Why EDSA and NATCOM are central to Sierra Leone’s economic recovery – Op ed

Abdulai Mansaray: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 01 April 2023:

It is no secret that with the world economies taking a battering in recent years, the 2008 financial crisis, the first in the 21st century, a severe worldwide financial crisis was the worst since the great depression .

Many nations have since recalibrated their financial organizations, not only to prevent a repeat of such a financial catastrophe, but to mitigate and provide systems that would act as shock absorbers, should a similar crisis occur.

In the past few weeks, the Silicon Valley Bank, a state chartered commercial bank in Santa Clara collapsed spectacularly, but First Citizens Bancshares acquired it, with the backing of US regulators. This reminds of how the 2008 financial crisis unfolded, when financial services, banks, and mortgage lending institutions collapsed spectacularly.

Like a pack of cards, Wall Street giants that were deeply entrenched in the housing market with unregulated predatory practices of pure greed saw the likes of Bear Stearns and the Lehman Brothers even put several national central banks at risk. The rest is history, as it took only one major bank to collapse and set a rippling effect with catastrophic consequences. This time, governments and financial institutions acted fast enough to avoid a repeat of 2008.

Just when you thought that the Coronavirus pandemic had wreaked enough, two landlords were at each other’s throats in the Russia Ukraine war. The impact of this war is well documented, as the cost of living continues to threaten air traffic worldwide.

It is no surprise that strikes and protests have become a favourite pastime across the world. Sierra Leone has not escaped the clutches of this financial demise. There is a saying that every lizard crawls on its belly, but you can never tell which one is suffering from stomachache.

We all witnessed NGOs, Western Government and the International Community falling over themselves to resuscitate Sierra Leone after the decade long civil war. The emergence of new mining companies like African Minerals, London Mining, Koidu Holdings and the ever present but elusive Sierra Rutile Company gave many of us hope that Sierra Leone was back to the good old times.

Sadly, natural catastrophes like the mudslide and the Ebola Virus stopped our country dead in its tracks. The rest is history, as the building blocks of our recovery chipped away, brick by brick. Fast forward to present day Sierra Leone where the average discussion around every dinner table, every keh keh ride, every poda poda ride and even chat up lines are dominated by the hardship and ever-increasing price rise in the country.

Interestingly, a lot of Sierra Leoneans believe that our country has a monopoly over this financial phenomenon, and that the living crisis and the increasing cost of living is only taking place in Sierra Leone. Thanks to the divisive nature of our politics, many would swear blind that only Sierra Leone is feeling the pinch.

After spending two months of utopian bliss in Sierra Leone, I returned to the UK to find a four-pint milk cartoon has risen from £1.45 to £1.85. We are not alone. It was £1.09 in 2022. In the 60s, 70s and early 80s, the economy of Sierra Leone was a source of envy from our neighbours as we basked in the name “sweet salone”, much to the chagrin of our kindred in Guinea under the late Ahmed Sekou Toure.

Ironically, Sekou Toure told his countrymen to endure the pepper then, so that they would savour the sugar in the future. How prophetic has that advice turned out to be today, as we look across and suck our teeth next door. We still had our resources, ranging from agriculture, mining, tertiary, tourism, manufacturing, aviation etc.

Today’s financial institutions and systems owe their origin from the time honoured barter system, the exchange of goods as currency. Although battering still occurs a lot in the modern-day business world, typically in the form of trading space, services and supplies, unlike the old system which was predominantly determined by need, today’s version is fuelled by pure greed.

Sierra Leone had a lot to offer to the outside world, and it was no coincidence that our GDP was in a healthier state. One does not need to be an Einstein to know that things have changed beyond recognition.

Despite our riches in mineral wealth, successive governments have proved our inability to manage those resources to their maximum potential for the good of all. No prizes for guessing why our country now has one of the biggest begging bowls south of the Sahara and north of the Limpopo, as much of our economy now rests on the good will of others.

We have slowly but insidiously transformed from a breadbasket of West African economies to a basket case. It is hard to admit but our economy is bordering on the case of a liability to world events. Each time the world sneezes, we catch the cold tenfold.

In the absence of much to offer, are we surprised at our current state of affairs?

However, all hope should not be lost, if only, and only if we invest in our human capital. We may lose our natural resources but our human capital is permanent. We just need to fully invest heavily in it. Times have changed and many modern and developed economies have changed with the times.

The advent of the internet and the corresponding advances in technology have led to the information superhighway. We need to join the internet, which is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow.

