By Amin Kef Sesay
On Wednesday 18 December 2019, following reports by Seven Sub-Appropriation Committees during the Committee of Supply, Parliament debated and approved with unanimity the Bill entitled: “The Appropriation Act 2020” with some amendments.
The Act is seeking to authorize expenditure from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the services of Sierra Leone for the 2020 financial year and to provide for other related matters. In light of this, Parliament has granted the sum of Le8.6 Trillion to President Julius Maada Bio for the services of the Republic of Sierra Leone effective on the 01st of January 2020.
The Budget is aimed at addressing “Bread and Butter” issues through job creation, innovative financing, increment of minimum wage to Le600, 000.00, increment of salaries effective April 2020, recruitment of teachers, health and police personnel, introducing payment of salaries to mayors/chairpersons, their deputies and core staff of Council. Overall, the Budget is seeking to consolidate and improve human capital development in the country.
The Auditor General’s Report for 2018 has been tabled in Parliament by the Deputy Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Hon. Abdul Titus Kamara.
The Bill entitled: “The Public Order (Amendment) Act 2019” has been introduced and read the first time in the Parliament of Sierra Leone. It was piloted by the Minister of Information and Communications, Mohamed Rahman Swaray.
The Bill is seeking to amend the Public Order Act of 1965 (Act No. 46 of 1965) by repealing Part V relative to defamatory and seditious libel and for other matters connected thereto.
However, the Leaders of Parliament have pacified the Ministry of Information and Communications to hold wider consultations with relevant stakeholders in light of the proposed amendments.
The Parliament of Sierra Leone stands adjourned to the 30th January 2020 for its Christmas and New Year’s Recess.
