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APC Dissociates Itself from APPA

Karamoh Kabba, Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In a letter dated 8th September 2021 and signed by Karamoh Kabba, Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the All Peoples Congress (APC) Party for the National Secretary General of the same party, addressed to the Chairman of the All Political Parties Association (APPA) it was categorically stated that the party is unsubscribing its  membership to the All Political Parties Association (APPA) effective immediately.

Also stated was that the APC leadership has observed with grave concern that the present APPA leadership is in contravention of Articles 4 and 5, the Vision  and Mission  Statement of the APPA Constitution.

It was maintained that the members of the party are inspired to collectively uphold and sustained democratic norms and values as foundations for the prosperity of Sierra Leone and “to serve as a platform for dialogue, cooperation, and collaboration among leadership of political parties for the advancement of electoral democracy and economic prosperity in Sierra Leone”.

Highlighted was that in view of the above, the letter will serve as a formal notice of the APC Party’s dissociation from APPA and let it also serve as a notice of withdrawal, resignation and discontinuance of all activities and functions of the party’s members who are presently serving in the Association in any capacity.

A copy of the letter was sent to the Chairman of the PPRC.

Targeting Fifty Physically-Challenged Children… Action To Heal Foundation-Sierra Leone Renders Educational Support

By Alusine Rehme Wilson

Amidst worries of dropping out school in the minds of pupils that lack the needed assorted schooling materials, Action To Heal Foundation-Sierra Leone (A2HF-SL), a non-governmental organization last Saturday, September 4 through their annual “Back to School Education Program” doled-out educational support to fifty physically challenged and other less-privileged children attending various schools in Bombali District Northern Sierra Leone as continued support towards enhancing free and quality education for children in Sierra Leone.

The items donated to each of the fifty children include dozens of books, pens, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, rulers, mathematical sets, clear bags and cash support of the sum of Seventy Thousand Leones (Le 70,000) to each of the best three pupils with the highest scores among the enlisted beneficiaries that took the 2021 National Primary School Examination (NPSE) in Makeni city and its environs.

Some parents, though disabled, of some of the fifty beneficiaries accompanied their sons and daughters to the weekend event hosted at the Foundation’s head office situated on #21 Conteh Street in the city of Makeni that was chaired by Miatta Saffa Jalloh the A2HF-SL’s General Secretary.

In her opening remarks, the A2HF-SL Secretary warmly welcomed the parents, the children, the special guest to the event and pressmen with a light-smile on her face, declared the event open with general prayers plus minute silent prayers offered to her late spouse Ibrahim Zur Jalloh who until his death was a Board member of the Foundation.

She then ushered in other members of A2HF-SL who revealed challenges and successes they have tread through as a charity based entity and jointly welcomed their special guest  Abdulrahman Bangura alias “Bangso” an experienced academician and popular personality in the North, who according to the Foundation’s Founder was mainly invited to share his life time experiences with the beneficiaries most of whom are orphans and school going children of persons living with disability to let them be inspired by the veteran tutor’s story to get the best education available and become great succeeding personalities as they grow older.

Bangso in his remarks journeyed around his tragic moment growing up as child several years ago, recalled how he persevered to overcome all odds to attain his present high-up stance in society.

“I see in you all very promising faces of would be doctors, nurses, teachers, politicians, administrators and more but to attain these achievements  I’ve highlighted, you all must develop your images in the best way to suit society and be determined. Also, relent not to continually strive for your own success and that of others, above all be respectful to everyone then you will be greater than the present generation,” he assured.

In her remarks the Action To Heal Foundation-Sierra Leone Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Madam Zainab Mummy Tholley, told journalists that this is the fourth time they are providing cash and material educational supports to the physically challenged among other vulnerable school going children in Bombali since the Foundation was established in 2018 and was officially launched a year later.

“The Back to School program” is in tandem with our vision to help  put smiles on the faces of less-privileged children, developing them to be better educated for self-reliance and eventually to create in them the anxiety to become change makers of their communities, our country, continent and the world at large,” she further revealed.

She added that they  are open to receiving support and strike partnership with any person or group wanting to support their goal of empowering physically challenged children and other vulnerable persons noting that A2HF-SL’s yearly support to these beneficiaries have helped the children treated their education more seriously, repeated not in the same level but have become more competitive in their various schools in order for them not to miss out from both the usual and extra assistance from the Foundation.