The internet means: Easy access to resources and technology creates new opportunities to do jobs that customers want done. We have to remember that we don’t use the internet, we live it. Thanks to the internet, many economies using this technology to its full potential have led to the emergence of E-Commerce, gig economies and many more.

Many are becoming self-employed and less and less dependent on government employment. Governments cannot employ everyone, and Public Private Partnerships is one of the ways forward. We should be able to sit in a shed or in the comfort of the kitchen and operate a multi-million dollar/Leone business.

While other countries have perfected the art of E-commerce, has Sierra Leone taken any advantage of doing so?

This article is in no way meant to suggest that Sierra Leoneans have not caught on to the idea of E-Commerce. The crux of this article is a humble attempt to highlight, demonstrate, and emphasize the role of two big giants EDSA and NATCOM; if our country is to stand any chance of moving into the 21st century.

The value of electricity in any community cannot be overemphasized. If we are to be honest, the electricity situation in Freetown and other cities has improved year on year since the days of “ the darkest city in Africa”.

In those days, you relied on the pilot to know that you had arrived at Lungi International Airport at night. That does not mean that today’s electricity supply is acceptable. There were frequent blackouts that lasted relatively shorter times during my recent trip to Sierra Leone.

Funnily, I never heard the spontaneous chorus of “Light Don Cam” that used to accompany the return of electricity. Either this was commonplace, or they knew the outage would not last long. In most cases, it didn’t. However, if our economy is to return to a life of vibrancy, there is no doubt that the full provision of electricity is vital.

Electricity by any standards should be the oxygen and life blood of not only our communities but our economy. No one needs a reminder of what electricity can do for business. Our new electricity supplier EDSA now largely operates a “pay as you go” tariff system. This means that you consume what you pay for. Not only should this ensure a robust system of revenue collection but also ensure that the supply of electricity should be a matter of continuity. Money na hand, back na gron.

So why is EDSA struggling to provide electricity with a “pay as you go system”?

Many blame it on electricity theft. That does not mean that EDSA is free from blame here. Why do people steal electricity? Has EDSA made the tariff affordable? Is EDSA giving value for money? Is EDSA a reliable and dependable supplier? Do customers get what they pay for at all times?

Others say that the tariff is too high and unaffordable for many Sierra Leoneans. Does that justify the theft? Should EDSA consider affordable prices and tariffs to ensure a critical mass of consumers? But again, how can EDSA move to improve the lives of people, when the right to order and distribute meters are auctioned to third parties ?

With EDSA as the main supplier of electricity in the country, one would expect that the responsibility to order, distribute, connect and supply meters should be solely in the hands of EDSA. But is that the case?

When you contract that responsibility to a third party with no affiliation to energy, the resulting outcome will be a high cost of meters. This is just an example of many administrative and bureaucratic factors that contribute to the high cost of electricity. This means that the tariff would not be affordable for the average small business owner. Now you see the incentive to go rogue.

This is not to justify the act of theft of electricity but to highlight the domino effects of bad administrative policies. The effects of inconsistent or poor electricity supply is obvious and that is where the role of NATCOM cannot be overlooked. NATCOM presides over everything and anything to do with our national communications.

The advent of the internet means that every aspect of our lives now revolves and are consumed by technology. Our children need the internet to keep abreast with advances in education. Children no longer need to worry about Pedro Da Cintra, who discovered Sierra Leone. They don’t need to memorize about Bai Bureh or Madam Yoko. They can just google it. Better still, they can talk to SIRI.

Those days of memorizing mathematical tables or converting dollars to leones are gone. Just google it. So, how do we expect our children to do well and join the international community when they cannot afford the high cost of data? How do we expect them to do well when they are always met with “Dae system dae don”?

Since NATCOM is the High Priest of the international gateway, it becomes imperative for it to ensure that such a highway is free from gridlock, is affordable and available to all. Call it utopian but if other third world countries can, why shouldn’t we?

In order for our country or any country to be economically viable, we should be able to provide two things: products or services. Even as individuals, if one doesn’t have a product or service to offer, one could be a liability. (Author: Abdulai Mansaray).

If president Bio’s Free Quality Education is to achieve its intended and full potential, EDSA and NATCOM should be part of that conversation. If we are to exploit the full benefits and potential of our tourist industry, EDSA and NATCOM should be at the table.

