PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE RECOVERS OVER LE 40 BILLION
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sierra Leone Parliament, chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, announced on Friday, 23rd August 2024, at the Kenema District Council, in the presence of heads of devolved sectors, that it has recovered over 40 billion old leones in tax arrears during the last three months. These recoveries relate to the 2021 and 2022 audit periods.
The Chairman highlighted that the Committee focused on areas such as corporate taxes, GST, PAYE, and withholding taxes.
Regarding GST, the Chairman noted that the Committee examined the cases of eleven taxpayers and engaged both the Ministry of Finance and the National Revenue Authority (NRA) to assist in the inquiry process. With this collaborative strategy, Hon. Tawa Conteh revealed that the NRA had successfully recovered a substantial sum, stating, “Over 30 billion leones were recovered.”
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT CONCLUDES OVERSIGHT AT SLPA, FIA, SLAA & YAGOI NEW JETTY PROJECT
The Honorable Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Aviation, chaired by Hon. Ambrose Maada Lebby, have concluded an oversight function at the Sierra Leone Port Authority (SLPA), the Sierra Leone Airport Authority (SLAA), the Freetown International Airport, and the Yagoi New Jetty Project, which is under construction at Yagoi, Bonthe District, Southern Sierra Leone. This oversight is a testament to their unwavering commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the transportation and aviation sectors.
The Chairman of the Transport and Aviation Committee, Hon. Ambrose Maada Lebby, elucidated the significance of parliamentary oversight, which aligns with the mandates to give adequate representation to the people and ensure efficiency in the transport sector. He assured the SLPA management that inasmuch as they are the people’s representatives in ensuring that the right thing is done, they were also there to proactively identify and address the challenges faced by the SLPA for remedial actions, instilling confidence in their actions and decisions.
Female Members MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ATTENDS MENTORSHIP TRAINING
The Parliament of Sierra Leone, through the Sierra Leone Female Parliamentary Caucus Leadership in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), concluded a three-day recruitment session of mentors on effective mentoring techniques and ethical considerations on Wednesday, 28/08/2024. The event was held at the West End Palace, Aberdeen Beach, Freetown.
This initiative aimed to support the Parliamentary Women’s Caucus in developing and implementing a regional female mentorship program and fostering leadership development for female youths across all five regions. The workshop’s primary goal is to set up a better system for recruiting mentees, empower female parliamentarians, and equip them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to become effective mentors to their mentees.
PAC PROBES LOCAL COUNCILS IN SOUTH-EAST ON THE AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORTS
Alive with its constitutional mandate, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by the Rt. Hon. Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, on 26/8/2024, concluded six (6) days of engagements with local councils in the south-eastern regions of Sierra Leone based on the queries raised in the Auditor General’s Reports for the financial years 2021 and 2022.
Making his statements during the course of the engagements, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, who doubles as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, reiterated the committee’s crucial mandate, including its pivotal role that is geared towards promoting transparency and accountability in the governance sphere of the country.
The Chairman promised to follow and implement the law to its fullest and encouraged the Councils to collect credible data with the view to increasing the generation of their own-source revenues to undertake development in their localities.
Commencing the hearings, the Committee observed that several documents requested by the Committee were not available, including annual budgets, development plans, and audited financial statements.
However, the Committee proceeded with its hearings and heard issues relating to administrative and financial discrepancies. As a result, vote controllers and other core staff of councils, both past and present, were thoroughly scrutinized on accountable financial records as indicated in the 2021 and 2022 Audit Reports.
PARLIAMENT PAYS LAST RESPECT TO THE LATE HON. BENNEH BANGURA OF PORT LOKO DISTRICT
The Sixth Parliament of the Second Republic of Sierra Leone graced the Laying in State Ceremony in Parliament for the Late Hon. Benneh Bangura, formerly of constituency 055 in Port Loko District, on Friday, 30/08/2024.
The solemn Laying in State Ceremony attracted prominent state officials, including the Presidential Spokesman, the Resident Minister of the North-West Region, and representatives of the Vice President and Speaker of Parliament. The event was also graced by leaders of both sides of Parliament, other honorable members, and family members, all of whom delivered mournful tributes.
Before the tributes, state officials and family members were invited to sign the book of condolence. The Resident Minister North-West signed on behalf of the Vice President, while Hon. Neneh Lebbie signed on behalf of the Speaker of Parliament. Other dignitaries followed suit, including the Presidential Spokesman, the Leader of the Opposition, the Acting Leader of Government Business, and the Clerk of Parliament.
ACTING SPEAKER HON. NENEH LEBBIE ANNOUNCES 2 MONTHS RECESS FOR MPs
In conformity with Section 88 of Act No. 6 of the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone, Honourable Members of Parliament unanimously elected Hon. Neneh Lebbie to preside over a sitting of Parliament as Acting Speaker of Parliament in the absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, who are equally engaged in other official functions outside the jurisdiction of Sierra Leone.
