By Mabinty M. Kamara
A coalition of Civil Society Organizations working in the rights and minerals sector has expressed dissatisfaction over what it described as a “snail pace” manner in which the review processes of the 2009 Mines and Minerals Development Act has been going.
The coalition known as the Natural Resource Governance and Economic Justice-Network (NaRGEJ) also noted that the review process has not garnered the much needed public consultations that can make the document to be owned by the people of Sierra Leone.
According to the statement dated 30th July 2021, the bill has since May this year been between the Law officers Department and the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and that the World bank has been requested to make their input into the bill.
“It was our hope that having gone through cabinet, it will not take long for the finalized bill to be sent to the house of parliament for it to become law. It was also our hope that not only the World Bank , but citizens including civil society and the media will be opportune to make further inputs or comments on the version of the draft that was vetted and approved by the cabinet,” the statement reads in part.
The statement urged the government and other relevant authorities to note that for the country to benefit from its mineral deposits, the legal and institutional framework of the mineral sector should clearly contain the wishes and aspirations of the people of Sierra Leone who feel the greatest impact of the mining activities.
It stated that unlike the Mines and Minerals Act 2009 that was passed through the house of Parliament with a certificate of emergency, the coalition wants the Minerals Development Act 2021 to be consultative, open and transparent. It therefore called on the authorities to make public the contents of the revised law so that the people are informed about the changes that have been made so far, and to explain the cause of the delay in the passing of the bill into a law, the cost involved in the review process and a definitive timeline for the finalization of the remaining processes.
However, the group admitted being carried along at the initial stages of the review processes and therefore urged that such engagement climaxed the entire process so that the people are taken along the entire review process.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online