If we are to rip the benefits of the gig economy, conduct business without the need to travel from Kono to Freetown, from Nigeria to Senegal, Guinea to Morocco, and in effect worldwide.

It’s about blockchain and not conveyor belts to join the world community. To join in the industrial revolution, you need to open a factory. In the internet revolution, you need a laptop. If you think that there is life without Facebook and the internet, please send me the link. Don’t forget to turn the lights off when you leave the room.

3 Comments

  1. Mr Mansaray, I also do write just to flex and exercise the brain and ensure the grey matter remains intact and healthy. My apologies if i just picked and chose a few bits of your excellent piece to comment on rather than embracing or hugging the whole thrust of the article. I also take note of your advice of writing an article in lieu of my “war and peace” comment. I got to say I do enjoy reading your articles not just out of curiosity of the angles you take to score your points but also the intricate and tight-rope balancing act you embark on to be a FIFA-accredited referee. To ref teams SLPP and APC is not an enviable task. I will like seeing them red-carded every match (five years) for bringing the game into disrepute.

    I know you have displayed your no-party loyalty card. I have not but my writings do suggest that – and, so do others I have interacted with online over the years. As recently as this year, the former mouthpiece of the APC in America was trying to make believe I am supporting the present Government. I hope he will be consistent enough and maintain his present line of attacks against Samura and the APC should they win in June – if Sierra Leone’s rankings do not shift dramitically upwards in the UN’s accurate World Human Development and Happiness Indexes. I am not supporting any political party. I will still be here doing the same thing after June 24 whatever happens. I have never received a tax payers-funded job and I do not intend to hold one in the future as I am cynical enough to assert that most Governments, particularly in Africa, are in cahoot and in a joint enterprise with the elite to rob the poor majority.

    I do show interest in EDSA, NATCOM, SALWACO/GUMA and the old SLPMB as I believe strongly in the classical spiritual elements of Fire (electricity), Air (wireless communications), Water (water and waste water) and Earth (food) – life’s basics or necessities. Keep doing your thing and let us all progressives continue doing our thing until at least our motherland takes baby steps and matches the likes of Senegal, Cape verde, Ghana and  Nigeria in the sub-region and then crack on to match the African economic giants of Mauritius, Seychelles, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria – countries we should be drawing our parrallels to and be borrowing templates from as liquids find their levels.

    My response to your article is based on this section of you piece: “Interestingly, a lot of Sierra Leoneans believe that our country has a monopoly over this financial phenomenon, and that the living crisis and the increasing cost of living is only taking place in Sierra Leone. Thanks to the divisive nature of our politics, many would swear blind that only Sierra Leone is feeling the pinch.

    “After spending two months of utopian bliss in Sierra Leone, I returned to the UK to find a four-pint milk cartoon has risen from £1.45 to £1.85. We are not alone. It was £1.09 in 2022. In the 60s, 70s and early 80s, the economy of Sierra Leone was a source of envy from our neighbours as we basked in the name “sweet salone”, much to the chagrin of our kindred in Guinea under the late Ahmed Sekou Toure”.

  2. The author of this article is comparing chalk and cheese in attempting to draw parrallels between the UK and the unhappiest country in Africa, Sierra Leone. At the very least, choose a country in West Africa as a subject of your comparison. The UK like most first world countries operate social safety nets consisting  of non-contributory assistance  to support the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable families and individuals experiencing poverty , destitution and pauperism.  There is also other forms of support to those in employment, those losing their jobs and the retired. These social welfare benefits – meant to dampen if not absorb present and foreseeable economic shocks – include Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefits,  social care support, pensions and pension support and of the free health care provision. At one point or the other – yourself, the present first lady, her predecessor and the present President  –  have been beneficiairies of that largesse and altruism of the British Welfare System. You would expect the one who is presently hugging the limelight to have whispered quietly in her husband Maada’s ear that they should import the welfare system that her predecessor failed to encourage her own husband Ernest to intoduce the UK’s Beveridge Welfare State which they and their children witnessed and enjoyed in the UK. Surely, that is more noble than distributing sanitary pads. The money those kids  would have received in child benefits would buy them a pad or two.

