration, approval and ratification.

I am sure this Supplementary Budget will be accorded similar treatment [Applause].

The Government Printer and Staff, as always, rose to the occasion and printed the Supplementary Budget Statement and annexes on time.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I would like to express my profound gratitude and appreciation to our development partners especially the IMF, World Bank, European Union, African Development Bank, United Kingdom Department for International Support [DFID], ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development [EBID] Islamic Development Bank, the Governments of USA, China, Ireland, Canada and the UN Family 25 for their unflinching support during this challenging COVID-19 period.
They have demonstrated true partnership by standing by us when they are needed most.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to assure this noble House that the resources provided by our Development Partners, combined with our Domestic Resources, will be utilised effectively to minimise the adverse impact of COVID-19 on the people of Sierra Leone; through “Saving Lives and Protecting Livelihoods”.
The Policies, Programmes and Projects articulated in this Supplementary Budget seek to achieve these twin objectives while laying the basis for building a resilient economy in the post COVID-19 recovery period.

I therefore commend this Supplementary Budget to this House [Applause].
THE SPEAKER: Honourable Members, before I put the question, you will no doubt have noticed that the House has already been commended by the Honourable Minister for our usual Bi-partisan support in handling Economic and Fiscal Management matters that the Honourable Minister has brought to this Noble House.

It is in that spirit that I am now putting the question; in so far as it remains to the Supplementary Budget that the Minister has just elaborated.
THE SPEAKER: Ah, it seems the entire House is in agreement.

[Question Proposed] HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: No we are waiting for the Chairman of the Committee.

HON.

FRANCIS A. KAISAMBA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to take this singular opportunity to thank the Minister and his Team for putting together this Supplementary Budget and to the Minister for presenting this budget to this House this morning.
Of course this as clearly presented by the Minister is a Supplementary Budget, is an addendum to the original 2020 Budget.

The rationale for the Minister of Finance, to have presented this Budget and the objectives are clearly stated by the Minister.

They are provided for by law, in the 1991 Constitution, and the Public Financial Management Act 2016.

Therefore, issues that were not envisaged while putting together the 2020, original Budget came up for example, “The Covid-19”.
It was not 26 catered for in the 2020 Budget, but of course we all know the Covid-19 is here and we are grappling with it alongside the entire World, so there is every need for Government to put a Supplementary Budget together; so that those Health issues created by the Covid-19 can be taken care of.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, naturally there are other Government priorities which the Government may want to continue with and so normally, we expect these Budgets so that those grey areas can be taken care of and of course, if we have additional funding, so that the other areas from now to December can be taken care of.
So for me, as a House of Parliament; the People’s representatives, I believe this Supplementary Budget is a straight forward thing, is not controversial and I want to indulge Members of Parliament that yes we look at it, but we speedily try to ratify it, because from all the presentations done by the Minister of Finance, they are but very good, the areas where they will continue to contemplate are, but in the interest of the people of this country and they are but very beneficial to all of us.
So for example, the Flagship Project of H.E.

the President, which is the Free Quality Education, was mentioned an additional funding will continue to go into that.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation’s systems was strengthened, we all know that our Health care over the years was bedevilled by some inadequacies; we saw when the Ebola struck, it exposed how weak our Health System was and so for the Covid-19; so additional fund is equally going into that, to ensure that it is been strengthened.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, of course the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Covid-19 responses, the Minister clearly stated that for the Ministry of Energy, there is District Electrification.

We have seen the transformation that the Ministry of Energy is doing across the entire country.
District Electrification, Transformers are all over, they are bringing new cables and so far and so on; so additional funding maybe needed for all of those projects and of course, the Ministry of Energy Pre-division of Government own Power Plants like the Old Age Power Plants we have for example, in King-Tom, I think they need to maintenance all of those.

The Ministry of Water Resources equally, even in Freetown are still grappling with clean drinking water and so the Districts and 27 other Chiefdoms.
So if a Supplementary Budget like this continues to cater for providing clean water service to the people through SALWACO, I think it’s a laudable venture.

Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Water Resources again through Guma Valley, trunk of money has been allocated and of course, the very Covid-19, we are fighting.

Remember, the central ideal of this particular Budget is saving lives and livelihoods and of course we all know the social implications this may cause or is currently causing in our Constituencies.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, if a Budget like this is gear towards solving all of these problems; I think it will be but a relief to Members of Parliament because most of these social problems are sometimes brought to Members of Parliament for solution.

And so, a huge trunk of money equally will be transferred to the National Covid Responses Emergency Centres, so that they will continue to look at all of these.
Remember even WHO the other day said, that the Covid-19 will be around for a while, so as a responsible Government, I think is for proper that we continue to look at all of these.

So having stated that, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I believe this is a straight forward matter and I want to encourage Members of Parliament yes, we will Debate, but we ensure that, its but good for us to ratify.

I thank you very much [Applause].


THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member, before we open the Debate, I will just like to draw attention to the fact that this House is now proudly linked to the “New World Technology”, you all have observed that as the Minster was reading his speech, it was simultaneously made available on your screens, the screens in front of you.

Is there any Member here who did not gain access to the speech [Undertone]?

“Tamemko”, I can understand [Laughter].


“Tamemko” you have been away for quite a while so I can understand why, is there any other Member apart from “Tamemko”?

I am sure the vast majority of Honourable Members, were able to access the speech of the Minister and therefore we are following the Minister as he made his rendition of the speech.
So there is no question here of misquoting the Minister of misquoting any figures, it is right in front of you, and therefore, I am sure this Debate is not going be a 28 long one [Undertone].

Let me see how many of you to my left that really want to speak, because I only want to take four on this side and four on that side and we close the Debate [Noisy Undertone].
Okay, let me help you, well you know C4C been fair to them, all of you want to catch my eye, I will only allow one from you, NGC, I am very happy, thanks you are all sitting down, you are not asking for the Floor so one from you, three from the APC and four on this side.

Look all four of you are standing, so choose amongst yourselves the person you want to put forward.

Dr Kalokoh I will start with you.

HON.

DR MARK MAHMOUD.


KALOKOH: Thank you very Mr Speaker, for given me the opportunity to be part of the speakers to discuss the Supplementary Budget.

Mr Speaker, I will make it very short, it is normal years after years that Supplementary Budgets do come to Parliament for approval.

Mr Speaker, when the Minister of Finance was presenting the Budget, Mr Speaker, let me refer you to paragraph 74.
The Minister talked about the Water Sector and I will like to call the attention of the Minister that this area is so important that we should attach seriousness in ensuring that we promote the Water Sector.

Mr Speaker, the Minister mentioned some towns that will benefit on the disbursement of the allocation on water sector in the areas of Kabala, Moyamba, Pujehun, but one key area was left out and would like the Minister to take note of that.
A project was started by the formal Government way back in 2015, at Blama and that project was brought to our attention by the Honourable representing that Constituency and a Motion was passed here and the Committee on water resources facilitated the process, then saw the conveyance of a six container pipes at Blama.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, as I am speaking, that project if completed will service over 8,000 to 10,000 inhabitants along the line, but your Ministry the Ministry of Finance is yet to pay for that project so that we will see it completion and when you are mentioning the Water Sector and the towns that will benefit, Kenema town was left out and Blama is under Kenema.
Mr Speaker, the Minister talked about timely disbursement and I want to reiterate in this House that, every time Budget is been presented in the House of Parliament, they emphasise on timely disbursement, but what is in the speech 29 will not be reflective on the ground.
Mr speaker, the Ministry of water resources and its associated Agencies if they are given resources on time definitely, they will do good for this nation, that was manifested during the time of the lockdown; so we will like you to ensure that you live up to the expectations of the people and also keep to your time promises of timely disbursement.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture it is not only of putting things on paper we would want to see moving from rhetoric’s to realities and how do we move from rhetoric’s to realities; to ensure that if you put the money on paper, please do the implementation of that money.
You see there are several Members of Parliament here who embarked on farming, because his Excellency the President, Maada Bio, assured us in this House during the Presidential Address in 2019; that Agriculture is going to be his priority.

Therefore, I want to send a message to his Excellency, that instead of making Free Education a priority let Agriculture be a priority [Undertone].

I am coming please!

Mr Speaker, they say, “Free Education”.

What is Free in the Free Education?


There is nothing that is free in the Free Education, so let us just forget about it and let us go for Agriculture.

The Ministry of Agriculture has the exuberant to go to the field and empower our people, but the resources are not available, they have the Technocrats, they are so zealous to go to the field; but the Ministry of Finance is handicapping them, so that they could not achieve their desired objectives.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, as I am speaking this year, on to this point in time, some areas have not received the seedlings or the seeds for rice cultivation [Interrupted].

I want you to listen keenly and follow, this is lecture time.

Mr Speaker, the issue of Free Quality Education is yet to be achieved.
Mr Speaker, when you go to the schools and you use the phrase “Free”, everything that you think that will facilitate teaching and learning in the classroom should be available, but go to schools, you will not find adequate sitting accommodation, you will not find the requisite resources that will handle and motivate the Teachers to do their Professional work.
30 Mr Speaker, that is just a food for thought; let me come to the Health Sector, Mr Speaker, we were in this Well when the Ministry of Health came to give us briefing, and we were told in this Well that the Ministry of Finance is disbursing Le1Bln every week; but yet still we are getting several strike actions from Medical Personnels and these people need to be respected.
They have sacrifice to confront whatever situation that we are facing now, spanning form the Ebola, coming to the Covid-19, but these front line workers are been neglected, because if they are not been neglected, they wouldn’t have prone to numerous strikes.

We want you in as much as we are here to approve the Supplementary Budget, we do not want to hear further strikes from Medical People who have sacrificed to confront this dangerous enemy of the World.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members with that, I thank you for given me the podium to contribute on this Motion [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member for his contribution, the Honourable Mohamed Lansana you have the Floor.

HON.

FESTUS M. LANSANA: Thank you very much Mr Speaker.


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, in the first place I want to express my gratitude to our Minister of Finance and his team for giving us what our brothers on the other side have been asking for, you all recalled the last time when we were discussing his Excellency’s speech, all of you were asking for data, figures, and I know today, you are been overwhelmed with figures.
So today, I am not going to give you additional figures, because you are already overwhelmed with them; but I just want to make reference to few aspects of the Supplementary Budget and for us all to note that the aim of this Supplementary Budget really is for us to respond to the Covid-19 fight.

As a result of contingency, we did not really prepare for that, so that was why the Government transferred up to at least Le 150Bln to be use in response to the Covid.
Mr Speaker, secondly, the Budget also is geared towards addressing Sectors that were critically hit by Covid; such as, Agriculture, Tourism, Trade and Industry, Water Resources, Ministry of Health etc., etc.

so the figures can tell if you go back to the figures you will noticed 31 that we have enough Budget allocated to these sectors, because you know how they were hit.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, for example, as the Minister rightly told us, during this Covid period, Tourism was almost zero, there was lockdown, no flight to this country, so the Services Sectors were also affected; so that was why the Government decided to put more allocation to those Sectors, the figures can tell.

I don’t want to bore you with figures today.

We also realised that it impacted greatly on our revenue.
If you check on page 15, paragraph 54, you will realise that our revenue Mr Speaker, with your leave, our Domestic Revenue is projected to grow by Le 1.1Tln, which is equivalent to about $110Mln.

That was the projected Domestic Revenue as at 2020, because of the Covid; then we are projecting that, it is expected that it is going to grow by $110 mln.
So because of that, our Pro-active Minister with his team approached the International Community; and if you check of page 17 of the statement, you will noticed that the International Community came on board full time.

