By Prince J Musa in Kenema
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), Brima Munda Sowa has spoken about the financial problem facing the Sierra Leone Water Company (SALWACO) that is greatly affecting service delivery to the people.
Brima was speaking at a two-day retreat by the company in Kenema to evaluate performances, over the weekend.
He said successive management at SALWACO has been challenged over the years with a low revenue base as people don’t want to pay for the water they consume which is the primary source of revenue for the company.
“SALWACO revenue generation base is totally weak, he buttressed. Sowa said SALWACO was created by the government to help generate income for the country but it is now the opposite. He added that until the revenue generation base is expanded, the institution will continue to scramble.
He pointed out that SALWACO is short of technical staff with a limited payroll with many operations being outsourced since the human resource capacity is low. He spoke about the numerous illegal connections that deprive the company of revenue and called for more stringent measures to curtail the illegal activities of the company.
SALWACO’s Managing Director, Engineer George Lamin Vandi described the retreat as steps to help management identify loopholes within the company and to map out strategies that will help improve its operations. He said that the services demanded from the company cannot be over emphasized owing to the fact that no human can exist without water and therefore underscored the importance of SALWACO’s importance to the nation.
He expressed management’s concerns over the damages caused by road construction companies which have added more challenges to service delivery. He considered the retreat as a learning point for both the management and staff so that each and every one of them would come up with innovative ideas that would enhance the rapid improvement of the company more so on revenue generation.
The Minister of Water Resources, Dr. Sao Kpato Hannah Max-Kyne told the gathering that as a ministry that is in charge of water sanitation and hygiene, it is incumbent on them to see how best they can work as a team in achieving those goals in the country. He said that women and girls play pivotal roles in the provision of water and hygiene in the communities.
She stated that the retreat will enable both SALWACO and Guma Valley Water Company to share experiences and strategies in their operational activities.
She assured of her total commitment and political will in ensuring that the goal of the company is achievable especially in revenue mobilization so that it will serve the people and reduce reliance on sourcing from the Consolidated Fund of government.
The presentation of awards by the Minister formed a high point of the event.
Copyright © 2023 Politico (01/11/23)
