On October 1, 2024, at the Youyi Building in Freetown, Dr. Turad Senesie, the Minister of Lands, Housing, and Country Planning, urged staff to enhance the efficiency of building permit processing.
He emphasized the importance of professionalism in addressing ongoing delays that have frustrated applicants.
Dr. Senesie highlighted the need to classify building permits into commercial and residential categories to maximize revenue for the Ministry, warning against the issuance of single applications for mixed-use developments, which could lead to revenue losses.
He announced plans to introduce a Country Planning Act and develop building codes to streamline land development practices.
The Minister also stressed the role of the building inspectorate in ensuring compliance with issued permits, urging inspectors to conduct regular site visits and report any deviations from approved plans.
Furthermore, he called for capacity building within the ministry to improve efficiency, reminding staff that he is responsible for policy direction, while relying on them to implement these directives effectively.
He acknowledged the recent digitization of the permit process with World Bank support, but recognized that public dissatisfaction regarding delays remains.
He urged staff to prioritize addressing complaints to rebuild trust in the permit system.
