The Single Window platform is an anti-corruption measure that ensures all revenues derived from the Port are placed into one basket. Mr. Turay said this will enhance transparency and accountability and enable the country to realize what it deserves from the Port, as all payments will go directly into the Single window platform.
Further in his statement, Director Turay commended the SLPA for their cooperation during the overt operation and informed the leadership that the report will be launched soon. He also intimated the audience that there are already good reports of increased revenue from the Port as a result of the recent Overt Operation.
Responding, Deputy Managing Director SLPA, Yira Kargbo, thanked the ACC for their intervention into the Ports through the overt operation. He expressed his pleasure on the plans of the Commission to support the Single window platform at SLPA. He said the Authority has been working towards that aim with the National Revenue Authority (NRA) but needed other independent and credible voices such as the ACC’s to endorse their move. He said, the coming of the ACC at the SLPA was timely and expedient.
Linking the rationale for the overt operation to the Pay No Bribe (PNB) campaign, Patrick Sandi, Deputy Director, Public Education and Outreach underscored that, if bribery is eradicated at the SLPA and other Government Departments and Agencies, Sierra Leone will grow socio-economically. Mr. Sandi informed the SLPA staff that the PNB campaign was introduced in Sierra Leone after the 2013 Transparency International Barometre survey report, that put the country up on incidences of bribery in the World. The campaign he stated, is funded by UKAid through the Department for International Development (DFID), and the Government of Sierra Leone. Deputy Director Sandi stated that the thrust of the PNB campaign is to eradicate bribery in MDAs in order to improve service delivery in the country. He explained that the PNB is a reporting platform that categorizes reports into three variables: ‘I paid a Bribe’, ‘I Did Not Pay a Bribe’ and ‘I Met an Honest Official’. During the pilot phase of the project, five districts and five sectors were targeted. The districts include: Western Area Urban, Western Area Rural, Bo Bombali and Kenema, Mr. Sandi noted. He also outlined the sectors as; the Police, Health, Education, Water and Electricity sectors. The Deputy Director encouraged his audience to support the campaign and call the 515 free line and the PNB App which can be accessed on Google play. He introduced the PNB website to the staff as, www.pnb.gov.sl.
In her closing courtesy, Assistant Commissioner, Customs and Excise Department NRA, Lizbard Heroe commended the ACC for its commitment to the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone and for supporting the SLPA in its drive to curb corruption.
This meeting was a follow up sensitization engagement with Senior Management of the SLPA and other strategic players at the Quay after a month long overt operation by the ACC. The exercise was an initiative of the SPRD-ACC, with the objective of monitoring the operations of the SLPA in order to plug the opportunities for corruption.
