Sierra Leone Housing and Country Planning: An Analytical Comparison of the SLPP’s 2018 Pledges and Achievements
By the Sierra Leone Live Team
Welcome back to our continued analysis of the Sierra Leone People’s Party’s (SLPP) progress over the past five years in the sectors of “Improving Lands, Housing, and Country Planning”. This systematic review aims to measure the extent to which the SLPP has realized the goals outlined in their ambitious 2018 “New Direction” Manifesto. We strive to offer a balanced and detailed comparison of the objectives stated and the achievements made, illuminating the path of progress tread by the SLPP.
This analysis is presented in two sections, each given its own post. You are currently reading Part 2, which delves into “Housing and Country Planning”. Part 1, focusing on “Lands”, can be found in a separate post. To assist you in a comprehensive evaluation, each post is augmented with 25 probing questions, thoughtfully curated by Sierra Leone Live. These questions serve to guide you, the citizens of Sierra Leone, in determining whether the SLPP has successfully fulfilled its 2018 manifesto promises.
Part 2: Housing and Country Planning
1. Encourage the setting up of Home Finance Institutions:
• The achievement document mentions nothing about the establishment of Home Finance Institutions. Therefore, it’s unclear if this goal was achieved.
2. Set up and enforce standards for building materials:
• This goal aligns with the establishment of the National Building Code mentioned in the achievements document. The National Building Code likely regulates standards for building materials.
3. Encourage large-scale local production of building materials:
• There is no direct mention of this objective in the achievements document.
4. Provide fair and affordable access to decent housing:
• The recovery and distribution of state lands to members of the public for housing, as stated in the achievements document, aligns with this goal. However, the terms “fair” and “affordable” are subjective and would require more data for a complete assessment.
5. Improve access and distribution of building materials:
• No information is provided in the achievement document relating to this point.
6. Review and enhance the Sierra Leone Housing Corporation (SALHOC):
• This goal is not directly mentioned in the achievement document.
7. Facilitate access to credit for building and mortgages:
• There is no mention of this in the achievement document.
8. Support rehabilitation programs for public buildings:
• The achievement document does not provide any information on this objective.
9. Support the creation of satellite areas around urban areas:
• There is no mention of this in the achievement document.
10. Pursue the feasibility of extending Freetown:
• This is not directly mentioned in the achievement document.
11. Ensure infrastructure services before developing new areas:
• There is no explicit mention of infrastructure services in the achievement document.
12. Encourage the building of offices outside Freetown:
• No evidence is provided in the achievement document.
13. Encourage private ventures to build facilities in towns:
• Not specifically mentioned in the achievements.
14. Develop a Land Acquisition Account:
• There is no mention of a Land Acquisition Account in the achievement document.
15. Encourage banks to develop a housing loan fund:
• There’s no evidence that this was achieved.
16. Increase the width of access roads:
• There is no mention of this in the achievement document.
17. Encourage the creation of green spaces:
• This goal is not mentioned in the achievements.
From the document provided, it appears that some manifesto goals were partially achieved (e.g., establishing building standards through a National Building Code and increasing access to housing via the recovery and distribution of state lands). However, most of the manifesto points are not directly addressed in the achievement document.
It’s important to note that without a comprehensive list of all actions taken by the government, it’s not possible to definitively say if a goal was not achieved; it may simply not have been included in the provided achievement document.
We thank you for your commitment and interest in this important review of the SLPP’s performance relative to their 2018 manifesto. Your active participation reflects your role as informed and proactive citizens, an essential ingredient for a thriving democracy.
We trust that this analysis has offered you useful insights into the SLPP’s work in “Housing and Country Planning”. Remember, the 25 accompanying questions for each post are there to assist you in assessing the SLPP’s performance in each sector.
Here are the 25 Questions
https://sierraleonelive.com/housing-and-country-planning-25-questions-on-slpps-2018-manifesto-promises/