The figures are there, they gave us Grants, Concessional Loans and Debt relieves; so if you read from page 61 up page 64 you will see the figures for yourself.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, one of the key things I want to us to look at is the provision of 143 million dollars; by the World Bank, IMF, to Cushion the effect of the loss, the anticipated drop in revenue of 110 million dollars.

So the 147 million dollars granted and approved by the IMF is going to take care of the projected revenue loss of 110 million dollars.
We have other additional figures of 40 million dollars by World Bank, we have 15 million dollars by Africa Development Bank, but just as I promised you, I am not going to bore you with figures this time.

We are talking about Grants, Concessional Loans; all of us know what Concessional Loan is.

I don’t want to explain that to you again, but most of the figures are grants, most of them are released.

THE SPEAKER: Honourable Lansana, you may continue.

HON.
HON.

FESTUS M. LANSANA: Thank you very much Mr Speaker, I also want to draw your attention to the arrears, all of us know the quantum of arrears that we inherited since 2017.

These arrears were supposed to be pay, but as a responsible Government, 32 we decided to make sure that we do Audit all those arrears.

So the arrears have been audited and provisions are been made for payment.
We do not just want to pay because they have told us that we have arrears to pay, so we have to audit the arrears and those arrears are been audited.

Mr Speaker, provisions are been made for them in this particular Supplementary Budget.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, finally, I will take you to page 23, paragraph 91; assurance by the Minister that we are going to be very transparent and accountable in the use of these funds.
So our duty now as Members of Parliament, is to ensure that we do our oversight correctly, rightly, with no fear or favour; because he has already told us the various strategies they have put in place, the various transparency issues are now in place.

Mr Speaker, it is left with the PAC, the Committees on Transparency, Finance, etc.

and those of you who have the various MDAs to monitor, so that you can do your oversight properly, to at least help our Minister to achieve his goals.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I will just read page 23, paragraph 91, with your leave Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to assure this Noble House that the resources provided by our Development Partners, combine with our Domestic Revenues will be utilised effectively to minimise the adverse impact of Covid-19 on the people of Sierra Leone; through saving lives and protecting livelihoods.
The Policy, Programs and Projects articulated in this Supplementary Budget seeksto achieve these twin objectives.

So Honourable Members, your role now is for you to see how you can help the Ministry to achieve the proper utilisation of these resources that are been provided by our Development Partners and our local supporters.

Thank you very much [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member for his contribution.
Honourable Members, I hope you take the Queue from the two Speaker so far gravity is always the soul of with and I want to commend them for be very brief.

Yes, Dr S.O.S, I was going to withdraw.

HON.

SALIEU O. SESAY: Thank you very much Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let me join my colleagues to thank the Minister for the excellent presentation 33 he has delivered to this Parliament.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the political problems or questions our people or our voters normally asked us, the answers to those questions are provided by the Economists.

That is through the Economic Budget presented by our Minister.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, going through or listening to the Minister, I realised that the Minister is playing around with the English word by referring to the theme of the speech as, “Saving lives and protecting livelihoods”.
Mr Minister, whatever phrase you use, all what we have been used to is, “Bread and Butter” [Applause].

We would not forget the word bread and butter, so whatever Budget you bring to this Parliament, we expect that Budget to answer the Bread and Butter issue.

So if that is true, my local understanding of Bread and Butter is bringing food on the table.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, if we are to bring food on the table, we believed that you cannot do that without giving priority to Agriculture.
Just like what the previous speaker from Bombali mentioned.

But Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, with all the beautiful presentations done by the Minister, I realised that the allocations of funds that will answer to the problems or that will provide solutions to the problems of this country, and by extension the Bread and Butter, could only be achieved by prioritising Agriculture.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I am not going to the speech, but if you look at the Bill, you will realise that for food production, that is “Bread and Butter”, Supplementary budget is 3.04 billion, and when you come to Tree- Planting, that is the Environment, you will realise that for Tree Planting in the Supplementary, is 33 billion.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, you have to judge, we are talking about Bread and Butter, saving livelihoods, but you allocated 3 billion to food production, and then 33 billion to Tree-Planting.

I think if we assess and analyse, it is clear that Government is not given priority to Agriculture and we want Government to give priority to Agriculture [Applause].
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, on Education; I know it is the Flagship Project of this Government, but when I was going through this, I was asking myself the bench marks 34 used for allocating these Monies to the different MDAs.

Maybe on your response Mr Minister, you will us the bench marks.

But as it is now, even though Education is our Flagship Project, we all know that apart from the examination classes, there is nothing like schools, feeding on in the country at the moment.
Mr Speaker, if we are talking about third term and the Minister is telling us that we are going to reopen schools, and we are going to be looking at the third term situation.

If we are not going to have third term and we all know the priority at the moment is that of Health.

Mr Speaker, if you go to wages you will see the allocation for wages.

I am simply saying here, if we are given 85 billion, this is more than 50% of the original budget on Education.

More than 50%!
More than 50%!

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the original budget was 82 billion, so are we saying that for third term alone, we are going to spend 82 billion on Education?

The next Covid for Sierra Leone is hunger.

So why are we spending 82 billion towards the end of the Academic Year and then 3 billion to Agriculture, is that prudent?
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I know the Minister is fighting and trying to address the issue of Bread and Butter, but let me also take you Mr Minister, to another very, very important area in the Supplement Budget.

Mr Speaker, if you go to the Bill, item 509, clearances of Verified Audited Arrears.

From January to date, it is 266 billion; this has doubled to the current revised one to 548.2 billion.

Meaning, an additional increase of 282 billion will be paid from this Supplementary on arrears.
Mr Minister, please answer these questions why the increase?

What are the causes for the increase?

Mr Minister, I am not asking because of time, I am not asking for the detailed accounts, but please provide us with the main account; I am not against the Bill, let me make this clear, but I owe it to my people to explain to them and therefore, you need to inform me better, so that I will know and I will be well informed to explain to them exactly why the increase in the Verified Audited Arrears.
Are you paying arrears to Road constructions, Hospitalities, Subsidies?

When you go to construction or works, you realise that a lot of money is been allocated for that.

35 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, whenever I do my contribution on the budget, I always refuse to look at it from the political lens, I always try to be a professional.

This is why I will not comment on the contingency fund, which is an increase of 55.04 billion.

Mr Speaker, contingency is it on traveling?


We are not expecting you or Parliament to travel, so why the contingency?

More than maybe 5 or 6 times, I am just trying to be professional.

HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: The Honourable Member needs your protection like all others, Mr Speaker.

THE SPEAKER: Not only the Honourable Member, but all Members need my protection and they are all assured of my protection [Applause].

HON.

SALIEU O. SESAY: Mr Speaker, why the contingency funds?
55% something increase is it on traveling or is it in case of any emergency for Covid?

Mr Minister, I want to repeat; Mr Deputy Leader, I am not against the Bill, I am supporting it, but let us have clarifications on issues.

I think we need to know as Members of this Parliament, and the public also need to know about it.
Mr Speaker, I want to roundup by still encouraging the Minister of Finance, and by extension Bank Governor, please, we are tired of hearing, “We have reduced the inflation from 16.5% to 15%”; 1% decrease is insignificant Mr Speaker.

If you go to the market, the reality is different.

Tell me, I am not a lady, but the ladies can prove to us; if bag of rice is Le 250,000 this month, if you go another month, it will be Le 265,000, so where is the decrease?

THE SPEAKER: Why should you not go to the market?


HON.

SALIEU O. SESAY: Mr Speaker, I have a very good wife.

THE SPEAKER: I go to the market; I know you go to the market too.

HON.

SALIEU O. SESAY: Mr Speaker, I have a very good wife, I am not alone at home, so the reality is different.

The Minister is telling us here that we are having a decrease in general prices.

But on another breath, when you go to the market, there is an increase, so what are we talking?
We cannot continue to use words or continue to fool our people, they are very much intelligent.

Mr Speaker, they know the reality on 36 the ground, and for the exchange rate, I always say at the moment, we should not capitalise on the appreciation of the Leones, because it is not as a result of sound Economic Policy, we know that; it is not true [Applause].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the correct situation is because we are not traveling, and most of the importers are no longer importing.
Businesses are not doing well Mr Speaker; this is the fact.

The decrease in taxes is not helping, I remembered when we were about passing the Bill the 2020 budget, I raised that point, that let us look at the tax situation; because if you continue to increase taxes you are killing businesses, they will relocate; they will go to other places, so the appreciation of the Leones is not as a result of sound Economic Policies, at all.
Mr Speaker, but it is as a result of the Covid, it is like a blessing in disguise [Applause].

So we should not be boosting or we should not be using it as a point to explain why we are doing well on the exchange rate.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to roundup, I see my Deputy is very uneasy.

Mr Deputy Leader is very uneasy, so therefore Mr Speaker, I want to rest my case, but let me conclude by saying that Mr Minister, you are a very sound Economist.
And if you are a sound Economist, we expect you to map out a clear strategy on how we can get out of this Economic situation and improve our lives.

You know very well the engine of growth.

The engine of growth, if I can remind you Mr Minister, cannot be built upon grants given to us by the International Communities, IMF and World Bank.
I am not impressed when my brother on the other side, the Honourable from Kenema was praising the Soft loan, all I know, a loan is a loan; weather you have to pay it in 10 years or in 15 years later, it is a debt you have to pay [Applause].

Mr Speaker, the only way you can justify a loan is when you do a viable investment, because at the end of the day, no matter how soft the loan is, there is an interest on that loan; it is a loan.
So please, I want to encourage the Minister that these monies been allocated should be used for the intended purpose.

And what ever happened, please let us work as a Ministry to ensure that, we try to attract investors.

We cannot build this country without Private Investors, we need Private Foreign Investors; that can help to provide the investment and employment that we need.
If investors are not coming due to maybe, 37 stringent Economic conditions that are not favourable, let us take Iron Ore for example, Sierra Leone is not the only country that is blessed with Iron Ore, I am rounding up Mr Leader, I am rounding up.

It is a Supplementary Budget, I know but I want my Minister to carry on.
But the point is you and you will agree with me, whatever you do there is no way we can take this country forward without trying to provide the enabling environment so that investors will come and invest and help develop this country.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I am not against accessing loan from the IMF, but we all know that the IMF will not vote 2023, the people of Sierra Leone will have to vote, and they will vote based on the promises you made in your Manifesto; and the Bread and Butter is very key.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to round up by asking the Minister to kindly, please increase the allocation on Agriculture; Agriculture is key and is strategic.
Please, we know we need Tree Planting for the Environment, but please Mr Minister, Increase the allocation on Agriculture.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let us don’t look at the projects.

Mr Minister, you will agree with me that if you invest in Agriculture, you will do a lot on the other sectors, because it is our comparative and absolute advantage.

Having said that Honourable Members, Mr Speaker, I rest my case [Applause].
THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member for his contribution; I will now recognise the Honourable Dickson Rogers.

HON.

DICKSON M. ROGERS: Thank you Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, this is our budget.

Sometimes, we want to listen to people we don’t want to Debate, but when MPs start misleading the public, it will be but fitting for us to come in and make some clarifications.
Let me start my intervention first of all by saying thank you to the people of this country for giving us somebody like Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, as President and by extension for him putting this type of team together at the Ministry of Finance.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let us first of all define what is Supplementary?

This is a Supplementary Budget, meaning there is an original budget.

My colleague from Bombali was talking about decrease in the allocation on Agriculture.
38 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to tell this House and the public that the original budget of 67 billion is there and the 12 billion is an additional fund to the 67 billion.

So, 67 billion plus 12 billion takes us to something like seventy-nine billion, yes Mathematicians; so there is a very big increase in Agriculture.

That besides Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to take my colleague to page 6, item 509 of the Bill and to tell him that there is no increment in arrears.
What my colleague was looking at is the 548.2 billion which was the original debt this Government incurred.

