By Saio Marrah
The Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Mohamed Sidi Tunis, has said Sierra Leone’s hosting of the implementation of the ECOWAS community levy will make the country visible internationally as the local and international media are focused on happenings in Freetown.
Speaking to the press at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown, where the extra-ordinary session of the regional grouping is taking place ,Tunis highlighted the theme of the session,” Involvement of Members of the ECOWAS Parliament in Monitoring the Implementation of the Protocol relating to the Community Levy”, which was brought about by a letter from the President of the ECOWAS Commission during the second extra ordinary session held virtually in 2020, in which he suggested that they bring the “community levy” to the public and also to the governments in the sub region.
Tunis said some people outside the country still have negative thoughts about the country and expressed the hope that his colleagues will see for themselves the progress being made in improving the various sectors in the country especially in tourism. He said international attention will be on Sierra Leone and particularly the deliberations in the Chamber in the coming days.
The Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu, who gave the keynote address who is also a founding member of the ECOWAS Parliament, said with the support of others, they were able to draft the Act between 1992 and 1993 that lead to the creation of the ECOWAS parliament. He also narrated how he was seriously stressed in trying to convince governments of member states to pledge taxes of 0.5% on all goods of non-ECOWAS countries.
Dr. Bundu thanked the members of the ECOWAS Parliament for electing Hon. Tunis as speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament. “Your confidence in electing him (Tunis) is not misplaced,” he said. He also pointed out that this was the first face to face extraordinary session of the ECOWAS parliament.
Sierra Leone’s Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr. Francis Kai Kai spoke about the immense benefits the country has gained from ECOWAS ranging from ending the civil war, to supporting projects in the agriculture and education sectors. He also recognized the body’s support to the country’s fight against Ebola and COVID-19.
Finance Minister, Jacob Jusu Saffa, said Sierra Leone has been fulfilling all its financial obligations to the community.
This being the opening Session, proceedings will last for three day from 23rd to the 25th March, 2021, with the second extraordinary session to run from 29th March to the 2nd April, 2021.
President Julius Maada Bio is expected to address the second extra-ordinary session.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (24/03/21)
