After series of amendments and adjustments Members of Parliament (MP) yesterday, 23 May 2017, unanimously ratified the Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) Act of 2017. The verbal vote was unanimous from both Parties in Parliament. SALWACO is responsible for providing water to citizens of Sierra Leone.
This new Act now gives SALWACO more responsibilities to expand it operations to Provincial towns, villages and various communities within the Western Rural area.
According to the Minister of Water Resources, Momodu Malagie, the previous Act upon which SALWACO was operating had become outdated so they decided to streamline SALWACO so it can become a modern company.
He explained that the Act would encourage efficiency in the operations of SALWACO as to how they can interface with the public in service delivery, disclosing that they further changed some organizational structures within the company.
Speaking to the Chairman on the Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sualiho Koroma, representing Bo District, explained that the previous Act, enacted 10 years ago, limits the operations of SALWACO to Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Lungi.
“In the new Act you will realize it covers the country, excluding Freetown, which is under Guma Valley,” he said. “All the deprived communities will now have access to safe, clean and pure drinking water as they have been captured under the GPS.”
The MP said, “Soon, people will start seeing more bore holes, spring water systems and other community water sources so that they will start making use of the small gravity water systems as they have done lot of baseline survey on water mapping.”
Speaking on the technical aspect of the process, the Director General of SALWACO, Samuel Bangura, disclosed the reward for good work is more work which Parliament have demonstrated with a unanimous voice.
The SALWACO DG maintained that the provision of water facilities in the District headquarter towns was not part of their schedule. But, they thought it fit to do it in the interest of the country, which they will now continue to do as it has become legal.
He stated that the new Act has made SALWACO more commercial in nature as the position of Director General will change to Managing Director, “meaning it will gives us more commercial face by purely selling water to members of the public”.
The DG said most of their financing is from the Government. In some cases, they get funding from donors.
By Alhaji M. Kamara
Wednesday May 24, 2017.