On June 12, Freetown City Council published its first quarterly Statement of Account for 2013. The report was read out at a community outreach meeting in Freetown well before it was published on the council’s notice board. According to the minutes of this meeting, it was the ’first time’ in the council’s history to have His Worship the Mayor read the council’s Statement of Account in a public meeting.
The sources from which revenues were collected in these three months include: own source revenue, local tax, property rate, market dues, licenses fees and property income not excluding fees and other charges. From all these sources, a total of Le 3.6 billion (approximately $805,000) was collected in revenue. However, the council maintained that this figure fell below their estimated target. It is commendable that the council is now taking steps to foster a transparent and accountable leadership, even if there is a lot of room for improvement.
In February 2013, CARL and its partners commenced the implementation of a $125,000 OSIWA-funded project titled, “Local Government Accountability and Citizens’ Participation” in six districts across the country. The project seeks to promote accountability in Local Councils and to bring citizens closer to governance by encouraging them participate in the governance of their localities/communities.
Our partners include Movement for Restoration and Rural Democracy (MORRD) in the East, Human Empowerment and Development Foundation (HEMDEF) in the South, and the Centre for Democracy and Human Rights (CDHR) in the North. CARL is implementing the project in the Western Area, where we have built very strong partnership with the Freetown City Council (FCC) and the Western Rural District Council (WRDC). These partnerships, particularly with the FCC, have proven to be useful. Recently, CARL arranged consultative meetings with councillors and other stakeholders to chart a way forward in terms of addressing the council’s perennial problems. We have also collaborated in radio discussion programmes and held joint community outreach meetings. As well as the progress we are making in Freetown and the Western area, our partners in the other districts are also moving forward. In Kenema, for example, our partners have forged such strong relationships with the local council that they have routinely been invited to council meetings in an attempt to have their input.
In spite of the slight improvements observed in Freetown and other districts, there remain some challenges that the councils must overcome to become a complete success story. One such challenge is the erecting of notice boards in wards to enhance transparency and accountability through the display of basic information. There is also the problem of little or no financial support for Ward Committee members, as shown by the amount of funds allocated to the councils in the 2013 citizens’ budget.
Also in Kenema district, as a result of our advocacy, the council has asked for funding from International Food and Agricultural Development (IFAD) who have agreed to locate offices for councilors in all wards which come with notice boards, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of this project.
