Deputy Minister of Works and Public Assets, Hon. Philip Tetema Todoneh, has stated that his ministry is planning to transform the public works yard, which would be responsible to maintenance all government vehicles and subsequently save billions of Leones for the government.

Hon. Tondoneh made the above disclosure during a ‘stock taking session’ last Friday (30th August, 2019), at the Civil Service Training College on Tower Hill in Freetown.

“With the re-development of the public works yard, the Ministry of Works could save billions of Leones for the government of Sierra Leone. The resources mobilised through this could be utilised for many other developmental programmes in the country,” he said.

He said the carpentry workshop would be in charge of repairing all government furniture, adding that it could similarly create job opportunities for skills trained youths.

He noted that many officials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are occupying rented houses in Freetown and the provinces without the knowledge of the Ministry of Works.

“The ministry is only aware when it’s time to make payment for those houses, and the documents are brought to us to sign. We are changing that narrative, we want to make sure we establish an administrative village that will accommodate a lot of MDAs, which would subsequently break down on government’s expenditure,” Hon. Tondoneh said.

He said when his ministry would have transformed the public works yard on Pademba Road in Freetown, it would create job opportunities, and there would also be value for money and fiscal control in the aspect of misused vehicles.