By Sulaiman Jalloh
The Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Works and Public Assets, Hon. Bashiru Silikie has asked the Minister of Works and Public Assets, Dr. Dennis Sandy, and officials of the China Railway Seventh Group (CRSG) to put on hold the planned implementation of the new toll gate charges on March 1st, 2024.
He made the statement during the Parliamentary Committee’s summoning of officials at the Ministry of Works and Public Assets, Sierra Leone Roads Authority and the China Railway Seventh Group to appear before the committee for questioning on the proposed increment of toll gates’ prices along the Wellington-Masiaka highway.
The committee chairman furthered that pursuant to section 10.4 of the toll agreement, the CRSG should submit to Parliament a draft review of the new price formula for the toll gate charges and other documents, including the traffic data and financial reports.
“The toll tariff shall be adjusted to a review on the base traffic data by both parties whenever the exchange rate varies by 10%. The concessionaire shall ensure that the toll Traffic are published at such time so as to enable the adjusted tolls to be charged with effect from the requisite date under this concession Agreement. At any rate’ Not later than 2days after mutual agreement” section 10.4 of the agreement reads.
In their various submissions, Hon.Aaron A. Koroma, deputy leader 2 of the opposition in parliament, said the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone mandates parliament to request for documents and that they want to see the proper document from CRSG.
At the end of the engagement, the committee puts the effectiveness of the proposed date into a technical hold until the Ministry of Works and Public Assets and officials of the CRSG present the document of the drafted review.
However, members of the committee have also called for a review of the agreement between the Government and CRSG.
Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Friday, February 23rd, 2024 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)