Honorable Member of Parliament from Karene district, Mohamed Bangura of the All People’s Party on Tuesday 25th July 2023 reminded the presidential appointees in the Well of the Parliament that ‘Party Politics is over’ and the impact of economic hardship does not segregate between supporters of the APC or SLPP.

His address came during the Parliamentary approval of the first set of presidential appointees that include the Minister of Finance, Trade and Industry, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Internal Affairs, and others.

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio has set the agenda for the next five years; the Big Five seeks to address immediate priorities of citizens in food security, Human Capital development, youth employment, revamping public service architecture, and infrastructure.

The second-term success of President Bio hinges on key ministries like Finance, Trade and Industry, Energy, and Agriculture.

Even though some of the appointees are new in their new assignments, they are all aware of the dire need to get the economy working by instituting measures in line with those sets of priorities immediately.

The reappointment of Energy Minister Alhaji Kanja Sesay and his deputy Dr. Eldred Taylor shows the desire of President Bio for the continuity of ongoing energy projects in the country.
It is beyond every shred of doubt that energy plays a pivotal role in industrialization in any country. While small businesses depend on electricity to run their daily activities, the establishment of manufacturing companies can only be realized through a sustained electricity supply.
This must be a priority for the Energy Ministry with utmost urgency.

The new Minister of Trade and Industry Alpha Sesay commonly known as Tex is a household name when it comes to performance and service delivery.

He is taking up that portfolio at a time when there is zero monitoring and enforcement of government policies in the sector.
The immediate summoning of all agencies under the supervision of the ministry is vital in communicating robust measures that could address some of the challenges.
The Minister of Finance, Sheku Fantamadi Bangura stands on a sound footing to head that Ministry based on his professional financial background.

The need for the stabilization of the prices of basic commodities is imperative.
The government has been intervening on several occasions to aid businesses and waving essential taxes in the interest of the citizens. This has not been reflected in reality due to some challenges which he is already au fait with during his short stay in that ministry.

For the Ministry of Agriculture, the government is launching the ‘Feed Salone’ initiative at a time when the country spends over $300 million on the importation of rice annually. While sourcing foreign currencies remains challenging, global shocks have been having a heavy toll on the economy as well.
The momentum around the Tormabum rice project is dwindling and the empowerment of the private sector with lots of agricultural projects has yielded no dividends.

It is time for all MDAs to harmonize their policies to produce results that can reflect on the well-being of the people of this country. The first 100 days in office of the new government are expected to be very challenging.