    In addition, to cushion the effect of annual inflation, the minimum wage, the living wage and the amount of those benefits are increased year in and year out in the UK. The UK’s minimum wage is now  £10.42 effective 1st April 2023. Whar is the minimum wage in Sierra Leone? NLE600?  Abdulai, i guess you will earn that in 2 hours after just writing a review of … I know you said you have been home the past 2 months in Sierra Leone relaxing, doing business or providing succour and comfort to the unhappiest people in Africa. Incase you missed it, in this part of the world, picket lines were ubiquitous in trade unions-inspired wave of industrial actions and agitation to force employers to match their wages and salaries with the 10% current inflation rate though most are settling halfway. The Sierra Leone police would have gunned them down if they were in Sierra Leone and just voicing their cost of living concerns. There is, if i may add, massive UK Government energy cost support that is discounting the Gas and Electricity bills.And lest you forget, the fuel tax in the UK has been frozen for many years now. If all those Government support and measures are still not enough, in an era where there is an unlrecedentee jobs galore there is always that last resort of doing overtime, moonlighting, connecting or in simple terms taking a second job. In Sierra Leone, try first to get over the nightmare of looking for a first job first before dreaming of a moonlight.

    The last point i will like to make is on the root of the present and arguably recurring very high cost of living crisis in Sierra Leone, namely the non-gravity, uncontrollable  free-falling  New Leone. The exchange rate of the New Leone in October 2022  was £1 : NLe185 at a time when  former UK prime minister Lizzy Truss and his chancellor the British- Ghanian PHD-holder in economic history Kwasi Kwaeteng almost ensured parity between the pound and the dollar. Six months down the line the pound has appreciated over 20% (now £1.23) whilst the sorry, sad and tragic case of the Leone’s  decline and depreciation  continues unabated thanks to the folly, hubris and economic incompetence of the Government and her former Bank Governor – Prof Kelfalla Kallon. That man is renowned for his cyberwar tactics against the former Government and always espousing his know-all theoretical economics . But alas! Once put on the spotlight of  the realm of reality, he was all deer in the headlights, tanking Sierra Leone’s  fragile and brittle economy as well as setting the national currency beyond a point of inflection to a trajectory of steep, rapid and free-falling decline . The new Leone is now trading at  £1: NLe257 – a massive 38% fall just within 6 months. Whilst the UK inflation rate is about 10%, that of Sierra Leone is a whopping 42%. Cheese and chalk eh?

    https://tradingeconomics.com/sierra-leone/inflation-rate-mom#:~:text=Inflation%20Rate%20MoM%20in%20Sierra,percent%20in%20September%20of%202016.

    So Mr Mansaray continue eating your lovely cheese but do not fall for chalk mistaking it as cheese. The texture, taste and smell are a chasm-apart. Yes –  Sierra Leone have had the rebel war, the 2008 world financial crisis,  the ebola,  the corona and now the geo-politcal Russia adventure in Ukraine. But so do other countries in the sub-region, including next door neighbour Liberia. Yet, we keep winning accolades for the worst in this, the worst in that in most UN indexes. I saw a video clip of Ptesident Bio mocking and going on and on about his opponent Samura Kamara wanting to take back Sierra Leone to 1961. Why not put that to a vote and see which era the Sierra Leone people will prefer. People of a certain vintage in Sierra Leone will miss their near-currency-parity, low inflation, the railway, free healthcare, free UK Visa, the pride and Athens of West Africa -FBC etc.

    • Thanks Mr Massally. I don’t usually reply to reader’s comments but let me try. Firstly, I’m not paid for my articles or reviews. I write to keep dementia at bay. Using the UK in the piece was for backdrop. All those facilities you mentioned happening in UK go back to the same factors that buttress the UK being in a better state. I don’t deny what you say in your response. Unfortunately it sounds like you could have written a whole article to highlight the ills in the country, which sounds like my article just made a pin prick in a big, ” so much things to say” balloon . I thought the title gave away the thrust of the article: the need for innovation. Irrespective of which party is in power, we’ll be in the same spot if we don’t innovate or change. I don’t always succeed being human, but I try to look at things from a referee’s viewpoint. No party loyalty. That doesn’t mean you do, but my humble opinion is about change. The backdrop was to provide a literary canvas to paint the picture of an idea. Nevertheless, I appreciate and respect your views. Sadly, I’m struggling to connect the dots. All those benefits in the UK are down to PPPs,sound economic policies, accountability etc. I just picked out two parastatals, the thrust of my article to show where we could start the long road to perdition. If that’s criminal, I’m guilty as charged. But thanks for your eye-opener, which suggests that I live on an alternative planet. Let’s keep the big conversation going, but in doing so, let’s listen in action. So do you agree that EDSA and NATCOM could be a start?Thanks brother.

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