Mr Speaker, after the verification, the amount came down to 282 billion; it is good sometimes we know those things instead of misleading our people.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, my colleague was also talking about bread and butter; what is more of bread and butter than livelihood and saving the lives of people.
When you talk about livelihood, the word bread and butter are embedded in that livelihood [Applause].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, our Minister is so crafty, because he knew the word will be very difficult for some other people to interpret, so he used livelihood, which is beyond bread and butter Mr Speaker.

That is the reason why when we come back to Agriculture, there is a very huge investment in that particular Ministry.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Minister was very much modest when he said ten hectares will be cultivated, I want to tell this House that we are going to cultivate more than ten thousand acres in this country, or we have already cultivated that one.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I am a service provider, the Honourable Paramount Chief representing Pujehun District is here, she is also a very big farmer; my Tractor was hired to cultivate for her, and I can tell you that Pujehun District is doing extremely well, when it comes to farming.

I cultivated over two hundred acres of boliland, so I want to allay the fears of my colleagues on that side that the farming this year has improved and it will continue to improve.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, coming back to improving our livelihood in this country Mr Speaker, let me just bring it to the notice of my colleagues that before Covid-19, rice in Pujehun was Le 280,000 per bag, and today I can tell this House that you can get a bag of rice in Pujehun for Le 254,000.

I am a witness, because I am a 39 provider of it.

I am selling rice for Le 260,000 per bag, before now it was Le 280,000 and there is also a company in Pujehun now that is selling rice for Le 254,000.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this Government is a “Bread and butter” Government.

I am also a witness in April this year, in Pujehun, NaCSA was there and distributed cash to persons with disability, and that did not only happen in Pujehun District, it happened across this country.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I believe this Supplementary Budget is here to cater for the “Bread and butter” issue, my colleague was talking about.
So Honourable Members, I want to allay your fears that this is one of the best Supplementary Budgets we have seen in this Well for the past ten years.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the reason why this budget is here, is because we want to fight the Covid.

Most of the things our colleagues are talking about now were not captured in the last budget that is the reason why this Supplementary Budget is here.

To end up Mr Speaker, let me appeal to the Minister and the Ministry.
Now that they have captured Roads in Districts, I want to appeal to the Minister that the Bandajuma-Pujehun road is bad, more so in the rains.

I want to make a special appeal that the Bandajuma-Pujehun road be highly considered immediately, if we cannot have a complete road network now; at least let us get the contractor to do some repairs on the road before the rains start coming in very heavily.

I envy Falaba, because today Falaba can boast of very good roads.
Mr Minister, I want you to continue in that direction, we have not missed our direction, and it is the “New Direction”.

Honourable Members, you can now boast of electricity in some of your Districts, that is the New Direction.

Between now to December, I assure you that Sierra Leone will be a different Sierra Leone under the New Direction.

I thank you very much [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member for his contribution, I recognise Paramount Chief Madam Minnah.

HON.

P.C.
HON.

P.C.

MATILDA YAYU LANSANA-MINAH: I just want to thank the Minister.

This is very good way to development, especially when the country is importing rice Le 320,000 now in Freetown here.

The other day I bought a bag of rice, it was so small 40 and I had to measure it and it was 150 cups, which means that a cup of rice is going for Le 2,000, how many people can afford the good type of rice which they called Balabala rice and so on.
So if you have brought Tractors which some of us are yarning for, because we have very big areas; vast areas for Agriculture in our Chiefdoms, in the Pujehun District, which we are trying to develop.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, last year, I ploughed a hundred acres of land, I hired a Tractor and did it, I got the seed rice this year and I was not able to do much because I wanted to do 200 acres, but I couldn’t get the Tractor to do it.

So I did just 120 acres.


Now if the Tractors are here, I think we will be able to do more in Pujehun District, because if you go to the bush; I tell you my brothers and sisters, it is best for us to go to our Plantations, and we get more than to buy or to just get a white shirt job and depend on it.

Let us try to go and do Agriculture that is my advice to all of us.
Mr Speaker, if a bag of rice is going for Le 320,000; I know by next year it will be more than that because of the disease which is affecting the whole World, people who have been importing rice to us, next year will not get enough to imported here.

So, that is why we in Pujehun District, just about sixteen miles to Pujehun District, the contractor has been making that road for over six or seven years, if I can remember.
The road is bad, and when we go there our cars are disturbed, the parts are broken, unless we come and do repair.

Mr Speaker, we must have to go to our Chiefdoms, our Constituents, you don’t just have to sit here and without going there to visit them.

So, I am pleading that the Pujehun District, road be completed please!

It is in a very bad condition.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, on the other hand, the area is also viable for Fishing.
We even have to use the Riverain Areas, because we haven’t got boats.

Why we need boats because we don’t have to travel by the “Dug-out Canoes” always.

When we use it, it is not possible for us to reach some areas and at times we get accidents.

In my Chiefdom, I have to inform you that I have been losing so many people by drowning especially, women who go to the Hospitals, Clinics, use Dug-out Canoes, and 41 when they use Dug-out Canoes, they are not sure of reaching their destinations.
This year, I have got over six women who were drowned going to the Clinic.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I am pleading for a boat with an engine, so that we could be using it during the rainy season.

Now the raining season is very heavy over there, and the pregnant women find it very difficult to go to the Clinic, so, I am pleading that we get a boat with machine for the Chiefdom.

On that note, I end my submission and I hope it will be remembered.

Thank you.
Thank you.

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Paramount Chief for her contribution.

The next speaker on my list is the Honourable Dr Ibrahim Kamara, you will be followed by the Honourable Tawa, and after Honourable Tawa, Honourable Paul Sam, please go ahead!

HON.

DR IBRAHIM B. KAMARA: Thank you very much Mr Speaker.

I will like to start by thanking the Honourable Minister and his team for a comprehensive document, and indeed his remarkable presentation this morning.
Mr Minister, I would specifically commend you and your team for recognising the Economic impact of Covid-19 on the various sectors and the Economic activities in our country.

You did recognise the effects that Covid-19 is having on our development partners and indirectly on our economy in terms of constraining our production sectors, in terms restricting our trade and indeed in terms of affecting the livelihoods of our people.
I must hasten to say you were actually also commendable to say that the “New Direction” has change the focus from “Bread and Butter” to saving lives.

I think that was also the recognition of the reality of Covid-19.

But more importantly, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I will like to urge the priorities in Health, like the Ebola presented us opportunities to strengthen our Health Sector, I guess Covid-19 is also an opportunity for us to continue strengthen our Health Sector.
Mr Speaker, the Minister did recognise that as a result of the Covid-19, there is going to be some reallocation of the resources so that the sectors that are more affected are to be given more priority for more resources, but on page 20, it recognises also, that despite the reallocation we are going to have a widen in deficit in our budget and as a result, we are going to increase borrowing in order to finance the additional deficit that will be created by the Covid-19 fight.
42 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, however, I must state that he also did recognised that in order to minimise the impact on the Private Sector, they are going to trying to reschedule the borrowing; so that the borrowing from our Private Banks are going to be reduced, so that the effect on the private sector is going to be minimised.

And so, I would only urged Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, that the Minister takes a very serious look at the reallocation process, for the productive sectors in particular.
Because, I see there are Cash loans, Micro Credit Schemes that are being provided or they are in the Supplementary Budget now.

But these Cash loans mostly, just go to the petty traders and other trading industries leaving the Agricultural sector, where we have a very serious challenge of access to finance; because our lands especially in the rural areas are still not acceptable as collateral to access loans from the Commercial Banks.
Mr Speaker, so I will only advise that in reprioritising, the reallocation of funds access to finance by the Agricultural sector is also given some more priority.

I thank you very much Mr Speaker [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member for his contributions and for his recognition of the time limitation, though I have not imposed it, very good, thank you.

I hope the others will take the queue from you.

Honourable Tawa you have the floor.

HON.


IBRAHIM T. CONTEH: Thank you very much Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, they say a friend in need is a friend indeed, and the Minister of Finance has been a friend in need for not only the Parliament of Sierra Leone, but the people of Sierra Leone; so you have always and you will continue to be a friend indeed.
As frank as he could be, in presenting the last budget which he referenced and accordingly stated the theme of that Budget, “Fiscal Consolidation for Human Capital Development and Job Creation”, it is stated in paragraph 220 of that budget.

Mr Speaker, with your leave, he said Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the potential risks that could derail the implementation of the Government budget has been identified and discussed in the Government Fiscal Strategy Statement for 2020 to 2022.
For the 2020 Budget, the following risk had been identified and one of those risks Mr 43 Speaker is the occurrence of natural disaster associated with expenditure which could derail the implementation of the budget.

Mr Speaker, it is no gain say, to say the Global Pandemic and the Covid-19 has affected the implementation of this Budget seriously, in fact of all the other reasons stated for the presentation of a Supplementary Budget to this House, I am sure the over aching challenge is the Covid-19.
But in spite of the Covid-19, this Minister has been able to pay salaries consistently; inspite of the Covid- 19, this Minister though with some delays have been able to allocate subventions to subvented Agencies; in spite of the Covid-19, this Minister has been able to meet the daily expenditure of Government; in spite of the Covid-19, and in spite of the debt relief; other debt obligations that should be met on a monthly basis, this Minister has been able to meet those obligations.
And I am sure some times in 2015, if we had a Minister that is as pragmatic as him in that capacity, to come up with the “Quick Action Economic Response Program the Ebola” could not have hit us as hard as it did.

But today, in spite of the fact that Corona is with us life seems to be very normal, because the bread and butter that he promised, he is delivering on a systematic and pragmatic level [Applause].
Mr Speaker, let me take you to paragraph 3, the Minister acknowledged the serious effect of Covid-19, on the second largest sector in the country that is the service sector.

Mr Speaker, he said the hardest hit sector has been Trade, Tourism and Transportation, Agriculture, Fisheries, Manufacturing sectors, are also been adversely affected.
Mr Speaker, that is not to say the relationship between paragraph 3 and paragraph 15 is not unconnected, because if you look at the effect on the service sector; it speaks directly paragraph 15, which is almost telling us that if the Service Sector is not functioning, the Trade deficits will continue to widen.

And because we are not exporting, it is obvious that it will affect the inflationary pressure and it will have a ripple effect on the foreign exchange.
To enhance a sustainable foreign exchange, the Minister projected on the same Budget that he presented to this House that the continued closure of the Iron ore, the Mines, will affect the Budget adversely.
44 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, to date, in spite of the fact that none of the Mining Companies are operating, in spite of the fact that all the mines are closed, which were providing Foreign Currency Revenues to this country, but yet still we are able to maintain a sustainable trend in the Foreign Exchange Sector.
If we have African Minerals operating at the time, we have London Mining operating and we have other Minor Mining Companies operating it is but fair to say that Sierra Rutile cannot replace all of them.

So the effect of losing the Shandon, the result of losing London Mining, it has a ripple effect on the Economy, but yet still the Economy is moving and is growing steadily.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Minister said that the Quick Action Economic Respond Programs will attend to the following issues; building and maintaining adequate stock level of essential commodity at stable price.

Mr Speaker, the most essential commodity of this country is rice our staple food to date since the Airport and the Covid-19 actions were instituted or put in to full force we have not seen a dramatic increase in the price of our staple food.
In fact, statistics from C.T.C shows that we have enough rice capacity to feed this country up until January of 2021 [Applause].

That is pragmatism; and how pragmatic has that been?

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the challenge for CTC over the years, whilst I was in the Bank, is the provision of Foreign Currency; to date this Minster is providing on a monthly basis about $10Mln, for the importation of rice and other essential commodities.

This Minister deserves a clap [Applause].


