RFMA hold workshop with local councils on feeder road maintenance
The Board and Management of the Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA) held a one-day workshop with local councils to discuss and agree on the rural feeder roads maintenance programme and how Councils can solicit funds from the RMFA, which brought together the 19 local councils in the country organized at the Bo City Council hall. (Photo: Participants at the RMFA workshop)
The objective of the RMFA is to provide, efficient, economic and sustainable management of the Administration Fund.
The chairman of the occasion, Professor Bob Kandeh said the workshop is very timely, especially to sensitize local councils on how to utilize funds provided by the Road Maintenance Fund in their communities.
The Deputy Mayor of Bo city council, councilor Wurrie Jalloh said this is what councils were expecting to be done, adding that they are very much happy with such workshops on rural road maintenance funds. He appealed to engineers of road maintenance to take the workshop seriously because they are the technical experts in road maintenance.
He said the concern of some local councils is giving contract to contractors without the knowledge of council adding that some of the contractors have hindered the maintenance of road work in their community. He appealed to members to work with credible contractors for road maintenance.
Giving the technical overview of the workshop, the Chief Executive Officer of RMFA Abu Kalokoh, said the Road Maintenance Fund Administration (RMFA) was established by an Act of Parliament under the Road Maintenance Fund Administration Act 2010.
Mr. Kalokoh noted that Government thought it fit to establish the Road Maintenance Fund as an institution to look after the proper utilization of funds towards road maintenance. He said it is the responsibility of council for the maintenance of feeder roads in their community. He said 20% of the Road Maintenance Fund should be given to local councils for the maintenance of feeder roads.
He emphasized that this is the right time to meet with local councils to know sensitized them how to access funds from the Road Maintenance Fund.
He said the responsibility of council is the feeder roads, drainage and maintenance, reiterating that the 19 local councils have to compete for the 20% for road maintenance. He said funds will be given to councils for road maintenance that will benefit the socio economic good of the community people before the approval of funds road maintenance.
CEO Abdul K Kalokoh of RMFA
He stated that SLRA will give the technical support to all council’s road maintenance in the country. He said the sources of Road Maintenance Fund Administration are through License of vehicles, buying of fuel and the registration of vehicles. The Road Maintenance Fund Administration is being supervised by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
The Board of Directors of Road Maintenance Fund Administration, and also civil society representative Haja Kaday Sesay, pointed out that President Koroma is committed toward building infrastructure in the country and urged local councils to be responsible in developing their community. She noted that the RMFA is responsible to manage, monitor, and give funds to local councils toward road maintenance.
She appealed to some local contractors to change their attitude toward abandoning their contract given to them by councils.
The regional coordinator Open Government Initiative (OGI) Prince K. Kallon south said the workshop on Road Maintenance Administration Fund is in the right direction and as OGI, this is one core objective and mandate to promote the agenda for prosperity. He said OGI would continue to share information of all government activities for the citizens to be well informed and able to add their voice on development in various localities.
The head of monitoring and evaluation of the RMFA, Richmond Sesay, gave a presentation on the Administration.
Group work by participants and evaluation of the workshop formed part of the ceremony.
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