By Saio Marrah
Sierra Leone Parliament is set to approve a trade agreement between the government and an oil and gas company, the All Petroleum Product (APP), despite opposition from a leading opposition MP, Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella of the National Grand Coalition (NGC).
Yumkella, who is also known as KKY, argued last week, Tuesday, 17 November, that the company did not have a track record of petroleum business and that the tax waiver concession is huge and not in the interest of the country.
While presenting the agreement for ratification, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Edward Hinga Sandi, explained that it was designed to ensure the development of the infrastructure by rehabilitating storage facilities Kissy in the east end of Freetown and expand their holding capacity to accommodate up to 700, 000 metric tons, for the purpose of reserving petroleum products. This, Sandi said, will boost revenue mobilization for the government and create job opportunities for the people.
The agreement entails a 25 percent concession for the company.
Dr. Yumkellah said this is also too much, pointing out that petroleum companies were making so much profits that it didn’t make any sense giving them any concession.
“We have supported bills that we believe were in the interest of the nation and we will critique and criticize those that are not in the interest of this nation, like this one. I asked colleagues as well to go Google this company. Does it have a footprint or track record to grow the petroleum industry in this country? I don’t see it. If you have it, let us see the evidence. Second point, I have problem with the huge tax concession. 25 percent concession is not correct,” he said.
The NGC lawmaker went on to note that the petroleum industry is a lifeline for the development of any nation and called for the agreement to be checked and properly monitored during the implementation.
However, ruling party MP, Dickson Rogers, the Chief Whip of Parliament, said that the company in question had invested lots of money in the rehabilitation process and that he was with the firm belief that it would deliver. He added that there was no perfect agreement in the world and that the Minister of Trade and Industry, together with the president, could not bring into the country a company that would not bring development.
Rogers noted that MPs shouldn’t focus on scoring political point, rather they should embrace national development.
Mattew Sahr Nyuma, Leader of Government Business in Parliament, advised his colleagues not to be subjective in debates of issues that are political, but rather to indulge in debate that will benefit the people of Sierra Leone. He also point out that petroleum products are political products, noting that when there is shortage of fuel in the country, it could seriously tell on the government, and an increase or decrease of petroleum in the international market could have a huge effect on the government.
Chernor R. M. Bah, Leader of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), described the agreement as very important and relevant to the development of the country, but he also joined other lawmakers in objecting to the “huge” 25% percent tax, calling for it to be reduced.
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