|
Momodou
Denmark
11855 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Apr 2008 : 16:50:21
|
Hon Jallow Blames Some Departments of State
Hon Mam Chernor Jallow, the National Assembly Member for Upper Niumi has indicated that the bureaucracy in some Departments of State is a contributing factor to the impoverishment of the people. He said the transport cost paid to conduct an official transaction is a heavy burden particularly to those living at far places.
He said an elected councilor who is looking into the affairs of his/her ward, attends council sessions regularly, and received D 1,200 monthly as income. He said what made it D1,400 is the D200 they receive as transport refunds when they go collect their monies. He made these comments while contributing to the adjournment debate. Hon Jallow pointed out the need for the income of councilors to be looked at by the National Assembly and stakeholders. He asked how a councilor could meet his financial obligation if he buys a bag of rice costing D700 from the D1,200 he receives from the council.
Hon. Jallow stressed that if the National Assembly and other stakeholders failed to do something about the income of the councilors, they are going to see some problems in the Area Councils. Continuing his contribution, Hon. Jallow asserted that poverty eradication could be achieved but that in order to achieve poverty eradication, there must be attitudinal change for the better. He stressed that without attitudinal change, the way forward will be cumbersome. Hon Jallow asserted that the bureaucracy in some Departments of State is a contributing factor to the impoverishment of the people. He said the transport cost paid to some people to conduct an official transaction is a heavy burden particularly to those living at far places.
He pointed out that it is a common practice for some officials to be telling you “come tomorrow, come the next day and so forth.” This, he said, is a problem which needs to be addressed. The Member, however thanked the Immigration Department for visiting his constituency and issuing I D cards to the people of his constituency, thereby saving them from paying transport costs. On the price of the local produce costing higher than the imported goods, Hon. Jallow indicated that the farmers have to sell what they produce in order to buy the imported goods. Therefore, he said, the farmer has to sell his/her coos at a price that can offer him/her a bag of rice which cost D700. He said they have to be considerate. He concluded by calling on the Department of State for Agriculture to provide seed nuts to farmers.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 42/2008, 11 – 13 April 2008
|
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
|
Topic Locked
