Newly imposed taxes to turn Sierra Leone into a chamber of ripoffs and extraordinary hardships at the new year

Sierra Leoneans have woken up to new taxes imposed by the Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP) government that will turn the country into a chamber of rip-offs and extraordinary hardships that will economically cripple households when the new year starts.

The hardships will start hitting Sierra Leoneans right from the new international airport built at Lungi by the SLPP Government through a joint venture with Summa Airport Limited, now known as FIA. The reviewed aviation charges now agreed between the government and the corporation has blown airport charges through the roof and provoked a very strong and loud protest in the social media from Sierra Leoneans.

Before the new charges announced yesterday, the previous charges had been so exorbitant for travelers going abroad that many Sierra Leoneans had already started traveling by road to Guinea where they preferred to board planes from Conakry International Airport where the charges are much lower and more affordable.

BBC Reporter Umaru Fofana posted the following at Facebook :

Umaru Fofana

The more I look at the new and increased charges for those travelling through Sierra Leone’s airport, the more I feel outraged. How did the cabinet and parliament pass that agreement with the Summa Group without resisting those provisions contained therein! Or did they even read the agreement? It seems we have leaders who are either callous, parlous or clueless – or even all combined. Guinea stands to benefit a lot from this because with the new taxes, a passenger from the US, for example, will save up around $1,000 even with the additional cost of travelling by road or sea from Conakry. It’s time to buy shares at Sea Coach water taxi. Or invest in a coach service from Freetown to Conakry airport. Agony of a people!!

But the airport charges are not the only problems that will constitute the worries of Sierra Leoneans during the coming year. As seen below, the government has imposed additional taxes on even the national staple, rice , cement and iron rods.

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