By Theresa Kef Sesay
The Parliament of Sierra Leone has on the 17th November 2020 debated and approved a petroleum agreement geared towards the rehabilitation and refurbishment of the Kissy Storage Tanks Project.
The following agreement was approved by Parliament:
Concession Agreement Between the Government of Sierra Leone Represented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Finance and All Petroleum Products SL for the Rehabilitation and Refurbishment of the Kissy Storage Tanks Project
Presenting the agreement for ratification, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr. Edward Hinga Sandy said the agreement is to ensure development on the infrastructure by rehabilitating the storage facilities of the Kissy petroleum project and to expand the facilities to contain seven hundred thousand metric tons for purposes of reserving petroleum products. He said it would boost revenue mobilization for the Government and create job opportunities for the people of Sierra Leone.
Contributing, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Trade Committee, Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay said the trade agreement is timely and important for the development of the trade sector. She referred to “maintenance culture” as a major challenge in Sierra Leone. She called for proper monitoring and evaluation of the project so as to meet its intended purpose including job creation to enhance the livelihood of the people of Sierra Leone.
Submitting, Hon. Dr. Kandeh Kolleh Yumkella said Parliament should be involved in the initial scrutiny process of any agreement before the executive in order to ascertain the relevance of such agreements to the nation. He said the petroleum industry is the lifeline for the development of any nation and called for the agreement to be checked and properly monitored during implementation. Based on research, he said the company had no track record in petroleum business and decried the huge tax concessions in favour of the company. He said as NGC, they would not support the agreement considering the huge tax concessions in the project.
The Chief Whip of Parliament, Hon. Dickson Rogers said the company has invested a lot of money in the rehabilitation process and he is of the firm belief that the company has the capacity to deliver. He said it high time they stop using politics in development and acknowledged that there is no perfect agreement in the world, but underscored that the “Minister and the Government are perfect” by entering into this agreement for the development of the country.
Other MPs made salient contributions.
Rounding, Hon. Chernor R.M Bah, Leader of the Opposition said the agreement is very important and relevant for the development of the country. He shared the views expressed by the leader of NGC relating to huge tax waivers that have been given to the company. He called on Parliament to review any agreement at the initiation stage before the Executive can decide otherwise. He commended the Minister for the agreement and supported the rehabilitation of the petroleum project.
Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma advised MPs to avoid being subjective on debate on political grounds but rather to indulge in debate for the benefits of the people of Sierra Leone. He thanked MPs who contributed to the motion and added that the agreement would hugely benefit the Government and the people of Sierra Leone.
He also said that “petroleum products are political products and no Government will want see a shortage of fuel”. Allaying the fears of MPs with regards to the termination clause in the agreement, he said fuel shortages have the potential to halt the smooth functions of the State.
Also, following continued and protracted debate, the Parliament passed into law the Bill entitled: “The Finance Act, 2021” with some amendments to enable Government to collect revenue for its Le9.2 Trillion National Budget for 2021 themed: “Economic Recovery for Job Creation and Human Capital Development”.
The Bill is seeking to provide for the imposition and alteration of taxes with a view to give effect to the financial proposals of the Government and for other related financial matters for the year 2021.