Beneficiaries including Sheriff Dawo a SSS-II Science pupil attending the Kankalay Islamic Secondary School and Tenneh J. Sesay of the National Pentecostal Primary School in Makeni who are both hoping to become Minister of Finance and a Nurse respectively in the future, thanked A2HF-SL for the regular yearly assistance.

James Conteh, who scored an aggregate of 307 from the N.P.S.E two years ago and received both cash and material support also joined fellows this year to receive assorted schooling materials despite his mother is still battling with paralysis. He produced a broad smile in an interview with journalists, thanked the Foundation for helping to polish his educational journey and promised to continue to excel and make them proud in years on.

On his part, the Bombali District Orphanage Disable Foundation Vice Chairman ,Idriss Conteh offered prayers and noted with delight that for the fourth time since 2018 disable and orphan children , some whose  parents are also physically challenged, have received assorted school items plus cash support to help them foot the charges for their Junior Secondary School

Bill Gates Eulogizes Dr. David Moinina Sengeh

By Amin Kef Sesay

One of the richest personalities in the world, Bill Gates has in a moving article eulogized the current Minister of Basic Education in Sierra Leone Dr. David Moinina Sengeh.

Bill Gates said he met David Moinina Sengeh, when  he was a college senior studying biomedical engineering. He narrated how the University President asked him to introduce David at a lecture he, Bill, was giving, and he charmed the crowd by talking about the ways they are both similar (we both want people to live healthy, fulfilling lives) and how they are different (in their hairstyles).

“I remember being blown away by his intellect, his ambition, and his sense of humour,” Bill Gates highlighted adding how it was clear that David had a bright future ahead of him, but said he does not think anyone could have predicted where David could end up just a few years later: as Sierra Leone’s first Chief Innovation Officer and youngest ever Education Minister.

Bill intimated that David grew up in Bo, the second largest city in Sierra Leone, that his uncle was a surgeon, and David would sometimes get to sit in and observe his procedures.

He said David remembers one time when a woman showed up for her surgery only to be turned away and his uncle explained that the hospital where he worked didn’t have an ultrasound machine, and he wasn’t comfortable performing the procedure blind.

According to him just a few hours later, during a different procedure, the lights went out in the operating room with a patient open on the table.

Bill Gates said that is when he realized what he wanted to do with his life: to make sure every health care worker had access to the tools they needed. “I left that day thinking it was great to be a doctor, but I wanted to do biomedical engineering,” says David. According to Bill, David went abroad to study—first at a university in Norway and then at Harvard (which is where we met).

He pointed out that even though David was halfway around the world, the latter never stopped thinking about how to help people back home—especially the more than 27,000 Sierra Leoneans who became amputees during the country’s civil war in the 1990s.

Bill Gates narrated that many of the disabled people David knew growing up chose not to wear prosthetics because they were painful and fit poorly.

He said David decided to spend his doctoral studies designing a more comfortable prosthetic and ended up creating an innovative new process for fitting prosthetics.

Based on what he said it uses an MRI to create a precise measurement of a patient’s remaining limb and a 3D printer to create a socket that fits as close to perfectly as possible.

Continuing, Bill narrated that after finishing his Ph.D. and spending some time in Nairobi studying disease data, David got a phone call that would change his life.

Sierra Leone’s new President, Julius Maada Bio, Bill Gates stated, wanted him to come home and serve as his country’s first ever chief innovation officer. Bill said he accepted and has been a remarkable advocate for Sierra Leone ever since.

He pointed out that David and President Bio even joined him at the Foundation’s Goalkeepers event a couple years ago to talk about their work together.

Bill said through his role as CIO, David is working to better integrate technology into every part of Sierra Leone’s Government and support the next generation of entrepreneurs.

According to him, David has helped develop data visualization tools that local leaders can use to guide decision making. Bill added that his expertise has been invaluable as Sierra Leone creates new digital tools for its citizens, like a secure electronic health records system.

He stated that David was doing such a great job when in 2019, he was asked to take on a second role as the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education.

