28 March, 2008

Sierra Express, Freetown

The Problem Of Price Control

Since the government of President Koroma came to power, the price of commodities has continued to rise at a rate the average Sierra Leonean can not easily understand.  Most of the times the excuse being given is the increase in price at the world market.  Early this year, the government came out with a long proposal to tackle price increases.  The Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr. Alimamy P. Koroma, appealed to the business community to consider the present condition in the country and stop putting heavy prices on commodities.  However, his statement has not been effective, as prices still continue to rise.  

An international businessman (name withheld) told Sierra Express that the government cannot control the prices of commodities because the government is contributing to the increase of prices by imposing heavy taxation and massive corruption at the customs department.  The businessman explained that when a container of goods is being imported into the country the amount one spends in duties and “kick backs” is almost half the price of the commodities! That is the reason for the increase in prices.

It is believed that Sierra Leone has the most expensive port in the sub-region. It is also said that suppliers are reluctant to come here because of the high taxation.  

Petty traders are very much disturbed about the continual increase in prices. According to M'balu Mansaray a petty trader is always showing depression for the price increases.  The worries of these petty traders are that the people of Sierra Leone will blame them if things go bad.  "We took the lead to campaign for this government because we were expecting changes as far as living standards are concerned,” the petty trader said.  It is time for the government to come out with strategies so that prices will be controlled.  A team of people should be put together to be going around town and arresting people for prices to be as government prescribes - No! That is an old fashion of controlling price.  Government should come out with policies that will make the market competitive so much so that things will climb down naturally.

Making those strategies, the government should take a very close and serious look at the Customs Department. The people of that department are fearless.  That is the only department that one can see people working only in their own interest and who could not care less about who they are dealing with.

For far too long Sierra Leoneans have been suffering but do not know that it is the dubious activities of the customs that is inflicting that suffering on them.  Now that the APC government has come, it is high time we start looking at the activity of the Customs Department.  We can do everything but if we do not properly identify the areas that are bringing the problem then we will not remedy the problem.

In a state, there is nothing more powerful than the government, but in Sierra Leone, some institutions think that they are much more powerful than the government.  The Customs Department is one of those institutions. That is the only institution that people consider to be the point of becoming rich.  It is almost always believed that no sooner one is being employed at the Customs Department you are rich.  That is practically true.  If one measures the kind of things even the sweepers are doing at the Customs Department, one is bound to take home that working at the Customs Department is better than mining diamonds.  Look at the kind of masterpiece houses built by ordinary tax collectors at the Customs Department and the expensive cars they are driving.  Are those cars being bought from their salaries?  

Please APC do the good you promised.

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