Members of Parliament (MPs) yesterday unanimously committed the 2016 Budget to the Committee on Supply for further scrutiny after three days of comprehensive debate on the various components contained in it.
Making her contribution on the third day of intensive debate, the Minority Leader representing the main opposition Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP), Hon Dr Bernadette Lahai, disclosed that MPs did not only give information about the various components but also critically analysed the budget and also proffered alternative recommendations and contribution to make the budget not only better but the implementation much more better.
“Development is contextual, and therefore the budgets presented to us are also contextual in the sense that the budget is as much the product of the context within which that budget is develop,” she recalled, stating that this year and last year budgets are based on the context of the ebola disease which inform the priority they give in the budget just as they did to all the budgets after the civil war.
She explained that the budget is an account and estimate of income and expenditure as everyone is saying that the ebola badly affected the country’s income, expenditure and revenue, adding that they should now be thinking about how to increase the country’s tax base, revenue base as it is not only about generating revenue base but how well it is properly utilised.
According to minority leader, corruption is a challenge at all levels in the country as there is no big or small corruption, ‘it is the responsibility as Sierra Leoneans to ensure that where ever we find ourselves at whatever level we should try to cut down corruption which will be a continuous variable that we as a country will be continuously measured against’.
Dr. Lahai suggested that part of the Millennium Challenge Corporation money (MCC) is spent on education sector which the ebola disease also affected as schools were changed and academic calendar completely changed, maintaining that after the ebola there will be a huge challenge to ensure the school system return to its normal operational calendar as the country needs expansion of the educational centre.
According to the Majority Leader, Hon Ibrahim Bundu, the Minister of Finance has always presented before them a budget that is simple and straight forward to read as you don’t need to be a specialist to know what it entails, adding that everyone is affected by the circumstances measured in the budget.
He maintained that the budget is so realistic and nationalistic which was why the Chairman of the Committee on Finance urged all MPs to debate the budget with open mind, disclosing that the implementation is always the problem as the Finance Minister must have a revenue, expenditure and a development department and must complement their staff and personnel to ensure efficiency.
Hon Bundu maintained that they have over concentrated their effects only on the formal sector as billions of Leones, Dollars are going down the drain because they are not going after the informal sector to generate income by collecting taxes which is needed to finance the budget, citing the Dollar boys, taxis, transporters, etc, who exploit the public without paying any other tax after licenses.
He stated that the Sweissy boys, Belgium sellers and others are doing money transaction without paying any form of taxes, explaining that those exchanges of monies are also accompanied by crime which needs urgent attention by the domestic tax unit.
In response to all the contributions made by MPs, the Minister of Finance, Kelfala Marrah, expressed thanks and appreciation for their meaningful and patriotic contributions towards the 2016 budget, adding that his ministry will continue to collaborate with parliament to ensure the right thing is done in the interest of the country.
Members of Parliament unanimously voted for the 2016 budget to be committed to the Committee on Supply for further scrutiny which the Chairman of the Committee on Finance promised to commence by next week.
Thursday November 19, 2015
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