APC MP Zainab Tarawally Raises Concern Over State-Owned Enterprises Bill

During parliamentary debates on the State-Owned Enterprises and Governance Act 2025 at the Well of Parliament on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, Opposition Whip Il, Hon. Catherine Zainab Tarawally, Raises Concerns Over the State-owned Enterprises Bill.

She challenged the government to justify the need for repealing the National Commission for Privatization (NCP) Act, which she described as foundational to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in Sierra Leone.

Hon. Tarawally acknowledged the Finance Ministry’s efforts in bringing the bill to Parliament but argued that the existing NCP Act had not been proven ineffective. She questioned what aspects of the SOEs were deemed broken and required fixing under the new legislation.

She highlighted inefficiencies and concerns about governance, revenue generation, and the mismanagement of state assets, particularly the sale of government-owned houses. She insisted that Parliament must scrutinize the bill thoroughly before considering its passage, emphasizing that lawmakers should not approve legislation without a clear understanding of its impact.

Hon. Tarawally also raised issues regarding the structure of leadership within SOEs under the proposed law, particularly the requirement for heads of institutions to hold only a bachelor’s degree while deputies must possess a master’s degree. She questioned whether such a provision would lead to inefficiencies in leadership and decision-making.

Additionally, she urged the government to provide a comprehensive list of all SOEs in the country, their financial standing, and the reforms needed to improve their operations rather than dissolving the NCP without clear justification.

She concluded by calling for a reconsideration of the bill, asserting that while reforms were necessary, they must be meaningful, well-structured, and beneficial to the country. She stressed that Parliament would not allow the passage of legislation without proper scrutiny and urged the Finance Ministry to return to the drawing board to refine the bill in the interest of all Sierra Leoneans.