By Crispina Taylor
Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Kelfala Marah, has enlisted the support of lawmakers in the monitoring of development projects.
Marah said monitoring will help in identifying non-performing contractors who could be blacklisted in the event of feature contracts.
He was speaking in parliament on Thursday last week after presenting for ratification two loan agreements between the Sierra Leone government and the Islamic Development Bank. The agreements were for the financing of the Sierra Leone Community Driven Development Project, which was first laid in the house on 13th October this year.
The two different agreements total US$46,000.
The projects aimed at alleviating rural poverty will be implemented in seven chiefdoms in four districts - Kenema, Port Loko, Tonkolili, and Moyamba districts.
The first agreement is between the Islamic Development Bank and the Republic of Sierra Leone regarding the Sierra Leone Community Driven Project. The second is between the Republic Of Sierra Leone and the Islamic Development Bank, acting in the capacity as the administrator of the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development.
Both agreements will go towards funding phase II of the project designed to give access to energy, agriculture, pure drinking water and access to loan to the beneficiary communities. It is being implemented by the National Commission for Social Action (NACSA).
“At no point in time has Sierra Leone got a people centered agreement like this one,” Marah told MPs as he presented the document for ratification.
Chairman of Finance committee in parliament, Hassan Sheriff, said the fact that NACSA is implementing the project attests to the trust bestowed on it. But Sheriff had a word of caution for his colleagues.
“MPs have a lot of responsibility that is why they should debate very well and support NACSA for the project to go on well,” he said.
Mustapha Brima, MP, cautioned NACSA to consider building on conflict management to ensure the project is implemented smoothly. He noted that often community people hold the wrong view of projects and that providing them with information will avert any misconception.
House Majority Leader Ibrahim Bundu, re-echoing the Finance Minister`s concern over project implementation, noted that most projects in the country were “white elephants.” He said there were lots of places one could go and find markets that were not in use.
“This happens because proper consultation and research are not done,” Bundu said.
(C) Politico Online 26/10/15
