By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
The Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa says next years’ budget will create 30,000 jobs for youths in the agriculture sector. He said the jobs will be created in the next one or two years based on several policies the government will implement that targets job creating and food sufficiency.
Saffa made the announcement at the opening session of the 2020 Financial Year Budget Discussions.
Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) will be converging, starting today, at the Miatta Conference Center in Freetown for the next two weeks. They will be having a public presentation and discussion on their budgets for the 2020 Financial Year.
In his speech, Saffa said the 30,000 job creation for youths in the agriculture sector is part of a broader focus of the government to create more jobs for young people in the coming years and at the same time increase food sufficiency for the country.
“Overall the Human Capital Development is our primary agenda. But this year the theme for the budget is Fiscal Consolidation for Job Creation, particularly for our youths and human capital development,” the Minister said.
“Whiles we will focus on the Human Capital Development, it is imperative for us to create jobs and one sector that employs the youths is agriculture. Our food requirement is about 900 metric tons and we are aiming to produce around 300 metric tons (in the coming years). So, we are targeting the youth and the military as well in selected chiefdoms across the country to produce food,” Saffa explained to Politico after his presentation.
Rice is the staple food in Sierra Leone, but the country does not produce enough to feed itself. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Sierra Leone spends up to US$250million annually to import rice from countries like China, India and Pakistan. Saffa said focusing on rice production could save the country from using its limited foreign exchange.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security, Sam King Brima explained during his presentation that the need to focus on agriculture is urgent.
Last year, he said, the ministry received just 6.6% of the national budget. Despite it been an increase of 4% in comparison with other years, the Minister said they need more to be ‘transformational’.
“We want Le 850 billion to process up to 170 hectares of land for rice plantation. Currently we spend over Le 2 Trillion to import rice,” Brima said.
He added: “This year we need Le 435 billion for investment and Le150 billion for recurrent expenditure.”
The presentation of budgets will start properly on Wednesday, but the Ministry of Finance will not decide on how much to allocate to any MDA until the presentations and discussions are over. However, Saffa hinted to Politico that the government is set to significantly increase the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture.
He said: “I am not very clear yet, we are still playing with the figures. But it is going to be substantial (raise). There will be an increase from last year’s allocation.”
The focus on agriculture is not a priority shift from major programs like education. Saffa said Education is still a key program of the government but that they want to do these whiles also focusing on creating jobs.
“Programs like Education are still the main programs of the government. But you are targeting different categories of people. Programs like education focus on children and youths and this one focuses on youth.”
© 2019 Politico Online
