During the laying out of a paper to review the toll gate charges, the Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Bundu, has called on CRSG to produce empirical evidence such as traffic data that serve as the precondition for any review of the toll gate fees. “CRSG Needs to provide the traffic data to the government. The evidence has to be authenticated and verified as the data plays a crucial role in the assessment of what’s happened, and payment by road users”, said the Speaker of Parliament, adding that “this Parliament is a listening Parliament that seeks the interest of the People and that any action taken has to be within the confine of the Agreement”.
He stressed that the review of the toll gate charges has to be guided by empirical evidence which is the traffic data.
The Speaker further noted in other countries there are alternative roads for toll gates, but here in Sierra Leone, it is a different ball game.
Leader of the APC in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, expressed similar sentiments and stated that one of their primary responsibilities of Parliament is to represent the interests of the masses.
He asserted as MPs they are elected into the House of Parliament by the people, and that every decision they make should positively impact the citizens.
“Mr Speaker, Honourable members, as you have stated, this issue is a matter of public interest. Similarly, we do not intend to discourage investors who want to invest in our country”, he averred, further stating that he believes that the CRSG’s presentation in Parliament must be thoroughly examined to ensure a win-win situation for both the people and the investor. “It is our duty to ensure that both parties are happy,” he said.
