Announcements

Following the unanimous agreement by Parliament to increase toll-gate fees for the US$154 million, 62-kilometer dual-carriage Wellington-Masiaka Toll Road in what Members of Parliament referred to as ‘adjusted tariffs,” which takes effect tomorrow Wednesday 15th May, concerned citizens have demanded His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s intervention to ease the financial burden of the poor masses who are in the majority.

It could be recalled that in April, MPs unanimously approved the increment of the toll-gate fees in a relatively uncontroversial debate, which takes effect tomorrow despite the MPs recommended a comprehensive review of the entire concession agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) represented by the Ministry of Works and Public Assets and the China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG).

In accordance with Clause 10.4, Parliament approved the following adjusted tariffs: Group 1 - from NLe 1 to NLe3, Group 2 - from NLe2 to NLe5, Group 3 - from NLe4 to NLe10, Group 4 - from NLe18 to NLe40, Group 5 - from NLe183 to NLe250 (fuel bowsers 3-4 axles but not trailers), Group 6 - from NLe250 to NLe400 (heavy trucks 10-12 tires but not trailers), and Group 7 - a new category for heavy trucks with approximately 12 tires, trailers, semi-trailers, flat beds, and fuel bowsers with tank trailers at NLe 600.

Following the parliamentary approval, concerned citizens and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) irrevocably condemned the report that seeks to protect Clause 10.4 only, with a devastating effect if a rise in transport fares and commodity prices of the increment is to take effect tomorrow 15th May.

The concerned citizens and CSOs have not only called on the new Speaker of Parliament to reject the increments on the grounds that the report is a breach of public trust as it failed to address the Transparency and Accountability in breach of Article 16(1) (2) (3) of the Agreement, they are also shocked and dismayed that the Committee had only dealt with Article 10.4 and ignored all other breaches like Article 16(1)(2)(3) that seeks an independent annual audited financial report that should inform both parties in the agreement of gross daily revenue and how much the CRSG has collected from the start to date, has not only been ignored but the report has further concealed the breaches of Article 16(1)(2)(3) leaving the nation in the dark with no transparency and accountability.

Concerned citizens have demanded President Bio’s immediate intervention because they believe that increments in categories 1, 2, 3 and 4 will hike transport fares pole to pole.

For instance, Waterloo to Bombay poda-poda will naturally skyrocket from NLe12 to NLe 20 and provincial transport fares will be hiked too, thereby causing more hardship for citizens.

According to aggrieved citizens, “This has never been done since the start of this agreement to date. That is not only a breach, it is a disservice on the part of the Committee to have wasted all this time and effort just to agree with the Minister in making Article 10.4 the Alpha and Omega of this Agreement.”