Bill Gates revealed that just a couple months later, the COVID-19 pandemic started and David has been deeply involved in the country’s response between his two roles.

He said Sierra Leone didn’t see its first case of COVID-19 until the end of March 2020, but David and his Government colleagues started planning as soon as it became clear the virus posed a serious threat. “We had a vision and a strategy that was informed by the numbers from around the world,” he says.

He noted that David believes Sierra Leone’s experience during the 2014 Ebola epidemic made them better prepare for COVID-19 saying he gives credit to the people of Sierra Leone for immediately understanding how important it was to get the virus under control.

Bill stated how the population took quarantine restrictions seriously from the beginning and as a result, the country has kept case counts relatively low throughout the pandemic.

He said David believes Sierra Leone’s experience during the 2014 Ebola epidemic made them better prepared for COVID-19.

According to Bill Gates building on David’s work as CIO, Sierra Leone is using a robust data collection system to monitor COVID cases. He pointed out that if someone starts to feel ill, the individual can text an automated system to check the symptoms.

He furthered that if someone needs to quarantine, there’s an app an individual can use to make sure he or she receives any supplies needed to stay safe. Bill said in turn, local Governments are able to use the data collected by those apps to make informed decisions about when to close things down and when to open back up.

Bill also narrated that the country was also able to reinstate a number of programs created for the Ebola outbreak.

He said, for example, in March 2020, David and his colleagues knew that the school closures that were starting to happen around the world would soon become necessary in Sierra Leone.

Bill pointed out that they immediately began to rebuild the Government’s radio teaching program stating how some kids live in parts of the country so rural that radio signals don’t reach them, and the Government arranged to have printed materials delivered to them. He said Kids who lived in bigger cities with internet access were able to take classes online.

He furthered that Sierra Leone’s ability to implement lessons learned from the last epidemic gives him hope stating that although Ebola was devastating for the people of Sierra Leone, the country emerged stronger and better prepared for future public health crises.

Bill Gates expressed optimism that the same will be true for the world after COVID-19.

“COVID showed us that we have to use technologies that allow us to have an impact,” says David. “This is an opportunity to reset, reimagine, and rethink.”

He pointed out how David Sengeh has achieved so much—and helped Sierra Leone navigate such extraordinary times—that it’s hard to believe he’s only 34 years old.

Bill Gates said he is confident that many will be hearing about David’s amazing work for decades to come.

Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray & Co-Accused Granted Bail But…

By Amin Kef Sesay

Hon. Justice Samuel Omodele Taylor of the Sexual Offences Model Court on the 7th September 2021 granted Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray and co-accused, Marion Arouni bail. The two are standing trial to answer to 8 count charges on allegations of conspiracy and sexual penetration of a minor.

The lead Counsel, Emmanuel Saffa Abdulai, made application for bail for both accused persons on the basis that the 1st accused is sick and they have received the medical report as ordered by the Judge.

State Prosecutor, Umu Sumaray, objected to the granting of bail. However, Justice Samuel O. Taylor put both accused on bail of one hundred million Leones, two sureties saying one of the sureties should have a house in the Western area and they should be ordinary residents in Freetown.

Also stated was that the accused should submit their traveling documents to the Master and Registrar of the High Court. Kamarainba and his sureties to produce two passport sized pictures respectively as well as proof of residency and identity. Kamarainba is to report three times a week to the Master and Registrar and sign an attendance register created for that purpose.

Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray spent 14 months in detention. He was expected to be out of Prison on the 8th September, 2021 after fulfilling his bail conditions.

As Services Deteriorate… Urgent Need for Impasse Between CA Festus Kallay & FCC to be Resolved

By Amin Kef Sesay

Allegations and counter-allegations abound at the Freetown City Council between the Mayor and the Councilors on the one hand, and the Chief Administrator on the other which in the process has greatly affected the running of FCC.

The opposition APC Council has over the last three years been at daggers drawn with their Chief Administrator, Festus Kallay, whom they accused of being defiant and disrespectful to authority. The Councilors also accuse the CA of stifling the work of Council by refusing to sign cheques and documents related to development projects undertaken by Council. Few weeks ago, the councilors wrote a letter addressed to the Minister of Local Government and international stakeholders titled:

REQUEST FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE INTERVENTION

We bring you warm felicitations and write to ask for your immediate intervention on the below subject matter, with a view to ameliorating a deteriorating situation.