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Quick Action Economic Recovery Program also speaks to providing support to hardest hit businesses, this Government has provided 500Bln to support critical businesses, you go to the Bank of Sierra Leone, the Loan is provided through Commercial Banks and for the first time in the history of this country.

HON.

MATTHEW S. NYUMA: Mr Speaker, point of Order sir!


I need your protection for my man; I want him to be protected, because we are now giving the actual figures not hypothetical figures [Laughter].

Go ahead my brother.

45 HON.

IBRAHIM T. CONTEH: And for the first time in the history of this country a loan is granted at a single digit interest rate, this Minister deserves a round of applause [Applause].
I had my brother was talking that the Government had obtained a lot of loans, but when we are granting loans in the Bank; we grant the source of repayment and if you look at the sources of repayment for which those loans were been obtained, they were either investing in Agriculture or to improve the Tourism Sector or to improve the Fishery Industry, the Fishery Industry alone in 2018, when we took up governance, fishery was accounting for 74Bln of our total revenue, between 2018 to 2019, it moved from 74BLN to 94Bln; this Minister is pragmatic, this Minister is a good Minister.
And in six months between the periods 2019 to the date, when he brought the Budget to this House, we moved from 94Bln to 105Bln, this Government is a Government that is focused.
Mr Minister, your support to businesses, Major Importers have shown the real effect of Covid that is been felt by other countries even though we are feeling it, but I am sure everybody in this House knows that it is not comparative, that is because we have ensured that the necessary cushion to support businesses in terms of Financial support, in terms of Foreign exchange support is been provided and provided on a timely manner.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, for your information, the Minster is my next door neighbour which speaks volume to the fact that Constituency 132 is the best Constituency in the Country; which speaks volume to the fact that it is only Constituency 132, that as it is in Sierra Leone during Covid, that development is been rolled out on monthly basis.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, quite recently, this Minster and my very self we were at Kanigo after the Mudslide struck in 2017, the former Government thought of rolling out a program with the World Bank, but because of lack of credibility and trust, the World Bank putted that program on a hold; when this Minster a resumed office, he has moved that project from a project on a hold to supporting 80% of Government contribution in addition of the $10Mln that the World Bank is providing for the smooth stabilisation of the Hill at Mount Sugar Loaf.
And that project includes the maintenance 46 of the Babadorie-Guma Reservoir; it includes the construction of 6 box culverts at Joshia drive, Kamayama, Charlotte, it also includes the construction of 3 bridges and in all of that including, the Kanigo bridge and if all that has happened during Covid [Interruption].

HON.

MATTHEW S. NYUMA: Mr Speaker, Point of Order, Section 34!

AKK that is very unparliamentary.


You did not stand on a perfect standing Order, you just stood up and start talking, and you obstructed him.

Quote the right Standing Order to stop him, he did not get the permission of the Speaker, I don’t like what you are doing, to be very honest, you are a reverend [Laughter].

HON.

ABDUL KARGBO: No!

No!

Mr Leader.

THE SPEAKER: No!

No!

Honourable Leader no not on this one HON.

CHERNOR R.M.

BAH: Mr Speaker, I am raising on S.O 32[5] THE SPEAKER: Which one?

HON.
HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: 32 [5] Mr Speaker!

THE SPEAKER: But the young man was not rising on S.O.

HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: No!

No!

I am and I want to remind the Leader on S.O permission, because he was in this House.

Mr Leader, you were here for S.O permission so don’t forget, I am sure you have seen it Mr Speaker THE SPEAKER: I have seen it.

HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: Thank you!

THE SPEAKER: But Honourable AKK.

HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: No, it is for me, forget about Abdul Karim Kamara now.
THE SPEAKER: No!

No!

He did, he disrupted.

Honourable AKK be warned!

HON.
IBRAHIM T. CONTEH: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I heard the Honourable Member saying I am not speaking to the instrument before us, let me draw his attention to paragraph 45 that speaks to the construction of roads or rehabilitation 47 of roads across the Country and what I am talking about are construction of roads and bridges, so it should be guided and maybe be referred to the appropriate paragraph so that I will bring him along so that he will understand what this Government has achieved in difficult times.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Minister said in his Quick Action Economic Recovery Program, that he is going to provide support, and he has already started providing support and he is going to expand on the Safety Net to Vulnerable groups; nobody will challenge that!

The money was given to the appropriate institution, and it was this Parliament that set up NACSA as a special purpose vehicle to ensure that Government’s Programs for Vulnerable people are roll out without Government’s interference.
And it was NACSA supported by the Anti-Corruption that paid 4Bln for the first time in the history of this country, for people to be locked down and Government provided for them for the first time, it is only under this Government, that this thing has been done and it was done twice, that is to say the Le1, 309,000; was given to market women to support small businesses; these are all realities.

These are all facts, when we talk, we talk facts, and when we talk we provide the appropriate references.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, supporting Labour Intensive Public Works; it is all over the place.

Mr Speaker, there is work going at Bandajuma, there is work going at Kenema, project and gravelling work is on-going at Kabala, so when we talk, we talk with facts.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Minister had said, that in as much as Covid has affected producing countries, they have been able to within a short period to deliver at least 50% of the 250 Tractors that they have paid for already; this is not a loan, this is not negotiable, this is paid for already, that is a Pragmatic Government, that is a Government that is ready to speak to the issue of bread and butter.
Mr Speaker, let us understand the issue of bread and butter today, if you don’t have money, you will not buy bread, if you have bread you don’t have money you will not get butter, so what the Minister is doing is to ensure that he is going to create additional 5000 jobs in the construction of 1,200 kilometres of roads given to sierra Leoneans, companies, including but not limited to Silicon to Gento, to Perviforce and for your 48 information; it was Perviforce under the direction of this Minister that was given the construction and rehabilitation of the Babadorie Reservoir.
It was Silicon that was given the construction of all the bridges in the mudslide affected communities that is not only providing jobs, but he is also supporting local content 100%.

Thank you Mr Minister [Applause].

Before I take my seat Mr speaker, in all of these, even in this Parliament [Undertone], okay let me say one thing Mr Minister, please unfriend the friendliness with this Parliament today [Applause].
You see deaf ear silence if the Minister unfriend his friendliness with this Parliament today, but because he is a friend in need, he will always be a friend indeed.

Mr Minister, we thank you, we thank your FS, we thank your team at the Ministry for stirring us in difficult times and achieving Manifesto commitments and achieving unbudgeted provisions, and the support you are providing now for the Ministry of Environment is more than needed Mr Minister.
If you look at our Environment, we have lost 3% of our forest cover, in the last one year alone and you are providing additional 45Bln for the planting of 5,000.000 trees in this Country is laudable, Mr Minister [Applause].
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, because of the multi-Faceted activities in which the Military is been used, you are providing additional support, so that they can support Freetown City Council, support Aid to Police, support to Civilian Aid, to protecting additional security for us and in addition, you are providing 20Bln to bail out subverted Agencies.

THE SPEAKER: And with that!

HON.


IBRAHIM T. CONTEH: And with that Mr Speaker, I want to say thank you to the Minister, I want to say thank you to his Excellency the President, and I want to say this Budget is timely and needed.

Thank you very much.

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member for his contribution.

The next speaker on my list is the Honourable Paul Sam.

HON.

PAUL S. SAM: Thank you very much Mr Speaker.


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to thank the Minister of Finance for the speech deliver this morning.

49 THE SPEAKER: After the Honourable Paul Sam, I will recognise the Honourable Paramount Chief Bai Kurr.

HON.

PAUL S. SAM: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to thank the Minister of Finance for the speech deliver this morning, for the Supplementary Budget that will aid the 2020 Budget, that was allocated to the people of this Country.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to start my address from the issues which the Minister highlighted here, the bullet points he highlighted towards the quick plans, that is the pillars.

He talked about the building, the maintenance and adequate stock level.

He talked about providing support to add it business.
He talked about expansion, safety neat to vulnerable people or groups and some others, which is a laudable venture; which the Minister of Finance together with team put together to see that, they address most of these areas during the Covid-19 scourge.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to start with pillar 5, on page 13; where he talked about Agriculture.

Agriculture should be the back bone for every Country that wants to succeed.
When we talk about the “Bread and Butter” which Mr Minister brood out, when he was presenting the Budget for the bread and butter last year November.

Mr Speaker, food on the table it what we refer to as Agricultural sustainability, because when the people actually have bread in the morning, bread in the afternoon and bread in the evening; and that should been the focus of the Government.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Flagship program of His Excellence, is Education prioritised and then Agriculture.
Agriculture which addresses the issue of bread and butter should to be addressed properly [Applause].

He talked about 250 Tractors purchased by the Ministry of Finance.

I want to submit to the Minister that we need even distribution of those Tractors, because so many districts, who are agriculturally viable, need to have some of these Tractors to see that the Food Self-Sufficiency which the Government is yarning for will be achieved.
Mr Minister, I want to take you to page 18, paragraph 66, you talked about the DeCovac, and NaCovac, where funds have been rolled out to those districts to manage the Corona response.

For Kono District of course, monies where located to the 50 DeCovac.

But what I find out is that the senior staffs in those districts have not been paid; only the coordinator has been paid as I speak in Kono District.
So if monies are allocated, then they should monitory with rapt attention to actually find out if those monies are reaching the front line people; the front liners need to be paid those monies.

So if we are talking about Billions of Leones that has been rolled out to the districts, then we need to follow up, because must of those staff has not been paid out of the funds send to those districts.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, when we go to page 20, the Minister highlighted some certain MDAs, that are not supposed to benefit from the Supplementary Budget we are taking about.

And when we go through that Mr Speaker, the Energy, Defence, Police that is the Military and the Police are not included in the Supplementary Budget.

But when you go to page 20, paragraph 73, Le 172.0 Bln has been allocated to the Energy sector so I don’t Know if it is a misplace of words or typographical error.
Because on page 19, you said Energy, Local Government, Defence, Military are not going to benefit from the Supplementary Budget.

When you come to page 20, paragraph 73, you allocated172 Bln to Energy so, what is the difference?

You talked on page 19, that monies are not been allocated to Energy and then in page 20, you said 172; so you need to clarify that to us.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let us go to Education.
Of course, Education should be the fact, because developing the brain of a Country; the Middle-man power is much needed by us, because that has been our problem over the years.

For Education, the second tranche of subsidies to Government and Government assisted schools have been rolled out, before the Reopening of Schools for NPSE, BECE and WASSCE; that is a laudable one.
But what I want to submit to you Mr Minister, is that the monies that have been allocated for Education here, you need also to look at subsidies given to Primary Schools; Le 10,000 per Child.
Primary school is the foundation of every Education, then if Le10, 000 is continually been giving to Primary Schools as a kind of subside, then if you have Le 500 pupils in a School, it is about 2.5Mln which is not enough and most of those schools do not have the kind of approved Teachers; So we 51 need to look at that.

Mr Speaker, if we move from that Le 10,000 and lift it to Le 30,000, that would be fine and the foundation for Education we are talking about will be achieved.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I want to also talk about the “Munafa” fund.

The “Munafa” funds i don’t know if it is a Mandingo language, when they talk about “Munafa”, it is anything that we make you feel good.

What so ever that helps you to spring over, that is what they refer to as “Munafa”.

So of courses, the Kono District is going to benefit, so I want to tap you on your back.
But the Munafa fund has to be replicated, because what so ever we are talking about here is literature, so the impact on the ordinary man in those Districts, Villages and towns, is a key.

So “Munafa” has to be replicated to our people down there.

Mr Speaker, let us go to the road maintenance.

