By Ragan M. Conteh

The Opposition Member of Parliament from Bombali District, Hon Osman Sallieu Sesay, has referred to the 2025 government budget as “Kush Budget.”

The MP stated that, the budget seeks not to address the inflation but rather to increase it.

He made the claim on Thursday 21 November 2024 when debating on the national budget tabled by the Minister of finance last week in the chambers of parliament.

According to Hon Sallieu Sesay the allocation made to agriculture is the least even though agriculture is the flagship project in the Bio’s second term in governance.

“Our people are dying of hunger and we are stagnated as a country, nothing is moving due to bad fiscal discipline,” Hon Sesay said.

He opined that the many resources are redirected to diplomatic traveling.

The MP said the theme for this year’s budget is more or less the same as the country keeps retrogressing.

He further stated that as the country stands now, government is already struggling with the current wage bill.

The MPs said the government’s domestic borrowing is too high with high interest rate, stating that because of the commercial banks know government will borrow money for paying salaries, so they are increasing the interest rates thereby preventing individuals or private businesses to borrow money.

He therefore called on the attention of government to look into the commercial banks on addressing the issue.

The opposition MP had also urged the government through the national revenue authority to strengthen the domestic revenue collection, thereby preventing huge borrowing from commercial banks with higher interest rates. He said such will affect government development.

Hon Sesay revealed that government does not need to increase taxes but should intensify revenue mobilization and collection.

He stated that smaller MDAs are suffering due to meager allocation of money, stating that such MDAs are revenue generating institutions that should be considered in finance allocations.

He said MDAs that anchor on feed Salone project should be allocated with huge funds.

He also spoke on the timely disbursement of allocation, seeds and fertilizers to farmers if the country is to achieve the feed Salone project.