Sir, you may have noticed the news and information being shared in the local media about ongoing tensions within the Freetown City Council. We, the undersigned Councilors would like to formally bring to your attention that the actions of Chief Administrator of the Council has been stifling, derailing and unnecessarily impeding development and progress for the municipality.

Since we took up office as elected leaders of the municipality, the Chief Administrator, with acquiescence from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has been acting in ways that seek to frustrate, malign and deter our efforts to serve our constituents diligently and efficiently.

As Councilors, we strongly believe in the rule of law and due process. As such, we wrote to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, as the supervising Ministry, requesting them to intervene by transferring the belligerent Chief Administrator to another department or agency.

This request is also in line with our functions as provided for by the Local Government Act 2004 (as amended). We are however saddened to inform you, that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development serving as the supervisory Ministry has deliberately refused to act on our request. In fact, their response to our letter suggests support for the Chief Administrator’s insubordination and unprofessional behavior.

We are therefore constrained in the options available to us, to address this stalemate. We no longer have confidence in working with the Chief Administrator. We cannot continue to entrust the administrative functions to an individual who has repeatedly demonstrated acts of sabotage, gross misconduct and who by all intent and purpose is determined to undermine the development achievements we are making as elected representatives of voters in the city.

It is against this backdrop that we feel compelled to ask for your immediate intervention as one of our country’s international development partners and moral guarantors, in a bid to avoid any further rancor between the political and administrative wings of the institution. We have also attached, for your ease of reference, our complaints and request to the Minister of Local Government.

We thank you in advance for your anticipated intervention and hope that your involvement into this matter will help resolve it for the good of Freetown and its residents.

Yours in service, Freetown City Council, Councilors.” (END).

A petition letter signed by over forty Councilors dated 25th August 2021, gave the Local Government Ministry a 21-day ultimatum for the CA to be transferred or embark on a peaceful protest involving electorates from the different Wards they represent in Council.

A defiant Mr. Kallay calling the allegations against him unfounded maintained that his duty is to ensure that processes and procedures are followed.

“I cannot sign cheques without due process and for expenditure that is not budgeted for such as the procurement of tractors that did go through the procurement process,” he said, adding that there were more important issues the Councilors should address, rather than asking for his transfer.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Tamba Lamina, has said that he had put together a team of 8 people to find out what the problems are at the Council and report in three weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, what is important to know is that over one million citizens have been deprived of services due them because of the stalemate between the CA and the Mayor and her Councilors.

Limkokwing Students Appeal to Minister of Higher Education for Final Settlement

By Amin Kef Sesay

In a letter dated the 9th September 2021, written by one Alpha Sesay in his capacity as Assistant Secretary-General on behalf of the Government-Sponsored Students of the Limkokwing and addressed to the Minister of Technical and Higher Education, Prof. Alpha Tejan Wurie captioned “A Reminder and Also An Appeal For The Settlement of The Limkokwing Issue, Following The Pronouncement  Made On The 4th June, 2021” it was stated that the correspondence is geared towards  giving him, the Minister, a gentle reminder towards the pronouncement made on the 4th June 2021, with regards ending the long and overdue pain and frustration Government Sponsored Students of the aforesaid university have been going through since 2019 to date.

He mentioned that on the 5th of March, 2020, after a peaceful procession held by the deprived and abandoned students of the aforesaid university, the University’s Administration was immediately called upon by the Committee on Education in Parliament to look into the issue and proffer solution that will get them on campus.

The Assistant Secretary-General underscored that after that very fruitful engagement, a memo was issued out by the university administration, informing them about the stipulated time for registration and resumption of lectures, slated for April 20th for registrations and May 4th 2020, for the resumption of classes respectively.

He lamented that, however, due to the registering of the country’s first index COVID-19 case on the 31st March 2020, and the difficulties brought with it like the banning on public gatherings, closure of learning institutions, and other restrictions imposed by the President, they were unable to get back on campus on the stipulated dates.

Alpha Sesay pointed out that on the 4th June 2021, the person whom the letter is addressed to certainly and unequivocally assured them that by October 2021, they will get back on campus and continue their studies in order for them to graduate and give back to society.