When you read about the Supplementary Budget here, for all the roads mentioned, Kono District in not mentioned.
In the Manifesto of His Excellence President, he talked about certain roads in the Kono District; that is to say the road linking from Koidu town to Mofindor Chiefdom to have connectivity, the road linking to Manor junction and Bumpeh, those roads since 2018 and 2019 to 2020, none of them have been mentioned in the Budget Mr Minister, you need to think about that.
Under Education of course, few days ago, we heard about the approval of a University, and that the funds are available; but maybe you want to put it during the bigger Budget that will be coming in November?

Mr Minister, you need to tell us something about that and the approval of funds for the Kono University.

Mr Minister, you need to update us on that for us to have confidence to go back to our constituencies and inform our people accordingly.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, under the same Education, the Minister of Finance together with the Government of Sierra Leone approved so many Teachers with qualifications raging from TEC, TC, and HTC certificates.

When you look at those certificates, the increment that has been given to the Teachers is just the same; somebody with TEC and somebody TC and HTC, are just on the same flat rate.

So I want you to do reassessment for Teachers, so that they we be considered into the next 52 budget.
There should be difference in the salary allocation for somebody with TC and HTC.

Mr Speaker, the reassessment of Teachers need to be addressed, because I have followed up on TSC Act, that those Budgets have been put together and I was expecting that they should have been part of this Supplementary Budget to see that the reassessment of Teachers are addressed.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, when we look at the front liners, the foot Soldiers, the Counsellors are entity to find jobs.
You can become a Teacher, at the same time you can become a Counsellor.

But I want to say Mr Minister that we look into their sitting fees, the Mayors and Chairpersons as smiling at the moment, but when we look at the Counsellors, these are the people that actually take the development to the different wards.

All Government activities are felt; because of the presence of the Counsellors at those ward level.
So if that is the case, then the sitting fees for Counsellors need to be increased, at the moment they are receiving about Le 1.2 Mln, so let there be some kind of big boost for them, so that they have access to their communities, and they will be able to forward most of the developments we are taking to those areas; so let us consider the Counsellors because they are very key in the development of every Country.

THE SPEAKER: And with that?

HON.


PAUL S. SAM: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, of course somebody was saying that you are a friend of Parliament, as you are seeing Members of Parliament very energetic and with smiling faces to you, because we expect the Deputy Minister one to come here today.

Normally, when she speaks something happens.

Thank you very much Mr Speaker, for given me this opportunity [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: Thank you for your contribution.

Honourable Paramount Chief, Bai Kurr.

HON.


P. C. BAI KURR KANAGBARO SANKA III: Thank you Mr Speaker.

HON.

SPEAKER: After the Honourable Paramount Chief, we shall wind up the debate.

53 HON.

P. C. BAI KURR KANAGBARO SANKA III: Thank you Mr Speaker.

When I the received this Budget yesterday, I was amazed.

Mr Speaker, let us be honest and let us be realistic and let us tell the truth.

Mr Speaker, the truth is, Covid has destroyed the Economic of the entire World.
I am sure for every one of us in this Beautiful, Lovely and Noble Hall; know very well the repercussions Economical, Socially.

THE SPEAKER: I don’t which to interrupt the Honourable Paramount Chief, but I just want to acknowledge the presence in our midst of the Inspector General of Police.

I am sure he is here for a friendly visit and no Member of Parliament should harbour any apprehension.

HON.
HON.

P. C. BAI KURR KANAGBARO SANKA III: Mr Speaker, the truth is the Economy of the world is in disarray, for all of us here know very well, that America had to pour in over 2, 3 trillion Dollars to soften the effect of Covid.

For all us know very well, we had all from the Radio and Television, the European Union recently about 2 to 3 days ago, had to bring in over seven hundred Billion Euros to the Economies of West Europe.
For me to see a Supplementary Appropriation Bill, I have to admire the Minister that they have handled situation up to this point.

I have to admire, because during the time of Ebola is only Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, maybe DRC.

But the entire Covid has affected the strongest Economies of this World; including American, China, Britain, France, and Germany.
Mr Speaker, let us don’t expect a failure from any Government, because if the Government fails, we are all failures during our generation, we should make Sierra Leone a batter place for all of us [Applause].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we have to congratulate everybody including the President, the Minister, the Cabinet, for him trying very hard to pay Salaries on a monthly basis [Applause].

Therefore, let us give support to ourselves.


For me personally, when you say Government of the day, every Sierra Leonean is a big part of the Government of the day.

And I am sure all the Paramount Chiefs have served the Government of the day equally; so I am here to say thank you, and I am impressed with the situation right now in terms of how you are handling the Economy.
There is grumbling all over the World, let us be honest, I know so many Dollars use to come 54 from American, London, to support some of my people in Freetown and Massigbi.

But today those Dollars and British Pounds are not coming, because the Economies of those Countries are not functioning very well.

So therefore, we have to give support to our Economy, all of us should contribute well, so that we will not be failures.
Sierra Leone has no option but to succeed, I am seeing what you are doing on Covid and we are supporting to see that we continue to protect the lives and property of the people of Sierra Leone.

So Covid-19 is a disaster to the entire World.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I was afraid of what I heard from London, America, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, so I was thinking that we could have collapsed within a minute the African continent.

Look what is happening in South Africa today.


So therefore, let us give support to this Bill and see that the monies are well spent for the entire populations [Applause].

Mr Minister, I saw the Budget estimate and I saw what you put in for the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.

My appeal is for you to work together with the [TSC] the Teaching Service Commission, so that more Teachers are employed, and pay them their Salaries, so that Education becomes a top priority.
Education should be the top most priority of every nation, every family, and every person without Education, we are nothing.

We can only became an industrialised nation when we have between 70, 75% of the population educated.

All of us who can stand up and speak here, the Ministers are because we went to School.

Mr Speaker, there are clever people out there, but simply because, they couldn’t write and read English they could not come to this Parliament.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the late President of the United States said Licoln Johnson said, “It is in the land of ignorance, that poverty is planted”.

That was what he said.

He said it is the land of ignorance that political scribes are planted.

So therefore, Education has no match.

If we want to make this nation a better nation, Education should be a priority.

And believe me; I can challenge anybody, that I am a great supporter of the Education of this Country.
Mr Minister, I want you to look at this on the TSC, we have so many Teachers that have been teaching for the past 4, 5, 6, 7, years that are not on a pay roll.

We should even give them award, because they are 55 contributing.

If you ask here in Freetown, Bo, Makeni, Magbaruka, and other areas, you find highly qualify Teachers, graduates from Universities given pensions between Le 200,000 and Le 150,000 a month for teaching.
Mr Minister, let us look at this people and try to bring them into the Pay Roll System.

I am Appealing to you, to promote Education in this country; I am appealing to you, Mr formal Leader please; I want the attention of the Minister.

Please!

When I talk; I look at the national issues [interrupted].

No, I have never been a politician [Laughter].

I am always a Paramount Chief and I have been there for the past 33 years, yes!
Mr Minister, we need Education; when President Bill Clinton came to power, he looked at the Educational System in the United States of America, it was not among the first 30 countries of the World; he declared, “A National Security issue on Education”, and every year most of the developed countries are taking exams to determine the level of Education they have.

Mr Speaker, Finland is the top most Educational country in the World; toping America in everything, in Mathematics, English and in every subject.
Finland is a small country that has no iron ore, they don’t have anything, but they have Education and they are doing very well.

All of us sitting here have computers, all of us sitting here have iPhones, it is Education that made it possible for you to sit here and talk to people in London, America, England, Germany, [Applause].

So for me, Education is the top most prioritised sector, educate a person and the person will find a way to promote himself or herself; so, I am appealing to you to look at it.
Mr Minister, I am appealing to you and the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education to look into the LINKONWING University.

We are having over thousands of students perambulating the streets of Freetown, who couldn’t graduate; some of them would have graduated about six [6] to seven [7] months ago.

Look, the function of a Government is continuous, the limits are from zero to infinity so therefore, if you come in you solve the problems you find.
I am appealing to you to look at it very seriously, so that these students, who have gone through four, five years of education there, graduates and try to renegotiate so that the University can continue.

I am appealing to you to look at the Massigbi road; from Massigbi to Blama that road is so critical it connects the North-East, the South-East and the South-West [Applause].
56 Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, we need that road, we have so many good Chiefdoms there and we have been exploited too much; when you look at the diamonds that came out of those Chiefdoms.

Today, we have the worst roads.

I am also appealing to you Mr Minister, the 91 to Magbaruka road connects Kono easily, it saves over 25 miles, instead of going through; please, write projects so that these roads will be constructed within your time.
The Kono from Massigbi, if you go through 91 you saves over 25 miles when you look at the Map; when you go to Magbaruka, and you have to go way North, then you slat to North, West, then you come back to the Western area; so we are appealing to you, that road is very critical and Tonkolili been the Central District, when connect it, you would have connected a large part of the country.

I am appealing to you again for you to connect the Bo-Matotoka high way, so easy to come to Makeni.
After making this appeal, I have to congratulate you.

I am appealing to you to continue to do well and for us to do well and to thank his Excellency the President, the Cabinet Ministers, the Honourable Members of Parliament, for all the contributions we are making; let us move as a nation and let us have a National Agenda.

The National Agenda of Sierra Leone should be Development, Peace and Stability.
Peace, Stability and Development will take place only when we the educated people are honest enough to accept things that we cannot change [Applause].

So, I thank you very much Mr Speaker, for leading this and we say thank you, and we hope we will all do well to make Sierra Leone a better place for mankind.

Thank you.

HON.

EMERSON S. LAMINA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, this Bill is not controversial and I deem it very necessary to contribute for the furtherance of the Government’s Agenda.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, with your leave I read paragraph 10 the object in summary page 4, that actually presents the objective of the paper to implement “the Covid-19 Health Sector Preparedness and Response Planned in order to strengthen our Health System to save lives, to implement Action Economic Response Programme to save livelihoods and lastly, to continue the implementation of the original 2020 Budget priorities, which will continue into 2021 as part of the recovery 57 effort in the post Covid-19 period”.
With these objectives Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I deem it topical and I deem it timely, for the intervention of Government in times like this.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members because the DU is in line with the SDG of the African Vision of the World and the Medium Term Review Program, embedded in this Government’s trajectory, I think I will support this Bill for the simple fact of the strategy of NRA.
NRA is the mother of all resources, their strategies of collecting taxes from Mining Companies and to other business holes is laudable.

It surprises us all today that we have diamonds in this country, we have gold, but we cannot sell it.

How can we cushion the Economy with the forest?

One way!
One way!

There is no Flight, Tourism has been gripped by Covid-19 and because of that single strategy of NRA, I commend the Minister of Finance and his team in making sure the Economy is being driven in the right direction.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the reality here is; we need an Act that we address Emergency issues.

We can cut a leaf from South Africa, there is an unforeseen Emergency Act, that will address emergencies, whenever they grippe our country especially, in this time of Covid-19.
It all happened in 2014, we were gripped by Ebola and all the Government strength in the Agenda for Prosperity was the Iron Ore Economy.

Today 2019, we are also gripped by Covid-19 and all of the Government strength was based in “Executive Order one”, lets increase our taxes we are gripped, where do we go?

A single Act of an Emergency of an unforeseen Emergency Act can settle our emergencies whenever they arrive.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members!


THE SPEAKER: Honourable Member, are you aware that this House has enacted something akin to what you are suggesting, the National Disaster Management?

HON.

EMERSON S. LAMINA: I am quite aware and have settle real financial issues, I am quite aware.

The structure is there and I was coming to that very closely.

THE SPEAKER: Okay!

