Reuters reported that Sierra Leone's main opposition party plans to introduce a raft of reforms to the mining and oil sectors if it wins elections next month.
Mr Julius Maada Bio the Sierra Leone People's Party's presidential candidate, former junta leader hopes to dislodge incumbent Ernest Bai Koroma's All People's Congress government in the November 17th poll.
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According to a copy obtained by Reuters, the SLPP's manifesto proposes a review of all existing mining and oil deals as well as the law that governs the mining sector.
The manifesto said that "It is now glaringly obvious that the APC government is raping the Sierra Leone mining industry," referring to President Koroma's ruling All People's Congress Party, which came to power in 2007.
It said that "Such rape is wide ranging but primarily borders on signing fiscal agreements that are not in line with best practices and undermine our national taxation laws."
Sierra Leone has abundant natural resources including iron ore, diamonds, gold, bauxite and the titanium ore rutile. Oil was found offshore in 2009 but it remains unclear if commercial quantities are present.
Mr Banja Tejan Sie the party's national secretary general said that "We are saying for the first time we will review everything about mining in Sierra Leone to make sure it accords with international best practice."
However, the SLPP manifesto launch comes two days after the ruling party presented its own document, which promised to increase revenue from mining. The government has scored points for infrastructure projects but attracted condemnation for signing mining deals that did not conform to the law.
In particular an agreement with British iron ore firm London Mining specified a tax rate of 6% rather than the 37.5% stipulated by statute, though that deal has since been renegotiated. The opposition's manifesto also proposes to make all mining contracts public.
Mr Unisa Sesay President Koroma's spokesman was dismissive of the opposition's plans on Saturday. He said that "When you are not in government there is a lot of talk you talk. When you are in government you have to contend with where to get the resources."
Mr Sesay said that the APC government had renegotiated some deals and was exploring new ways for getting even more resources from mining activities"
Source - Reuters
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