Inflation rate – APC muzzles Consumer Price Index
The monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) which is produced by the country’s legislated statistical institution – Statistic Sierra Leone- is reportedly coming under fire and has allegedly been banned by the government of President Koroma. (Photo: The consumer price index in Sierra Leone has been rising steadily. In December 2010, the CPI was 157.2 compared to 154.2 the previous month, source Euro Money Country Risk )
It was glaring to all that the monthly consumer price index which was exceptionally computed by statistics Sierra Leone, on number of times, had exposed the soaring rate of inflation plaguing the nation.
Statistic Sierra Leone is allegedly been subjected to an unprecedented scrutiny which has resulted to a temporal ban quite in the publication of monthly price rates.
It is agreeably though that since its inception in 2011, the consumer price index have always cataloged escalating rate of inflation on a monthly basis and this was seen as an embarrassment to the government of Sierra Leone more so that the figures continue to frog-leap every other month.
These ridiculous publications though viable, did not find favor from among the powers that be as there is no way the government can stimulate a downward trend in the monthly data but rather resorted at forestalling efforts of Statistics Sierra Leone in the education of society as to price inflation in the country.
As a rule, it was usual that press briefings are summoned in good faith by Statistics Sierra Leone to offer information to both the government and society on the rate inflation in the country so that strides could be taken to control it.
Consequently, dishonest executives have joined government to have the consumer price index shelved in dusty drawers at Statistics Sierra Leone, denying people the opportunities to be informed of the trend at which prices sky rocket on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
Officials of the statistical were contacted but refused to comment on the allegations, not wanting to put their job at risk.
However, it is worthy that Statistics Sierra Leone is made free of government and political interferences, independent and as an autonomous and viable institution.
In December 2010, the CPI was 157.2 compared to 154.2 the previous month, source Euro Money Country Risk )
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Kortor Kamara
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This state of affairs should not be surprising to any astute objective observer, as since assuming office in 2007, the free flow of constitutionally mandated data reporting by parastatals such as NASSIT and other commissions and now Statistics Sierra Leone are being muzzled by the APC government.
This is the only reason why minister, Dr. Richard Konteh was so determined to have the erstwhile Director-General, Professor Lawrence Kamara unconstitutionally removed from office, so a tool of the APC can make such decisions.
Data and information, it must be recognised, constitute the ingredients of an informed democracy. The various parliamentary committees must be demanding of the various institutional heads why the termination of data updates on their various websites.
We do not need to await the passage of the Freedom Of Information Bill to demand of these vital departments and agencies to continue providing the people of Sierra Leone unvarnished data/information. They are already required by law to provide this info.
As an example, the ACT establishing NASSIT mandated that reporting and actuarial evaluations be performed at specified intervals. This however is currently not being done and the parliamentarians continue with blind indifference.
This must stop!
Kortor Kamara
6th September 2011