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Sierra Leone’s Minister of Lands and Country Planning, Turad Senesie has spoken on government plans to introduce land tax on land owners for revenue generation.
The minister, in an interview on Radio Democracy Good Morning Salone program, highlighted the benefits the government will derive from the introduction of land tax.
The minister starts by stating that there are a lot of lands in the provinces that are suitable for agriculture and other purposes, but landowners usually ask for an exorbitant amount that drives away potential investors, adding that the introduction of land tax will help cub such as landowners may not want to be paying for an unused land yearly.
He made a brief analysis by stating that Sierra Leone has a total of seventeen million seven hundred and thirty thousand acres of land, utilizing thirteen million acres requesting fifty thousand per acres from landowners will be enough to pay civil and public servants which will prevent the government from depending on donors.
He further added that the land tax will encourage investment as investors will not be exploited by landowners because they already know what to pay for land tax giving room for negotiation between the investor and the landowner, which will also create job opportunities for locals in the community and also invest in the country’s revenue generation.
He disclosed that land tax will curb land grabbing in the Western Area. He said people claiming huge amounts of land will find a way of disassociating themselves from it as they may introduce higher amounts which some will be unable to pay.
So we can’t pay civil servants without donor aid but these morons are screaming “sovereign nation”. This is just more money for corrupt officials to steal.
This means they are ripping off the little money people have left. From high cost of living to fuel to land tasks.
Does that mean what His Excellency spoke about that Sierra Leoneans no longer need aid?
His hope is to rip off every little penny for the local people.
But the land tax is good. Land owners refused to sell these lands and if they do it will be too expensive..now paying for a land without selling it will automatically alow u to sell in an appropriate price that will suits the buyers. I’m happy for this process
The idea of land tax makes sense to the minister but to the masses it is a means of oppression on the poor masses. When the owner is not able to pay the required sum, the minister and his team will use it as an opportunity to grab the land according to tax law. Let our government officials learn to serve the people and help the masses see their values. It will be right if they can treat us equally as humans. Feel what we feels instead of puting heaven stone on our heads. This is too much, we already going through a lots lately .