By Washington Tumay Watson
Monrovia-Jan-26-TNR: The opposition Movement for Progressive Change(MPC) through its political leader, Simeon Freeman has said that the newly appointed Finance Minister has no new idea to transform the ministry and has questioned his level of competence.
During the regime of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, BoimaS. Kamara was the last Finance Minister. He served from April 2016 to 2018.
Before assuming that position at the time, he told the media that he would transform the ministry, by reducing wage bills and improving other areas, but that never happened.
Mr. Freeman disclosed this on Thursday on OK FM when he appeared as a guest. According to him, he was not impressed with such a nomination by President Boakai. At the time of his tenure, he did not solve those critical problems that have been affecting the progress of the Ministry.
Mr. Freeman emphasized for instance, that the overstaffing at the Ministry of Finance was never solved under Kamara’s administration.
“The Ministry of Finance was never computerized or digitized, the top staffing where you have a Deputy Minister for Expenditure, Assistant Minister for Expenditure, Deputy Minister for Administration Assistance minister for Administration, Director for Administration all those excess staffing of the ministry that were not proposition to say, we reduced, refocus on it,” he said.
Mr. Freeman who took part in the just-ended elections, noted that one of the key areas of the government challenges has been in the area of civil servants which needs to be looked at.
But he said, that when former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf took over the presidency, her government met a public staff of about 30,000. According to him, before former President Sirleaf left power, the civil servants’ number increased to over 40-50,000; a number which former President George Weah met.
Mr. Freeman noted that former President Weah left about 70,000 civil servants. He said during the administration of Minister of Finance-designate Kamara at the time, the public did not see any methodology to reduce the wage bill. He said the finance minister-designate is resuming the position at a difficult time emphasizing, “What are the new ideas he is taking to the table that will transform the sector? The MPC Political leader further urged the Unity Party Government to promulgate their vision to the public.
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