58 HON.


EMERSON S. LAMINA: Yes, they are intertwine, but it doesn’t actually handle financial issues in times of crisis like this; I contributed to that Debate, and I am aware very, very well Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members I think we can employ the Mining Sector; sometimes I will love to see the Mining Sector working closely with the Ministry of Finance.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Mining Sector is so important, I normally say it, Section 7 of the Sierra Leones 1991 Constitution, emphatically referenced of.

How?

In times like this the band on excavators and bulldozers has also greatly affected the Mining Sector.

Alluvian Mining is no longer producing, but they are used at the Artisanal Sector with a thorough work on the excavators and bulldozers.

Overnight, somebody can find fortune; those fortunes can change the whole Economic Sector.
Oh yes [Applause].

So it is really not helping.

I call upon the NMA to work very closely with the EPA to see how we can repel and get an Act that will settle that issue so that overnight, S.O [2] dae sand, sand boys will begin to see their fortunes kept”.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I actually join colleagues to call for speedily ratification of this particular Bill, I will not hold the Government fit to fire at this particular moment, because it is Supplementary Budget and because it is Supplementary Budget, I cannot hold the Government fit to a fire.

I want continuity of its programs, but Mr Speaker, it’s just an early warning to the Minister.

I am expecting the substantive Budget for 2021 around October, or so.
I am representing a District that consists of 14 Chiefdoms, 70 Sections, a District that has 2 localities and 9 Constituencies, that is the District and I am told Kono District is among the three best Districts that contribute fully to the GDP of this Nation and formally called the “Bread Basket of the land.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I know the road maintenance cuts across and I am expecting good things in October 2021 Budget, but Mr Minister, is just an early warning signs, that let Kono be considered because of our huge contribution to the GDP of this Nation.
I can sense University coming, I can also sense the roads between Gbense to Mafidoh Chiefdoms that will link Guinea which will make Kono to become an 59 International Trade Centre, those are just early warning signs so that the Socio- Economy of this nation can benefit what it actually deserves.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, thank you very much for this opportunity [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Member for his contribution; I now give the Floor to the Leader of the Opposition.

HON.
HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: Mr Speaker, I thank you very much, and I join others before me in thanking the Minister for his presentation.

I was looking for the Honourable Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, but I am happy he is back.

I just want to remind him with his conclusion, that is to say, thank you to the Minister and thank you to the President.

Indeed, all what he did was a Motion of thanks and not focus on the Debate.

Thank you very much.


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the Supplementary Budget is necessary, because with all the funds that have joined those within the consolidated fund, from whatever source be it grants of loans, we were expecting this document, so we are happy that the Minister and his team were able to work on time to ensure that the document is here today.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, a lot has been said on Agriculture.
I am very happy that this House except for those that are not farmers, but for people like us who are involved in Agriculture [Undertone], oh yes, not the forestry’s I am involved in actual agriculture and [interrupted], Neneh you know the place, so I will not say.

Mr Speaker, I was just confused and taken slightly at back, but maybe it is a typo as usual.
The Minister in paragraph 48 mentioned 250 Tractors and the Ministry of Agriculture in the memo confirmed 180 Tractors and in 2019, when these Tractors were Budgeted for, we were told about a 150 Tractors; so now we have three different figures 250, 180 and 150 we need to harmonise those figures Mr minister.

Because the figures are not adding up [Undertone] as usual I will do what I know best.
THE SPEAKER: But I am sure I will join you being a farmer myself, I hope the higher figure will be the harmonised.

60 HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: Well I am not in rice farming, so Tractors will not serve me better, you know very soon Mr Speaker, I will invite you to visit my farm.

I want you to visit.

THE SPEAKER: You will come to mine first.

HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: No problem sir, I will come there with the Leader of Government Business.
And Mr Speaker, I am also very happy that this House has acknowledged, I don’t know who was contributing, but I think it was the Honourable from Lumley; he mentioned Pavifort, Gento and CICON alleviating local content.

I am very excited, we are very grateful to the formal President, for enabling these young guys.

I will repeat that, the Pavifort, the Gento, the CICON, by extension “Papachendaca”.
I will not say we created them because we are not God, but we made them to be known and Mr Minister, I thank you very much for continuing to deal with them [Applause].

But beyond that also, we are looking forward to the jobs as I said Mr Speaker; let us continue in supporting these young guys to promote local contents.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I totally agree with the Honourable Paramount Chief from Massigbi, that Education should be second to none, I totally agreed with you.
That is why we have always supported and we will continue to applaud his Excellency the President, for making Education his Flagship Program [Applause], we will continue to do that.
Mr Speaker, the records will show, and fortunately, the Minister of Finance is here, when we came into governance in 2007, the Budget allocation to the Ministry of Education was less than 4%, we left it at 17.3%, but then Education was not our flagship program, but that was what we left it at 17.3%; today it is 21%, we want to see more because when it is good we will do.

There is evidence Mr Speaker, within ten years, Universities were created there are evidences, because they are tangibles.
The Honourable Paramount Chief will confirm that he has a State of the Earth Technical Institute in his own Chiefdom, the Massigbi done during the last ten [10] years, that shows the premium we laid on Education.

Mr Minister, thank you very much for continuing with this and we will continue to support the President, because we believe that with Education, many other things could be addressed [Undertone].
We don’t 61 need to recruit, we created the platforms, and we paid Salaries to Teachers for over two years when they were not going to the classrooms.

As Honourable Ibrahim Tawa Conteh said, even though today some of them are late, we were not late, we always on time [Undertone], Mathew Dingy is here, and he was head of Budget then; so he knows what I am talking about.
Mr Speaker, all I would say today is to join others in thanking the Minister, but to also encourage this House to assist the Minister and other MDAs along the journey in ensuring that they respect the Supplementary Budget the Prime Budget and making sure that all what we expect to be implemented will be implemented as and when the time arises.

Once again, thank you very much and I will assure you that we will continue to do what we will do best.
Mr Minister, don’t hesitate, always come when you need our support as long as it is good; we will be doing the past, we will continue to support.

I thank you very much.

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Honourable Leader of the Opposition, for his contribution.

HON.

MATHEW S. NUYMA: To say just thanks?

THE SPEAKER: I now give the floor to the Leader of Government Business.

HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, thank you very much.
Mr Minister, on behalf of Parliament, all the Leaders said, I should say thanks to you; thank you very much for your pro-activeness, thank you very much for taking care of what you are supposed to take care of, thank you sir.

This is a Supplementary Budget, we all know that.

Is just a support to the Budget that we passed few months back, and in line with circumstances that went beyond our control.
So we are here today, irrespective of what we are faced with, you have tried tremendously to stabilize the Economy by doing the right things; paying salaries and trying to take care of Government activities, because these can be done only by means of funds.

So if you check 52, you have put in place machinery; accountability structures to ensure that this COVID expenditure is taken care of.

Take care of the accountability structure because procurement is critical in Fiscal Management System.
I am happy for you, because when you came here in the first year, we had a large effect in the 62 Economy, but you have a big challenge at hand.

You said you are going to close the door to Bank Borrowings for paying Salaries; that is what you have done.

You are now paying Salaries on time even though sometimes it is difficult to meet your calendar in terms of paying Salaries, but you have tried with your team.

Thank you all.
Thank you all.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I thank you all for your contributions this morning.

You know this one is just a Supplementary to the actual Budget that we passed few months back.

I thank you very much and I believe that we will continue with this cooperation and we will do our oversight functions.

Honourable Members, of the Finance Committee, this is the time to do the oversight.

The Transparency Committee, when we announce the Committees, this is the time for you to do your oversight.
So I pray to God for all of us to have the strength to continue with our daily activities in terms of governance, in terms of accountability for better governance.

Thank you very much Mr Speaker, thank you for arbitrating us and we are here today to do another remarkable thing for this Government.

My Paramount Chiefs, thank you very much for your contributions.

All those things you have said today, the Minister is here to react and he will give you a positive reaction to all of them.
Thank you very much and may the Lord bless us all [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: Well let me say this; Mr Minister your task has been made very, very light considering the fulfullness of the commendations you have received from across the aisle, but nevertheless there may be one or two points or issues raised that you may want to further elaborate on before we proceed.

So over to you!

MR JUSU J. SAFFA [THE MINISTER OF FINANCE]: Thank you very much Mr Speaker and Honourable Members.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I will not waste much time but it is important some clarifications are made and very clear.

This is a big platform politically.

First, on the roads: Just be assured that if it is only for roads, President Bio will be voted in very easily come 2023.

As I speak to you, procurements, for 40 roads across the country have gone through.

And for 25 roads, feasibility is been done for full pavement.
The 40 roads are for improvement and increasing access and that covers, 63 but not limited to, Koidu town, Fiama, Gane Kandor to Mafindor; it covers Koidu town to Towama, Gandonhun to Koidu to Bunumbu; it covers Makali- Masingbi, it covers Krubola to Sandor in Kono District.

Roads that have never been opened for the past forty years are going to be opened.

And embarrassingly, the road linking Mile 91 and Magburaka has been unattended by the previous Government.
We are going to fix that road; we are going to look for resources desperately to tar it.

It benefits all of us; you leave Makeni to Bo, you have to come round to Masiaka before you go to Bo.

So, it is not in our interest to leave that road undone; it is going to be done.

Mr Speaker, Obviously, if you look at the budget, Honourable Dickson Rogers; the Bandajuma- Pujehun Road is a priority, it is scheduled to commence and it will be completely paved; we can’t leave the sixteen miles undone.
Besides that, due to this improvement we are going to do the road around Pujehun, Masa-Kpaka to Potoru, so that it can become accessible.

Then we will continue to that passes through Gallinespari as well; we cannot leave it undone.

So for roads, we are very much fine with that, Honourable Members, I will assure you of that.
Honourable Paramount chief, the road from Yifin to Massingbi is going to be reopened, the road from Massingbi to Gaindema, to Blama through Falawandor is going to be reopened and accessibility is going to be increased.

As I speak to you fusibility study is being done.

I will encourage you at some point to call the SLRA Director to see how much work we have marked to be done.

In the next to four years, fifteen of those roads will be paved but all of them will be accessed.
You can call the SLRA and me any time to come and give you the network which we have planned.

We suffered it, we went right round this country for ten years and we know the roads are terrible.

Of course, Makeni to Bo road is highly [undertone], Makeni to Kamakwe is going to be done through Kambia, Tonko Limba, up to Kent and rehabilitate Ferries [Applause].

And Honourable Members let me assure you [Interrupted] HON.

IBRAHIM T CONTEH: Mr Minister, say it again; Tonko Limba!
MR JUSU J. SAFFA: Kambia, Tonko Limba, Tompari, Kabba Ferry is going to be replaced by a modern bridge.

Thirteen bridges, including Sanda Mabontor Bridge is 64 going to be fixed, Senehun and Sumbuya Bridges are going to be fixed; all the monies have been accessed.

They are not starting next year, Honourable Members; they are starting this year.

Honourable Moigua, the Blama Road, the balance amount to be paid; Le 6.2 bln is already approved.
We started it, it is already a project in the 2020 budget; implementation will commence very soon.

Madam Paramount Chief Minah, be rest assured, I know what you are talking about; that is the Krim Area.

I am originally Krim and because the Krim is now extinct, I now become a Mende Man.

But I will tell you, from Gbondapi, to Mano Sakrin, you need Sea Ambulance; you deserve nothing less than that and that will be done under my regime, we need to give the Sea Ambulance [Applause].
On the issue of Water Supply [undertone], sorry, Bo to Mattru, we have secured money from BADRA and from Bo to Kpetema, we have identified funding from Kpetema to Tinkonko and we have identify funding from Tinkonko to Bo; is quite in place.

That is my own village, it cannot be forgotten.


Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, on the issue of Water supply, as I speak to you, the procurement for six towns is in progress and fusibility study is now done for Koidu town Water supply, Portloko Town and Lunsar Water supply.

