News

By Kemo Cham

The Sierra Leone government is set to end 10 years of state subsidy on petroleum products, officials have confirmed, bringing to an end weeks of speculation on the vexed issue that has left civil society and political opposition up in arms.

Government officials said last week at a special press conference that the decision was being taken as part of austerity measures announced in the beginning of October.

By Prince Musa 

The police Criminal Investigations Department are investigating the alleged disappearance of Le40 million from the Kenema District Health Management Team (DHMT), Politico has learnt.

The money, according to officials, was meant for the just-concluded mass polio immunisation campaign.

At the centre of the investigation is the Finance Officer of the DHMT, Edward Senessie, from whose office the money was allegedly taken. 

By Prince Musa

Agents of the state-owned Sierra Leone State Lottery (SLSL) in Kenema have accused the company of a breach of contract and threatened action if their grievances were not addressed.

They say Lotto has “repeatedly failed” to pay customers with winning tickets, and that they are also unhappy about the technical problems they encounter making it difficult for them to serve their customers.

By Septimus Senessie

Sierra Leone’s Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday ordered the arrest and detention of the Procurement Officer of the Kono District Council, Thomas Bangura.

According to Wilfred Bangura who heads the ACC Office in the eastern district, Thomas is being held at the Tankoro Police Station.

He told Politico that the suspect spent the night in detention after failing to meet his bail conditions.

By Kemo Cham

Sierra Leone’s tax authority has reached a settlement with one of the country’s biggest mobile phone companies in an alleged tax evasion row.

A source at the National Revenue Authority (NRA) says AFRICELL will pay in four tranches the Le 19 billion ($ 2.7million) it owes in corporate tax for 2015. 

This follows the sealing-off last week of the telco’s offices in Freetown in execution of a forceful compliance of what was left of a total of Le 30 billion ($5 million) the company owed.  

With just three days before the enforcement by the country’s national revenue authority of a 30-day ultimatum against businesses in arrears of the Goods and Services Tax, President of the Sierra Leone importers association says it will breed bitterness. 

“Failure to properly inform us officially of such ultimatum before issuing it will result in bitterness and misunderstanding between business houses and the government”, Alhaji Alpha Tanue Jalloh told Politico.

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

The leadership of the Kono District Council in eastern Sierra Leone is under pressure over an alleged misuse of its budgetary allocation with accusations of miss of funds meant for the poor.