Concerns have been raised from an unlikely audience, residents of Kenema District, during a phone-in program aired on Eastern Radio in Kenema town, on the increment introduced on the tollgate to commence on 1st April 2024.
All the callers expressed frustration over the new price of the various vehicle specifications, with many asking about the use of the money they pay for insurance and licences of vehicles, bikes and kekehs. They expressed outrage at what they described as actions taken by the government to add a hardship on their lives.
Some callers say that since President Bio won the reelection, he has ceased to visit Kenema, a sign that they have lost importance to him and his government. Many regretted that they had voted for Bio, as there has been no change in their lives other than hardship.
However, some economic analysts are of the view that the amount of tax on the people is counter-productive, and has been responsible for the state of the economy and the increase in poverty. It was observed that taxation led to the increase in mobile tariff, followed by increase in EDSA tariff, thereby resulting in a huge burden on the ordinary man.
As if the aforementioned were not enough, the government passed its 2024 budget, which it described as pro-poor. The said budget introduced 5% tax on imported rice, the staple food of the country, and similar increase on a whole lot of other items. Making mockery of the government’s much touted ‘Feed Salone’ agenda is the introduction of tax on agricultural machinery. What kind of agricultural system is the government thinking of, if not mechanized farming?
Early February the government introduced new buses, with the aim of easing transportation challenges of citizens, especially for those in the capital: and much to the annoyance and disappointment of commuters, the fare per trip was increased by 100%, as against that charged by private commercial transport. To add salt to injury, the government is forcing commuters to board those buses at that exorbitant fare by slamming a ban on all good roads in the city on private commercial vehicles, with those route reserved for the new buses.
As if this suffering is already not enough, the government has now increased the tollgate fee the various categories of vehicles moving from Freetown to the provinces or western rural, via Waterloo. Thus, traders buying goods from the provinces and transporting them to Freetown will have to pay more for transportation, which will then be transferred to the consumers buying the items. What this means is that citizens should be prepared to face another exponential increase in the prices of commodities in the market and its attending hardship on the populace.
Some political analysts are wondering who the President’s advisers are? They are also wondering if the President is not mindful of the impact those policies are having on the ordinary man? One elderly citizen remarked that hardship does choose between APC or SLPP supporters, but like the rain, falls on everyone, irrespective of their political affiliation, ethnicity, religion or connections, and everyone will feel the pinch. Today, people in the stronghold of the ruling government have joined the others to feel the pinch of the economic policies of the government that has continued to make Sierra Leoneans poorer.