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Sierra Leone parliament approves rail and port contract to Chinese company

By Nasratu Kargbo

Sierra Leone’s Parliament has unanimously ratified Rail and Port Lease agreement between the Government of Sierra Leone and Kingho Railway and Port Company. The agreement was ratified yesterday 9th November 2023.

Members of Parliament across both sides of the aisle heaped praises on the agreement, describing it as one that seeks the interest of Sierra Leoneans, with emphasis on Cooperate Social Responsibility (CRS), surface rent , amongst others. 

Chairman for the Committee on Transportation, Ambrose Maada Lebbie said the agreement seeks the interest of Sierra Leoneans, explaining that all tax complaints have been addressed in the agreement.

He also added that the twenty years agreement erodes the idea of monopoly, and gives opportunity to third party use of the facility.

He said the agreement has a fixed rental rate of 1.5 million dollars with an annual increase of 5%. Lebbie added that if the contractor defaults to pay the rental fee to government, there is a default rate in the agreement.

“The issue of surface rent is clear, two hundred and fifty thousand  dollars will be given to communities along the port and rail” the Chairman said. He stated that people will get the full amount as stated in the agreement, with no tax to be deducted.

Speaking in the area of maintenance, the MPs said that both maintenance and possible expansion during the cause of the implementation of the agreement will be undertaken on the leasee, with no cost from government.

Representing Western Urban Unpha Koroma of the main opposition called on the company to ensure that Tassor Island benefits from the agreement. He said minerals cross the sea area  where the fishing livelihood of the people in the Island has been  affected.

He therefore requested that the people in the island are employed and that they benefit from the surface rent and CRS.

Koroma said the possibility of expansion is important, noting that having a port and rail in different parts of the country will be essential to the growth of the country’s economy.

Leader of the Opposition Abdul Kargbo said the country use to have rail, but due to  lack of  maintenance they became dilapidated over time. “I am happy that section six of this agreement will take care of the maintenance of the port and rail, so my children’s children will meet this facility, because this rail will not be used recklessly and abandoned. So to me section six of this agreement is a blessing to us as a nation” the Leader said.

He said as MPs they will ensure to perform their oversight functions in order to see that the agreement is rightfully implemented.

Leader of Government Business Mathew S. Nyuma spoke on the surface rent, stating that it will bring life to the host district.

He said despite all the benefits the agreement stands to provide, if they do not perform oversight, everything may go down the drain.

According to the Minister of Transportation and Aviation, Fanday Turay the rail transport is an integral part of the nation's economy, development and movement of people as it is the most effective.

Turay stated that the agreement seeks to promote and create employment opportunities for Sierra Leoneans.

There were controversies on the company that should be awarded the rail and port agreement, Arise IIP which had earlier signed an agreement with the government did not end up getting the contract.

Copyright © 2023 Politico (10/11/23)

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