14th February, 2024. 

By Abass Sesay

Dear His Excellency - President Julius Maada Bio, 

Let me start by wishing you a happy Valentine's Day. May the love and compassion showered on this adorable day be a reason to unite us as a nation. 

Your Excellency, I write to you with a deep sense of passion, pure patriotism and good intent for Sierra Leone. 

As days and months go by, we draw closer to the end of your second tenure as president. And at the end of your presidency, Sierra Leoneans  will remember you for your strong will in governance, notable reforms across sectors, infrastructure, human and resource development - if any to point at. 

This is my first open letter to be written to a statesman like you; and it's in relation to the proposed increase in the tollgate cost which would be effected on 1st March, 2024. 

This will not only affect the transportation of essential goods from upcountry to the capital (reverse is applicable) but would also make the cost of transportation unreasonably high for commuters and meanwhile worsen the inflation rate in the country. 

Keenly listening to the Minister of Information on this decision by your government, I reflected on your campaign manifesto in 2018 wherein you religiously promised to provide better living conditions for citizens. That same commitment was reiterated before 2023 Elections. 

But with such a skyrocket increase on the use of tollgate: "Kekeh" (tricycle) from 1 to NLe 3, cab or taxi from 2 to NLe 5, SUV from 4 to NLe 10, bus 18 to NLe 40, trucks 183 to NLe 700 and fuel tankers 100 to NLe 250 clearly shows that, your manifesto and human resource development as a government are unparallel. 

His Excellency sir, one of the major projects in your second term of office is "Feed Salone". A venture I believe would help to boost the agriculture sector thereby enhancing food sufficiency in a starving country like Sierra Leone. 

Your Excellency sir, do you realize that, transportation is a major component to achieve this ambiguous objective? Imposing high cost on tollgate would definitely affects transporting of agricultural inputs, machineries and products from the capital to the provinces and vice versa. 

At the end of it all, the implementation of "Feed  Salone" becomes a huge farce! 

Mr. President, Sierra Leone is among countries with the highest inflation rate (52.16%). Don't you think this high increase would exacerbate inflation rate in the country? 

I know the economic situation is not rosy because of "global crises", low GDP growth, low tax returns, Negative Balance of Trade, donor fatigue and alleged systemic corruption in your administration. 

However, imposing too much taxes on essential goods and services like the tollgate would expose your citizens to more suffering and abject poverty. 

Mr. President, my recommendations therefore is to have a rethink on the economic implications of this decision on the tollgate. In moments like this where in citizens are finding it extremely challenging to meet their basic needs, your government would have done the following in other to ameliorate the chronic hardship: 

First of all His Excellency, I recommend that, your government reduce taxes on essential goods and services like rice, onions, sugar, flour, electricity, transportation among others. 

Mr. President, I'm also recommending that, you scale down the number of your appointees including ministers etc. Your government His Excellency has a bloated list of appointments. There are more ministries, departments and agencies in your government than any previous administration after the civil conflict. And for every new MDA or appointment it's an economic burden to the national purse. 

Lastly sir, your government should not in any way increase the cost of vehicles accessing the tollgate - otherwise let's all expect the "harshest economic" consequences of this decision. 

Sincerely yours,
Abass Sesay.
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Abass Sesay is a journalist and development analyst. He is a graduate in Information Technology and Development Studies (undergrad); and postgraduate degree (Master) in Corporate Governance and Leadership. 
abasssesay2021@gmail.com