After her consensus election, Hon. Neneh Lebbie expressed appreciation to the Members of Parliament for the confidence they bestowed upon her to serve as the Acting Speaker for today’s sitting of the Sixth Parliament. She expressed that she is the third woman to have acted as Speaker since the establishment of the House of Parliament.
PAC CONCLUDES INQUIRY WITH LOCAL COUNCILS IN THE NORTH ON AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORTS FOR 2021/2022
In its continued engagements with local councils across the country on the Reports of the Auditor General for 2021/2022, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), responsible for conducting public hearings with a view to looking into the queries raised in the said reports for the period under review, has also had engagements with the councils in the northern region of the country, in the Makeni City Council Hall, Bombali District.
During the hearings, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the Parliament of Sierra Leone, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, reiterated and admonished Council Officials by stating that the Auditor General’s Report is the property of Parliament and that no other authority or agency had the right to investigate anything relating to these Reports. He also sounded a strong note of caution to MDAs, including local councils, to desist forthwith from answering issues raised in the Auditor General’s Reports, except to Parliament, or otherwise matters arising there from are so referred by Parliament in respect of the same to anybody, institution, or authority established by law like the ACC and others for further investigation.
“The Audit Report submitted to Parliament by the Auditor General is the property of Parliament. Let nobody call you to investigate anything from the audit report; it is Parliament’s responsibility to conduct investigations and hearings on this report. If there is any issue that Parliament deems to be criminal or, in the opinion of Parliament, meets the requirements of other provisions or other legislation passed by Parliament for which other bodies in governance, the executive, or otherwise are responsible, Parliament will refer to them. It is not the business of any other institution or agency to start hearings or conduct hearings on this document afresh. So if the Anti-Corruption Commission or any other body calls you, tell them the Deputy Speaker of Parliament has ruled and you are going to stay by that ruling. Until and unless that rule changes, nobody can issue any summons, subpoenas, or warrants to you because the document belongs to Parliament, and nobody has any legislation that gives them power or authority over this audit report. Except Parliament and by the powers of the Grundnorm or the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone,” he stressed.
CSPS CONCLUDES TWO DAYS OF TRAINING FOR PARLIAMENTARY STAFF ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE GENDER MAINSTREAMING MANUAL
The Centre for Strategy and Parliamentary Studies (CSPS) concluded a two-day training session on Tuesday, 03/09/2024, for a cross-section of Parliamentary Staff on the implementation of the Gender Mainstreaming Manual.
As a critical tool for the Parliament of Sierra Leone, this comprehensive training manual is immensely valuable in enriching the knowledge and awareness of its participants regarding gender-related matters and their crucial role in parliamentary policies and programs.
Through its systematic and in-depth approach, the manual equips parliamentarians and staff with practical insights. When applied, these insights lead to a deeper understanding of how gender dynamics influence legislative decisions and their subsequent impact on society. This understanding enables more informed and effective decision-making.
PAC CONCLUDES NATIONWIDE OVERSIGHT FUNCTION WITH LOCAL COUNCILS ON THE AUDITOR GENERAL’S REPORTS
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Parliament of Sierra Leone, under the chairmanship of the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, has successfully concluded its nationwide oversight engagements with local councils. The final session was held on Monday, 2nd September 2024, at the Port Loko District Council Hall, following an extensive review of local councils in the North-Western region.
The primary objective of this oversight exercise was to address the queries raised in the Auditor General’s Reports for the financial years 2021 and 2022. During the proceedings, officials from the Kambia District Council were surcharged for their failure to present auditable documents as required.
The Chairman commended the PAC members and the Secretariat for their unwavering commitment and dedication throughout these engagements, ensuring that the principles of transparency and accountability were upheld.
To enhance revenue mobilization, the chairman emphasized the need for closer collaboration between district and chiefdom authorities. He acknowledged the challenges faced by local councils in asset disposal and budget preparation and highlighted the need for corrective measures. The Chairman also called on the Public Financial Management Reform Unit (PFMRU) and the Ministry of Finance to engage a contractor with at least five local technicians to resolve challenges with the cadastral and PETRA systems to optimize revenue collection for local development.
PAC ORDERS UNION TRUST BANK TO PAY LE 460 MILLION TO SLRSA
In its continued hearings into queries raised in the Auditor General’s Reports for the financial years 2021 and 2022, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, ordered Union Trust Bank Kenema Branch to pay 460 million old Leone into SLRSA’s account.
This was as a result of a 471 million-year-old Leone query that was raised in the Auditor General’s Report for 2022 relating to financial discrepancies between the account holder and the bank.
The Committee also ruled that the Head of Station working for SLRSA Kenema Branch pays the difference of 11 million Leone for negligence and failure to do daily bank reconciliation within two months and also recommended his suspension, transfer, and demotion.
Furthermore, the Deputy Speaker revealed that following a ruling by the PAC on budgetary enhancement, the Ministry of Finance had received requests from MDAs amounting to 198 billion old Leone subject to approval by the PAC. As he said before now, the Ministry of Finance would have ordinarily processed those requests without recourse to Parliament. He said in furtherance that “the Public Accounts Committee will not rest until the last penny is collected,” he averred.
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