He maintained that to be candid, after watching and listening to that life resuscitating press conference of June 4th 2021, almost every student that had spent about eight (8) years pursuing degree and diploma courses were left in a state of complete elation.

The Assistant Secretary General stated that, however, by all indications it seems as if the pronouncement made was just a mere pronouncement to dissuade them from their street begging agenda and Go Fund Me initiative.

He disclosed how they are very worried when they saw a memo dated 27th August 2021, from the university calling on private students for registrations which commenced from the 6th-8th September 2021, while they the Government-sponsored students were completely exempted.

“This badly triggered us and thus ignited us to bring this to your notice as coming events cast their shadows,” he stated revealing the motive behind the decision to write a letter.

He said, notwithstanding that, they still have hope and belief in the political administration, which according to him, prioritizes education, particularly Innovation and Technologically driven one which Limkokwing University is known for globally.

Alpha Sesay said it is no gainsaying that they have no iota of doubts in the Minister’s wit, experience, passion for education and his genuine commitment towards ensuring that he puts an end to the long impasse as he has manifested that since the moment he assumed the position as Minister of Higher and Technical Education.

“Surely, we owe this to you and your family; and your name shall be written in the books of history where great men are written,” the Assistant Secretary General concluded.

AYV Media Empire Establishes New Media Outlet in London

By Amin Kef Sesay

 During an auspicious ceremony on the 5th September 2021  that attracted a battery of important personalities from different walks of life, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of  the Africa Young Voices Media Empire (AYV), Amb Anthony Navo Jnr, launched a new office and media Centre at the Western Soho Square on Oxford Street in London.

Present during the occasion were Dr. Adonis Abboud, businessman and philanthropist who is a senior executive of ‘Transitional Limited DSTV’ with extensive international connections. He is also an honorary Paramount Chief of Upper Bambara Chiefdom in the Kailahun district; Ms Nana Ofori-Atta Oguntola, the Managing Director ‘World Media Initiatives Community Interest Company’ a renowned filmmaker and an established author; Dr Roselle Thompson, another accomplished author, media director and International education leader; Collins Archie-Pearce, Sierra Leonean-British Film Producer, Director and Actor who has featured in over 50 Nollywood and other African films.

Cutting the ribbon to mark the launching of the well-attended occasion on behalf of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, the Government and people of Sierra Leone, the Sierra Leone High Commissioner to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, HE Dr. Morie Komba Manyeh expressed joy and pride at the landmark project. The High Commissioner encouraged the AYV team members to continue to work together to challenge themselves in achieving bigger and better goals.

Adonis Aboud, the Chief Executive Officer of Transnational Sierra Leone Limited also delivered a powerful statement during which he heartily congratulated Amb Anthony Navo Jnr, on what he praised as an accomplishment of a remarkable feat.

Indeed, it is indisputable that the Africa Young Voices (AYV) media empire continues to bring Sierra Leone closer to the outside world evident in how it was recently linked to DStv Africa which now makes it possible for AYV programs to be watched via DSTV Africa on Channel 399.

As a result of this linkage, AYV is live in thirty (30) countries across Africa for now and there are twenty four countries to be brought onboard. All the West African countries are now connected apart from Ghana and Nigeria of which plans are underway for them to come on later but categorically it must be stated that other African countries are now on.

This new development is indeed a big boost in the sense that it has now made it possible for the country to gain another presence within the international broadcasting landscape. Sierra Leoneans living abroad will be abreast with current events taking place in the country.

Besides, AYV presence on DSTV will serve as the gateway for the outside world to know the critical issues that emanate from the country. Such will somehow be an aid to international policy makers to discuss pertinent related issues in order to make informed decisions geared towards addressing certain concerns.

The official launching of the partnership with DSTV will be done on the 17th September, 2021.

Ambassador Anthony Navo Jr., passionately believes that if other African nationals can invest and make a difference in their countries, Sierra Leoneans can and must also invest to empower young people, which will in turn create jobs and promote talents.

 

Partnering with Well Meaning Entrepreneurs…   NP-SL Continues to Commission New Filling Stations Countrywide 

By Amin Kef Sesay

The National Petroleum-Sierra Leone Limited (NP-SL Ltd) continues to demonstrate that it is determined to ensure that the vast majority of individuals and institutions gain easy access to petroleum products.

