Minister Slams Freetown City Council Mayor over 800% Property Tax Increment

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Tamba Lamina, has criticized Mayor of the Freetown City Council (FCC) Yvonne Aki Sawyerr for an 800% increase in property tax. Lamina stated that the ministerial team had a meeting with the mayor to discuss the matter, during which she apologized for not following due process. The minister raised concerns over procedure and law, public engagement, ownership by council staff, and the timing of the tax increment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Takeaways:

The Freetown City Council Mayor, Yvonne Aki Sawyerr, has been criticized by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development for an 800% increase in property tax.
The minister, Tamba Lamina, has requested the mayor to follow due process, as outlined in the Local Government Act of 2004, to form the legal basis of the reform.
Lamina raised concerns over procedure and law, public engagement and consultation, ownership by the council staff, and the timing of the tax increment amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mayor has apologized for not engaging the Ministry of Local Government as per due process and for failing to request guidelines on the extent and limit of such taxes.
The purpose of the meeting was not to oppose the reform, but to ensure that the due process is followed to avoid problems in the future.

Statistics:

The property tax increase is 800% as proposed by the Freetown City Council.
The Local Government Act of 2004 outlines the procedures for reviewing property tax.
The Ministry of Local Government has guidelines for levying property tax, but they were not issued or requested by the Freetown City Council.

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