The Minister of Information and Communications Honourable Mohamed Rahman Swaray and the Minister of Trade and lndustry Honourable Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy embarked on a media blitz in Bombali District on Wednesday September 29, 2021. The discourse was to engage citizens on government’s policies and programs, discuss President Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s recent trip to the United Nations General Assembly and shed light on the price hike.
They both started off by holding radio and television programs on Amzas Radio and SLBC TV respectively in Makeni city. Issues ranging from reforms in the media, the Judiciary, the economy and women’s empowerment dominated the discussions during the engagements.
Minister Swaray spoke broadly about government’s commitment in making Sierra Leone a better place. He informed the public about the bold steps the government has taken to open the media landscape by repealing the criminal libel law, strengthening of the IMC Act, enactment of Cyber Security and Crime act and also Sierra Leone joining the Media Freedom Coalition. According to the Minister, these reforms are to create the enabling environment for journalists to practice their profession unhindered and give citizens access to information, protect privacy and enhance free speech.
“The government of President Dr. Julius Maada Bio wants to make the media attractive and fashionable. He wants a Sierra Leone that is digitally safe. This is the vision of President Bio irrespective of the fact that he had being subjected to negative press in the past” explained the Information Minister.
The Minister further informed the people about Covid-19 and its impacts on the economy. He highlighted government’s Quick Action Economic Response Program which was implemented to mitigate the effect of Covid-19. “Government provided credit facility to big businesses, dished out stimulus packages to affected sectors like tourism and the vulnerable people including the disabled,” he noted.
Issues on women’s empowerment especially the Gender Empowerment Bill that seeks to give women 30% quota of representation and appointments were expanded on. The Minister spoke about the death penalty that was recently abolished by the House of Parliament which was in fulfilment of a manifesto promise of H.E President Julius Maada Bio.
On the part of the Trade and Industry Minister, Dr. Sandy shed light on the increase in prices of commodities and other essential goods. He dilated on the factors leading to the increase in prices of commodities.
Dr. Sandy was quick to mention lots of interventions the government has undertaken to ease the burden on citizens like tax breaks. The Ministsr said the rapid increase in prices at the global stage is dampening government’s strides. “These external factors like increase in prices, increase in freight charges that is to say cost of shipping, have compounded the problem,” Dr. Sandy narrated.
He said one of things his Ministry is doing is to shift from too much focus on trade to industrialization. According to him industrialization is the only way Sierra Leone will not be turned into a “dumping ground”. He mentioned few companies that are already in country for the production of steel and also recycling of metals. The Minister believes with more industries there will be an increase in revenue, jobs and foreign exchange. He said before now, the manufacturing industry was contributing barely 2% to the GDP but latest World Bank report shows it has increased to 10%, ascribing it to the Ministry’s renewed focus on industrialization. With the local production of vegetable oil from Kissy oil and Jolaks Sierra Leone is currently importing zero net on vegetable oil.
On MUNAFA Funds, the Trade Minister said the initiative by the Bio led government is to give microcredit to businesses and that the first tranche of payments has already been done and government is planning to disburse the second tranche of Le 70 billion soon. He said these loans are just 9% interest rate, which is the lowest ever to enable traders to pay back.
To deepen the discourse and capture more people, the Ministers engaged on a town hall meeting at the Makeni City Council where stakeholders in the Bombali District and traders converged to listen to both Ministers. It was a very interactive session where all the above mentioned issues were discussed and citizens were given the opportunity to freely ask questions which both Ministers responded to. Talking to one of the traders, she expressed happiness and delight at the discussion and demanded for more of such engagements. “This is what we want as citizens to be closer to our government. We hope to continue having these kinds of engagements so we can get the right Information from government,” the trader said.