As a progressive business entity, the company, which has been in the business of importing and marketing various petroleum products, for over forty years, from time to time there are individuals that do partner with the company to open new Filling Stations in different parts of the country.

It is expected that during this coming weekend, NP-SL will be commissioning another new Filling Station at Mattru Jong which comes in the wake of the recent commissioning of an ultra-modern Filling Station in Kenema.

With the commissioning of the said fuel station residents in that part of the country, including commercial drivers and bike riders, will no longer find it extremely difficult or strenuous to access fuel as such will now become a thing of the past.

It is also obvious that Filling Station, NP-SL Ltd will continue to remain firm in optimizing customer care delivery.

Besides, new job opportunities will be made possible and such will definitely benefit residents thereby contribute in alleviating poverty.

NP-SL Ltd continues to make meaningful inroads within the petroleum landscape of this country. Based on effective and efficient service delivery, the result oriented company has drawn wide-spread commendations from near and far for holding the fort for far too long, weathering various storms.

The buoyant oil marketing company is the premier and sustainable indigenous business entity in this country, as it is hundred percent owned by Sierra Leoneans. One thing that they laid emphasis on is to give preference, in terms of employment, to exclusively Sierra Leoneans instead of considering bringing foreigners on board, except in instances where local expertise could not be sourced. This stance on the part of the company is in sync with the country’s Local Content Policy.

The company’s introduction of a Smart Card to purchase fuel has been widely applauded as a very good initiative. A particular customer, with money in his or her NP Smart Card, could easily put in for the quantity of petrol or diesel that he or she wants and the supply is facilitated, after which the amount of money expended is deducted from the card.

Some users of NP Gas that this medium spoke with, intimated how it is a very good device which has a high speed performance and very environmentally useful and friendly. Manufactured in different cylinder shapes, it is portable and affordable. NP Gas could be secured at all the company’s major Filling Stations, where the gas to refill it could be accessed.

The company has really exhibited that it is poised to expand its operations, a determination that has been manifested in opening branches in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and The Gambia. In all those countries, those NP branches are doing extremely well in terms of service delivery and payment of taxes to the home Governments.

Indisputably, there is no way that we can talk of a very successful company, amidst challenges encumbered along the way, without mentioning NP-SL because the company is hugely contributing to the socio-economic development of nations.

 

Dr Tuma Adama Gento- Kamara Becomes Chair of BRITACOM for the Second Time

Dr. Tuma Adama Gento- Kamara

Amin Kef Sesay

Dr. Tuma Adama Gento- Kamara has been re-elected as Vice Chair by the Belt and Road Tax Administration Corporation Mechanism (BRITACOM) for the next two years. Representations from over 100 countries, various tax administrations and finance departments from over (160) tax jurisdictions along with (350) delegates, over fifty (50) international organizations and a number of academic institutions made her re-election realistic.

Dr. Gento- Kamara who represents Sierra Leone was elected along representatives from countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Georgia and Uruguay. The re-election was a key highlight of the second Belt and Road Tax Administration Conference which kicked off on the 7th September 2021. Theme for the second BRITACOF was “Digitalization of Tax Administration”.

Dr. Gento- Kamara, in her statement maintained that the theme is a very important leap for the future of taxation among BRITACOM Countries around the world. The result-oriented personality especially singled out countries in Africa where the tax administration digitization revolution has just begun and says she looks forward to harnessing the potential of digitalization in Africa.

The “BRITACOM” is a non-profit official mechanism for tax administration corporation and promises to build the most broadly represented tax collaboration mechanisms for member countries, committing to tax administration cooperation service, tax dispute resolution and tax administration capacity building with the aim of promoting and sharing of experiences as well as best practices all geared towards building a community of shared future.

Some of the highlights of this year’s BRITACOF focused on tax Administration digitization, tax service digitization; tax related data governance and inter-agency tax business dialogues.

One of the resolutions adopted is based on supporting and reinforcing prevailing international standards such as the OECD and the UN model tax conventions on income and capital, the OECD transfer guidelines, the UN transfer pricing manual etc. The second BRITACOF Conference witnessed, (50) tax administrations and international organizations signing up as observers.

