J. J. Saffa’s claims that if re-elected the SLPP will address the economic situation in three months, has been seen as a typical example of how absolute power can corrupt the reasoning of a seasoned economist and catapult him into the realm of illusion, where he often sees everything as possible in a short time, effectively throwing reasoning out of the window.
To many Sierra Leoneans, the statement by Minister Saffa has been seen as the views of a man in deep illusion. According to many, it was this same man, during the 2018 campaign that promised to address the alleged deteriorating economy in 6 months if their party is elected. And five years on, they have not been able to transform it, instead, the economy had gone from bad to worse, and is now in a state of coma. Under the watch of Saffa as Finance Minister in the first three years of the Bio administration, all policies to address the economy failed, and again, as Chief Minister, supervising all ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Finance Ministry, he has not been able to make any positive impact on the economy, with hardship being the order of the day.
For many, the SLPP government has lost idea on how to address the current5 economic situation in the country. An example of the loss of idea is the recent introduction of the Finance Act of 2023 by the new Minister of Finance, Famtamadi Bangura, which provided for the removal of GST on the importation of rice, increase of taxes on various sectors, including imposition of taxes on agricultural machinery, which was passed by Parliament and is on the President’s desk for assent. Many believe that the preparation of the said document had to be approved by cabinet before tabled in Parliament. And since that is the case, as Chief Minister and an Economist, J. J. Saffa should have objected to that document, but failed and the President’s hand was only held back by outcry from the populace and CSOs.
In the midst of such blatant disregard for the plight of the people exhibited by the Executive in the formulation and approval of that document, the SLPP wants to convince the people that it can fix the economy, which it has not been able to do in the past five years. The Finance Ministry supervises the Bank of Sierra Leone, and as an Economist, Saffa is believed to have been able to make his own input into the policies proposed by the Bank Governor, especially as the facts are clear that the Governor is just fresh from the classroom, and lacked the necessary experience to run the Central Bank. It is therefore not surprising that all the policies by the Bank Governor failed and has taken the country to its current state.
It is unfortunate that the SLPP does not seem to grapple with the fact that the economic situation is the greatest concern of Sierra Leoneans, especially the cost of living, but has instead proposed focus on agriculture as the solution to the entire economic situation. While this could be a long-term solution, Sierra Leoneans are yearning for actions that will lessen the economic burden characterised by the high cost of living and hardship that has engulfed the nation.
Political analysts are of the view that the economy will play an integral part in the decisions of voters in the elections, but the SLPP does not seem to understand this, and has been proposing new initiatives with little information on how these are going to be implemented. This has made some concerned citizens to opine that the Bio led administration is living in an illusion, and is putting forward illusionary programs in its manifesto.
