The Sierra Leone Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA) has disbursed Le 1, 442, 961, 306 (one billion four hundred and forty-two million, nine hundred and sixty one thousand, three hundred and six Leones to seventeen of the nineteen local councils in the country to maintenance feeder roads in their respective jurisdictions.
This was revealed by the Head of Media and Public Relation at the RMFA, Kumba Brewah as she briefed journalists and councils representatives at Northern Region Office of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) in Makeni on Tuesday, 23rd July 2013.
Miss Brewah explained that the RMFA was established by an Act of Parliament charged with raising funds for the maintenance and rehabilitation of feeder and trunk roads in the country. She said the maintenance of trunk roads is the sole responsibility of the Sierra Leone Road Authority (SLRA) while the maintenance of feeder roads is the responsibility of local councils.
Miss Brewah said all road maintenance works in the country are approved by RMFA on recommendations from councils and SLRA. She further explained the sources from which the RMFA accrues funds, noting that its funds are mainly generated from fuel subsides and licenses fees of vehicles. She referred to the 19 local councils and the SLRA as the Authority’s “major implementing partners”. She said all roads that will be done with the funds, will have to be handed over to the Authority for supervision and subsequent approval. Kumba Brewah said the amount disbursed represents only 15% of the total amounts requested by the councils for the maintenance works.
The Chief Administrator (CA) at the Makeni City Council, Alhaji Alhaji Bangura said the Makeni City Council had requested for Le 800m but that they received as initial payment amount totaling Le 120m which constitute 15% of the total amount requested. He said this has caused the council to revisit their work plan with priority given to nine feeder roads so far.
The Makeni City Council CA said council opened the bids for the identified roads through the national competitive bidding system on 7th August instant. He said most of these roads were identified earlier by the SLRA, noting that feeder roads maintenance has not been effective for quite for a long time and therefore called on the press and members of the public to help in ensuring its sustainability this time round.
Mr. Bangura revealed that this will be the first roads maintenance works that councils will be undertaking which he noted, requires the efforts of every Sierra Leonean to ensure positive outcomes. He pledged council’s total support and commitment to achieve the expectation of the Road Maintenance Fund Administration.
By Mohamed Kabba
July 25, 2013
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