As planned Dr. Gento-Kamara will be hosting a panel of experts’ sessions on Tax Administration Digitalization. On that platform, she is expected to make a very serious case for Africa and the Tax Administration Digitalization revolution which she says is very close to her heart.

NP-SL’s Proactive Moves Always Ensures Availability of Petroleum Products 

By Amin Kef Sesay

The National Petroleum Sierra Leone Limited, NP (SL-Ltd) is tirelessly working round the clock, engaging in business discussions, to always ensure that supply is continually flowing in or maintained. This pro-activeness, on the part of the company, has made it quite possible for stocks to last over periods of time in order to avert the occurrence of shortages.

Interestingly, NP-SL is not a Government entity or appendage; no politician has a share in it as its shareholders are mere ordinary Sierra Leoneans, starting with 35 of them who some time ago bought shares from the Government out of their end of service benefits to establish what today has become a towering entity (NP-SL) to reckon with in the business landscape.

As had been fallaciously propagated by certain ill-motivated persons, who do not mean well for this country, that there are certain politicians that have vested interests in the company, our investigations have proven otherwise.

NP-SL is a 100% indigenous company to the letter and it has weathered various storms that could have dwarfed it or left it to extinct save therapeutic intermittent Managerial injections that keep it upright and on the right course.

Demonstrating its true Sierra Leonean identity the company has maintained a policy of strictly adhering to the Local Content Policy ensuring that it has a maximum indigenous staff in its employ. What this actually means is empowering our brothers and sisters to access employment opportunities and reduce poverty.

As a matter of fact some of its members continue to benefit from various trainings that have afforded them the conduit to imbibe useful skills to efficiently carry out certain tasks. If we are counting the number of companies that have upheld the Local Content Policy, without any iota of doubt, NP-SL could be seen at the top.

This intrinsic nationalistic posture of the company runs through and it is a sine qua non to overall national development. If such a compliance rate should have been followed by other local companies, willingly, without any pressure from the relevant authorities then indisputably this country should have been miles away in its development trajectory.

Business Management experts have made it abundantly clear that the way and manner in which customers are cared for in terms of talking to them, making them feel at ease go a long way in attracting them. Such should be done sincerely in order to make them more important. NP-SL for a very long period now has mastered that art and executing it so well which definitely is paying dividends.

1st for Customer Care was earned by the company because it has been widely acclaimed by many for solidly executing such.

In its drive to optimize customer satisfaction the company went the extra mile to install calibrated pumping machines which are not only modern but trustworthy, as opposed to old pumping machines which certain unscrupulous individuals used to cheat unassuming customers.

This is helping to repose confidence in customers that they are dealing with a very transparent entity. The friendliness of their pump attendants is very impressive and they are always there to timely respond to various concerns.

Still within the purview of 1st for Customer Care, the company is always in position to enter into payment plans with its reliable and dependable customers including Ministries, Departments and Agencies for supplied fuel and lubricants as long as all the necessary modalities have been put in place.

When cognizance is taken of the fact that some of these institutions receive intermittent budgetary allocations then such an arrangement is very significant. Its significance in real terms borders on functional continuity of those institutions as they will be assured of supplies of petroleum products in as much as they keep honouring their obligations.

For those who have not tried NP Gas for the first time it is now time to give it a try. Designed in sizable varying cylinders and sold at various NP Filling Stations, this cooking device has been rated as one of the best that is on offer for sale. NP Gas is safe, user friendly and portable. Trying it will spur you to recommend it to others.

NP Smart Card is now in vogue and is one of the latest technological devices used to purchase petroleum products. Using it has attendant advantages as evident in procuring fuel at any time of the day even during times when monies could not be accessed from banks. It is secured, easy to use and very quick. It is now trending.

To crystallize proposed projects into tangible realities on the ground, Government needs the required financial resources to effectively do so and one sure way is from collection of taxes which is the mandate of the National Revenue Authority (NRA).  NP is one big tax payer to Government and it has been doing so timely.

NP-SL remains undaunted, unperturbed amidst all the challenges it is going through and conscientiously it is steadily contributing to the socio-economic development of the country as well as  positively changing communities and lives.

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