The Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) has responded to recent reports linking it to financial mismanagement, saying the claims are false and misleading.

The company was reacting to stories aired on Radio Democracy 98.1 FM’s “Daddy Wakabot” and published in the Hope Times Newspaper on April 16th and 17th. The reports claimed that more than NLe 258 million was unaccounted for and linked the company to a corruption scandal.

In a statement, GVWC said the NLe 258 million is not missing but represents money owed to the company. This includes NLe 32.6 million owed by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), as well as debts from other customers built up over several years. Guma described this as a problem of debt recovery, not corruption.

On taxes, the company said it is aware of what it owes in Withholding Tax (NLe 1.6 million) and PAYE (NLe 18.8 million). These figures were fully disclosed in its draft 2023 financial report and confirmed by the Audit Service of Sierra Leone.

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GVWC said delays in paying taxes are due to rising costs, old water tariffs that haven’t changed since 2021, and widespread water theft. Still, the company is making monthly payments and has agreed with the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee to pay NLe 50,000 each month to reduce what it owes.

The company said its main income comes from water sales, which it uses to pay workers, buy chemicals and fuel, and keep the water system running. GVWC is also in talks with the government about a debt swap plan that would allow debts owed by MDAs to be used to settle tax payments. The Public Accounts Committee supports this plan, which could help the company manage its finances better.

In its statement, Guma Valley said there is no corruption involved. It said it continues to work openly and improve how it operates.

The company also shared some of its ongoing work. It said it is now supplying 75,000 cubic meters of water each day, which is a new high for this time of year. Guma Valley has also extended its pipe network to reach communities that previously had no access to water. In addition, it continues to provide water through community tanks, kiosks, and water trucks at subsidized rates.

The company said it has been working to fix leaks quickly, protect infrastructure, and improve its operations. It also launched the Freetown Water Supply Master Plan in December 2022 to guide its long-term efforts toward better access to clean water.

GVWC also disclosed that it is currently seeking major investments to construct new dams at the River No. 2 Community, Hamilton, Kongo, and Toothik to help store more water for the growing population. These projects are part of the company’s vision to provide universal access to clean water in the Western Area by 2030.

The company ended by asking the media to share correct information and called for fair reporting to help the public understand its work and encourage support for its future plans.