It is the promise of this government to provide water supply to District Capital Towns; we would do nothing less than that before 2023.

Now on Agriculture!
Now on Agriculture!

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, let me just remind you that Agriculture is seasonal.

This Supplementary Budget is targeting interventions largely between July and December.

The planting season is almost over, and as I said earlier, we have already initiated payment; we have paid about 50% now, I guess; Financial Secretary [FS] can correct me, for over 250 Tractors of which 150 was in 2019 Budget, and the additional 100 was in 2020 Budget.
250 Tractors were late to arrive because of the problems they have in China and India.

They came when planting was over, but they are going to be readily available for the next planting season.

He can crosscheck that with the FS, he can cross check that with the Minister of Agriculture.

By next year, we will have two hundred and fifty Tractors unprecedented, purchased solely by the Government of 65 Sierra Leone.

I should also tell you that Agriculture has been the largest beneficiary of donor funded.
The Ministry of Agriculture is not only funded by the budgetary resources, it is also funded by donors.

Agriculture has over $150; nearly $200 Mln worth of projects in different areas in Agriculture.

But let me also say- just a point of correction.

It you look at the supplementary Act, the appropriation Bill, Honourable Members, 401 you have Le20bln, and you have Le70bln for the revised budget.
So you are effectively talking about increment of Le23bln for six months which is not a planting season, for the Ministry of Agriculture.

[Undertone] No, no, I am coming!

These are all parts of the machinery we are talking about.

You have to get back to the budget but what we are saying here is that for the next six months we believe Agriculture has nearly $200mln worth of Projects from Donors.
When we are doing Government budgetary allocations, we also take into consideration the foreign funded projects.

I mean sectors that do not have foreign projects are the sectors that we tend to lean; we take that into consideration.

Our calculation is that Agriculture has huge donor funded projects, nearly $200mln.
But notwithstanding, this supplementary budget still makes provision for it, largely focusing on food production and against the background that the rest of the planting season does not require huge investment as it should have been if it were the first six months of the year.

So please just look at 401- 401; 401-401, it appears twice.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, Let me just come to the other Sectors [Undertone].

I am coming to arrears; that one is my best bet.


On the Health System Strengthening, unlike the case of Ebola, what we want to do in the Health system is; we want to make sure all Mortuaries are operational at the District levels.

It is very painful; the least amount people can pay from Pujehun to bring their corpse to Bo is about Le1, 000,000.

To go back with the Corpses to Pujehun for funeral is another Le 1,000,000.

Why should people pay that?


Why not get the mortuary up and running in Pujehuh town, in Kabala town and Kailahun?

Why should we start moving corpses back and forth at a high cost?

That is so much President Bio says no!

We have to fix the Mortuaries and 66 that process is already gone and we hope to fix it, and we will not fix it next year, we are starting to fix it this year [Applause].

Then on Education!

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, remember Education, we are talking about the Fiscal Year, 2020.
But in the Fiscal Year 2020, there is a school year 2020-2021, schools reopens technically in September.

So when schools reopen in September, the Textbook policy says, you have to buy Textbooks in September.

That is why you need a huge amount of money for the Textbooks.

But the old Textbooks we bought were in 2018; the next period to buy Textbooks is this September coming; we have to buy new Textbooks as per policy.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, secondly, we had to make provisions, because we never knew what was going to be the situation in the School Calendar.

So we have to make a provision for Third Term Fees; if there is no Third Term we don’t need to use it.

But it is better for us to approve, because we do not want to do things which we have not brought to you; so it is better we bring it to you.
If there is no Third Term technically, then we will not use it, but what if the SLTU says, they want the Third Term and we did not budget for it?

So these are all budgetary provisions; so be rest assured.

And that brings our budgetary allocation to Education at 22.1% in Supplementary Budget.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, on the issue of arrears, Government liabilities is made up of three components; one of these components is what we called “External Debt”.
We inherited an external debt of $1.6Bln from $250Mln as in 2007.

We inherited domestic debt of $650Mln and arrears verified by Audit Service together with the IMF stands at $360mln of which 90% was incurred in 2016-2017.

We can make the report available to you if you call for it.

Between 2016 and 2017, 90% of the arrears this country has were incurred and a lot of them were on Roads and some other projects- in completed projects, which we are fighting to complete.
I did not want to go into it because it may sound Political, but these are factual.

And we will be very pleased to come with the arrear strategy to this Parliament for your information.

And let me tell you; the principle of paying arrears is to maintain a Healthy Banking System and keeps 67 the Private Sector alive.

Is not good for the image of the country itself; is a national embarrassment to have huge arrears.
Debtors and Investors will run away from you, we want to rebrand the country, we want to maintain good relationship, we want to keep the Private Sector booming and we want to maintain a Booming Banking System.

Therefore, we have programmed to pay all of these arrears up to 2025; just part of it is going to be paid- not even half; not even more than 20% is going to be paid from what you see here.
The bulk of them are going to be paid over the period through several means; discounts, securitization, Air-cuts and the likes.

But the strategy, we can bring to Parliament for your information [Applause].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, for the issue of Loans and Grants, you need to be smart.

All Countries are crying and I would tell you Honourable Members, the IMF is not an NGO; they don’t give you money, whether it is a loan or grants.
If you are not a serious Government, you are not discipline [Undertone].

No, it does not matter; they don’t give to every country, look it up in the archives; this was not money they were distributing among African Countries, it was first based on the fact that you have a credit programme with the IMF.
I was also based on the fact that you are on a trajectory of Economic Progress; it was also based on the fact that you have a strong Professional engagement from the Ministry of Finance and you have a visionary leadership of President Bio- we have done exactly that to attract that money.

Mr Speaker, I will tell you that it is an interest Free Loan for a ten year period with a five years grace period.

But the rest of all the other resources, including the World Bank $100mln is a grant.
And I am very proud to say that at the time of Covid when countries are crying, we are here today; Honourable Members to present to you a Supplementary Budget of Le1.7 Trillion; about $170mln.

In 2016, everybody was using Ebola as an excuse for Economic fallout.

But here we are saying; we have a stable budget, predictable budget and a very relaxed Minister of Finance [Applause amidst aaaaaa] I can assure of that; your salaries, what belongs to you will be paid on time.
So the question of timely disbursement; Honourable Members be rest assure of it.

Rest 68 assure of it that everything will be paid on time.

It is not because you have to take the money here; the money is available here, I can assure you of that [Applause].

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, on the contingencies, it is just the standard practice.

Contingency is about 0.5% of revenue; is calculated, we have not increased anything about it; that is just the requirement.
And the issue of Administrative workers, let me just tell you that the business of the Ministry of Finance is to allocate and disburse.

The issue of onward payment to Health Workers is the responsibility of NACOVAC and the Ministry of Health.

On our side, I can tell you that 90% of the spending on Corona has been done by Government, with ease; not under pressure.

You can find out from NACOVAC; 80- 90% of the spending on Corona is from the Government of Sierra Leone.
We only disburse money to NACOVAC which they can use for any other thing.

I am reliably informed that the challenges they are having with the payment of Health workers are largely administrative; it has nothing to do with Finance- there is adequate finance to pay them at any time.

If we can pay Salaries on time, how many Health Workers are we talking about?

If we can pay the Salaries of Health Workers; how much more of Allowances?
Let us face it; our monthly Salary Bill is about Le250Bln; I can pay that on time!

How much is few Billions for Health Workers?

So it cannot be related to Finance; is only related to administrative reasons [Applause].
Finally, Mr Speaker and Honourable Members, let me end by saying that this Budget which is going to address the Covid-19; this Budget which is going to address the Quick Action Economic Recovery Programme; this Budget is going to accelerate delivery as pronounced by President Bio; 2020 is a year of delivery and we are we are doing exactly that.
In the next few months, real works will start on Electricity, Water Supply and the “MUNAFA” Fund to save our people from Economic starvation, this pandemic has put on people.

On that note, I thank you for your attention [Applause].
THE SPEAKER: Mr Minister, may I be allowed to take advantage of my own vantage position to appeal that when you list the Roads that you wish to consider for modernisation, you please remember that one of the early roads of this country runs 69 from Port Loko, Gbinti, Batkanu and Matheboi on to Makeni.

Please that road, and their two Ferries that are presently inaccessible; impassable.

MR JUSU J. SAFFA: Honourable Speaker can you please go through the road again?
THE SPEAKER: It is Port Loko, through to Gbinti, through to Batkanu, Matheboi and on to Makeni and Kamakwe.

Please don’t forget that road; it is one of the early roads in this country.

And two Ferries that are located at Batkanu and Matheboi, and presently because of the raining season, they are impassable.

MR JUSU J. SAFFA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members of Parliament, I move that the Bill entitled; “The Supplementary Appropriation Act 2020”, be read the second time.
[Question Proposed Put and Agreed to] [That the Bill entitled; the Supplementary Appropriation Act 2020; being an Act to make revisions and Supplementary provisions for the services of Sierra Leone for the year 2020, has been read the second time.

The House resolves into Committee stage.

Clauses 1 to 5 and the schedule stand part of the Bill].

MR JUSU J. SAFFA: Mr Chairman, Honourable Members, I move that Clauses 1 to 5 and the schedule stand part of the Bill.

THE CHAIRMAN: Thank you.


Honourable Members, the question is that Clauses 1 to 5 and the schedule stand part of the Bill.

I think frankly we have covered almost every single issue that is discovered but we will go through page by page as we are required to do according to our rules.

HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: Mr Chairman, I didn’t see controversy in this, so for us to go page by page is when you have controversy, you do that as you have mentioned.
THE CHAIRMAN: I just want to make sure; just to be quite sure!

Page 1!

2!

3!

HON.

AARON A. KOROMA: Mr Chairman, I think the Public Financial Management Regulation of 2007, have been repealed; we now have the Public Financial Management Regulation 2018, so instead of 2007 it should be 2018.

MR JUSU J. SAFFA: Ok, thank you.

70 THE CHAIRMAN: Very well, that was in reference to page 3, Page 4!

The schedule on page 4 will continue with the schedule on page 5.

Page 6!

Thank you.
Page 6!

Thank you.

MR JUSU J. SAFFA: Mr Chairman, Honourable Members, I move that the Bill Clauses 1 to the end on the schedule stand part of the Bill as amended.
[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [Clauses 1 to 5 and the schedule form part of the Bill, the House resumes] MR JUSU J. SAFFA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, I report that the Bill entitled the Supplementary Appropriation Act 2020, having gone through the Committee of the whole House with amendments, I now move that the Bill read the third and pass in to law.
[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [The Bill entitled; the Supplementary Appropriation Act 2020; being an Act to make revisions and Supplementary provisions for the services of Sierra Leone for the year 2020, has been read the third time and pass into law].

THE SPEAKER: Mr Minister, you are now excused.

HON.
HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, the third report of the Committee on selection, report on sectional select Committees for the Third Session of the Fifth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone 2020-2021, pursuant to Subsection 1 of Section 93 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, Act number 6 of 1991 and S.O 70[1b], and [13] of the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Sierra Leone.
Mr Speaker, in continuation of what we did the last time, I will announce the following Committees, not all of them at this time; but I will announce very few and I will continue on Tuesday in consultations with Members of the Committees.

71 STANDING ORDER COMMITTEE 1.

Hon.

Speaker—Chairman 2.

Hon.

Segepoh S.Thomas - Deputy Chairman 3.

Hon.

Bashiru Sillikie - Member 4.

Hon.

Chernor R. M. Bah - Member 5.

Hon.

Dickson M. Rogers - Member 6.

Hon.

Mathew S. Nyuma - Member 7.

Hon.


Musa Fofanah - Member 8.

Hon.

