The MP from Kambia District and Chief Whip of the opposition, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara, says the “Standards Bureau is a death-trap”, meaning it has not been doing its job.

He made the disclosure on Thursday 31st October 2024  when debating on the approval of Presidential nominee in the Chamber of parliament.

According to Hon Kanara, Standards Bureau is not up to the task.

He spoke about how the the institution is not capacitated and which has caused lots of health problems on citizens.

He said since 2019 he had been repeatedly calling on Sierra Leoneans and government to look into activities of the government Bereau (FSB) regulating food standards in Sierra Leone.

He said the country is experiencing and people have been consuming a lots of the expired products imported into the country.

Hon Kamara said it sounds as if as there are no vehicles by the Bereau to enable it do its work, and no testing equipment at the institution which supposed to set the standards on goods or materials.

He said the there are no proper testing equipment to test even the quality of water Sierra Leoneans are drinking, the reason typhoid and malaria is killing people.

He pointed out that most of our goods would normally pass through water quay ( Freetown seaport) and there is no Standards Bureau office at the quay at the moment.

He said lots of expired goods are continuing to be shipped into the country.

He said the institution manpower is very small leading to wastes of food to be sold almost everywhere.

And such situations could only frequently happen especially when Taskforce Teams are not around patrolling the streets and markets.

He said if Sierra Leone is to have standards placed on imported foodstuffs and home sales, the government should try to put more resources onto the FSB and capacitate their men.

The Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) member of parliament from Bo District who doubles as the Deputy Leader of Government business, Hon Bashiru Silikie echoed the importance capacitating Standards bureau for setting standards.

He said there are lots of challenges when it comes to setting standards on food items and related materials.

He warned Presidential appointees to step up their game.