Opposition Leader Blasts Government Over Rising Wage Bill and External Debt

The opposition All People’s Congress party Leader in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, criticizes the Sierra Leone People’s Party Government under President Bio for their increasing wage bill, which is contributing to the country’s external debt burden.

In his statements to the public at the maiden press conference of the APC Members of Parliament held on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at the party’s headquarters on Old Railway Line, Brookfields in Freetown the Honorable Member of Parliament expressed his anger on the way the government is recruiting people when they know that the country is in an economic breakdown.

He went on to reference that during the Koroma led administration in 2018, the wage bill was Le 1.9 trillion which was criticized by the then main opposition SLPP as bloated but now the wage bill has increased exponentially. He cited that the wage bill has increased from Le2.4 trillion in 2019 to Le5.2 trillion in 2023, adding that it is projected to increase to Le6.5 trillion in 2024.

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| 2024-06-05 14:19:00

Let us check in terms of the US Dollars equivalent, as per your write up. Under the Koroma led administration in 2018, the wages bill was Le1.9T @ Le6,000 per USD, equals to US$317M. Under the Bio led administration in 2023, the wages bill was Le5.2T @ Le23,000 per USD (or NLE23,) equals to US$226M. This means the Bio administration is doing better by US$91M in terms of dragging the country into more debt. This is just a simple FACT CHECK!