Ibrahim B. Kargbo - Member PUBLIC PETITION COMMITTEE 1.

Hon.

Speaker - Chairman 1.

Hon.

Chernor R.M Bah - Deputy Chairman 2.

Hon.

Mathew S. Nyuma - Member 3.

Hon.

Dr Kandeh K. Yumkellah - Member 4.

Hon.

Saa E. Lamina - Member 5.

Hon.

Neneh Lebbie - Member HOUSE COMMITTEE 1.

Hon.

Speaker - Chairman 1.

Hon.

Mathew S. Nyuma - Deputy Chairman 2.

Hon.

Chernor R.M Bah - Member 3.

Hon.

Dickson M. Rogers - Member 4.

Hon.


Bashiru Sillikie - Member 5.

Hon.

Ibrahim B. Kargbo - Member 6.

Hon.

P.C Alie Badara Sheriff - Member BUSINESS COMMITTEE 1.

Hon.

Mathew S. Nyuma - Chairman 72 2.

Hon.

Bashiru Sillikie - Deputy Chairman 3.

Hon.

Saa E. Lamina - Member 4.

Hon.

Dickson Rogers - Member 5.

Hon.

Hon.

Chernor R.M.

Bah - Member 6.

Hon.

Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkellah - Member 7.

Hon.

P.C.

Alie Balasama III - Member 8.


Mr Paran Umar Tarawallie - Secretary COMMITTEE ON GOVERNANCE 1.

Hon.

Sidie M. Tunis - Chairman 2.

Hon.

Hon.

Chernor R. M. Bah - Deputy Chairman 3.

Hon.

Hon.

Mathew S. Nyuma - Member 4.

Hon.

Dickson M. Rogers - Member 5.

Hon.

Veronica K. Sesay - Member 6.

Hon.

Jebbeh Alice Kumabeh - Member 7.

Hon.

Shiaka Sama - Member 8.

Hon.

Mohamed Bangura - Member 9.

Hon.

Argebolla M. Spain - Member COMMITTEE ON APPOINTMENTS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICES 1.

Hon.
Hon.

Mathew S. Nyuma - Chairman 2.

Hon.

Bashiru Silikie - Deputy Chairman 3.

Hon.

Segepoh S. Thomas - Member 4.

Hon.

Dickson M. Rogers - Member 5.

Hon.

Veronica K. Sesay - Member 6.

Hon.

Sidie M. Tunis - Member 7.

Hon.

Hon.

Chernor R. M. Bah - Member 8.

Hon.

Ibrahim B. Kargbo - Member 9.

Hon.

Amadu Kanu - Member 10.

Hon.

Rose Marie Bangura - Member 11.

Hassan Sesay - Member 73 12.

Hon.

Saa E. Lamina - Member 13.

Hon.

P.C.

Prince M. Pewa - Member 14.

Hon.


Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella - Member 15.

Hon.

Emilla Loloh Tongi - Member 16.

Hon.

P.C Balasama Marrah III - Member Mr Speaker, I move that the Selection Committee so far read be adopted by this Honourable House.

THE SPEAKER: I thank the Leader of Government Business, for the list of the sectional Committees read out.

Any seconder?

HON.

DICKSON M. ROGERS: Seconded the Motion.

[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] HON.


DR MAHMOUD M. KALLOKOH: Mr Speaker, I rise on Section 93[3] of the 1991 Constitution, and to submit in this Honourable House not on party line, but as representatives of the people of this country.

Mr Speaker, I have a Motion here with me that with your leave, I will like to move.
Mr Speaker, “Be it resolved that pursuant to Section 93[3] of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, Act number 6 of 1991, we the Members of Parliament representing the people of Bombali District, hereby request this Honourable House to institute investigations on the violence saga on Makeni City and the alleged use of excessive and disproportionate lethal force by Security Personnel against unarmed and defenceless protesters that resulted in the loss of lives; several bullet injuries and arrest of innocent citizens.
I move that this Motion is carried by this Honourable House [Applause].

THE SPEAKER: Any seconder?

HON.

CATHERINE Z. TARAWALLY: Mr Speaker, I so second the Motion.

THE SPEAKER: Thank you.

Honourable Members, you have a Motion before the House.

HON.

SAHR CHARLES: Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker.

74 THE SPEAKER: Do you have a counter Motion?

HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: Point of Order Mr Speaker.

You cannot just interrupt the Speaker like that; let us practice decent Parliamentary procedures.
You just can’t stand up and begin to shout Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker!

You should stand on a provision on the Standing Orders sir.

With all due respect Honourable Member, when the Speaker is speaking you doesn’t stand, you take your seat; check your Standing Orders.

Sorry Honourable Leader, we have to do some of these corrections sometimes, sorry Mr Speaker, for just interjecting; I see this very necessary.
THE SPEAKER: And I was very surprised myself, that I was been interrupted right in the middle, and I am not going to allow you to interrupt me again; you may say your piece after we are through with this.

[Question Proposed, Put and Agreed to] [Motion moved by Honourable Dr Mahmoud M. Kalokoh has been carried] THE SPEAKER: On which S.O.

do you wish to stand?

Which S.O.

are you standing on?

HON.


SAHR CHARLES: Mr Speaker, when the Motion was seconded, I decided to stand before you put the question in order for us to debate on the issue, because I believed it is an issue of National importance and it is good that the people of the nation understand the gravity of the issue and it was on that light that I stood.

THE SPEAKER: We cannot debate it unless you want to come up with a counter Motion.

HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: Mr Speaker, Point of Order S.O 34.
Honourable Member, there is a provision for you to send notice of Motion on S.O 25.

THE SPEAKER: Exactly!

HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: I believe that gives you the provision for you to give a notice to the House so that you can have a debate on this matter notice of Motion; you can go to S.O 25[2].

Mr Speaker, may I read?

75 THE SPEAKER: Yah.

HON.

MATHEW S. NYUMA: First you send notice for us.


When a notice of Motion is required, such notice shall be given in writing, signed by the Honourable Member, and addressed to the Clerk of Parliament; such notice may be handed by the Member to the Clerk of Parliament when Parliament is sitting or may be sent or left at the Office of the Clerk during working hours.
Mr Speaker, we are not against our Honourable Member, we are asking him to use the necessary provisions in the Standing Orders, to bring his point.

Honourable Dr Mahmoud M. Kallokoh stood on a provision in the Constitution, so we have accepted and there is no controversy about that; so if you want to have counter Motion or you want us to have a debate, let him send a notice of Motion, he can send the notice by standing on the provision to differ it.
THE SPEAKER: Although I don’t know what he would want to debate on because what I understand from that Motion is a request that this House established a Committee to investigate, that is the request.

When we set up the Committee to investigate, after the investigation and the report is submitted to the House laid on the table of the House then you can ask for a debate.

HON.

SAHR CHARLES: Thank you very much Mr Speaker.


Mr Speaker, I am sorry for cutting you off the moment you were making your statement and on the similar note, I would also want to bring to the attention of this House that similar event had occurred in Kono.

HON.

DICKSON M. ROGERS: Mr Speaker, Point of Order!

Mr Speaker, I want the Honourable Member to explain that under S.O [23], we have not come to that and he has not quoted any S.O.

on which he is standing.


If it is going to be personal explanation, then quote S.O [23].

THE SPEAKER: Or if it is a notice of Motion, let it be in writing.

HON.

DICKSON M. ROGERS: Thank you Sir.

76 HON.

WURIE O. JALLOH: Mr Speaker, I wish to rise on S.O [23] and beg your indulgence that I could explain why I have risen under this S.O.
Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, there is something that is affecting all of us as Members of Parliament, and that extends to the country as a whole; and that is the safety of the road been constructed between waterloo to Masaka.

I happened to travel last week to the interior and to my greatest surprised Mr Speaker, that road is hazardous for all of us.

We have travel around the World and we have seen roads been constructed and proper signs been given to drivers of dangers that lie ahead.
Mr Speaker, I am sure if you travel from waterloo to Masaka to be honest there are no traffic sighs, no danger warning diversion properly been done and sometimes even the gutters and pits along the road nothing to stop the drivers, it is very dangerous for all of us Mr Speaker, every single life lost in this country is a lost to the entire nation, so I am appealing Mr Speaker, to the company even though what they are doing will benefit all of us, but they should improve on the signs especially now that it is raining season Mr Speaker, we just heard our colleague Member of Parliament who involved in a gruesome accident and on a daily basis, people are involved in accident on that particular stretch of the road, so I am appealing to all of us here to put pressure on whether it is SLRSA or the Government.
Chairman of works please try so that we can have proper signs to warn our drivers, I rest my case Mr Speaker.

Thank you.

THE SPEAKER: I will ask the Chairman of the Committee on Works Ministry to please take note.

HON.

ALPHA A. BAH: Mr Speaker, I rise on S.O [23].

This is specifically going to the Inspector General of Police Mr Speaker, and unfortunately I see that he has already gone outside.
However Mr Speaker, I wish to inform this House about the alarming rate of robbery and rival gang violence in my Constituency, which is Constituency 115 precisely, Wellington Industrial Estate and Congo-Water II.

For over three months now my Constituency has been under attack by these two events.
Then particularly, so when we all are aware that there is an on-going curfew between the hours of 11pm-5am; so it is very alarming and I therefore considered it prudent to bring to the attention of the 77 Honourable IG that he should be alert, vigilant in that area, see and do something better.

Thank you Mr Speaker.

THE SPEAKER: I would like that particular matter to be addressed to the IGP through Ministry and Committee on Internal Affairs.
So please, have consultations with the Chairman of that Committee.

I see no other matter?

HON.

ABUBAKARR FOFANAH: Mr Speaker, I rise on S.O [23].

HON.

CHERNOR R. M. BAH: Mr Speaker, for your information, He is the sheik that prayed for us today for the Juma.

HON.

ABUBAKARR FOFANAH: Yes, thank you Mr Leader.


Mr Speaker, I rise on S.O [23] to support what my Honourable has just said, I have never wanted to say this in this House; but it will surprises you to know that an Armed robbers entered my compound five days ago.

THE SPEAKER: Which of the compounds?

HON.

ABUBAKARR FOFANAH: In my personal residence at Newton sir.

It means the security of Honourable Members of Parliament, must be taken into consideration because we are defenceless.
Mr Speaker, before this time we used to see Members of Parliament having provision for security, it used to be but we are so vulnerable; if I am not mistaking 90% of the Members of Parliament in this House are without security and when you ask the police, they will tell you to pay Le 1mln and more.
Considering the state of affairs of our nation, considering the lawlessness, considering the magnitude of unemployed youths who ravage our societies in the name of S.O [2], “Bra you borbor dea ooh” having no job, we are not safe.

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members, it has to cost me to hire few boys to secure my compound as I speak, on a daily basis and it cost my pockets.

Mr Speaker, I want your good office to please consider as a father of this House, the security of Members of Parliament.
I rest this case.

78 THE SPEAKER: I refer that matter to two Committees, Internal Affairs and Governance.

But, is the Internal Affairs Committee Chairman here?

Thank you.

any announcement?

ANNOUNCEMENT This is from the office of the Clerk of Parliament.
Notice of meeting; I am directed by the Honourable Speaker to inform Members of Parliament, to inform Members of the Parliamentary Service Commission, that the Commission will meet on Monday 27th and Wednesday 29th July2020, respectively at 12pm in the Speaker’s Board Room.

Please endeavour to attend and on time.

Signed By: Mr Mohamed Lebbie, Deputy Clerk of Parliament.

Thank you for listening.

THE SPEAKER: I think you should put it for later.

Let us put the PSC meeting for 3pm.


With that, the House stand adjourned to Tuesday, 28th July, 2020, at 10:00am.

79