Freetown — National revenue authority Wednesday disclosed that no duty waiver will be granted to the Fullah progressive union (FPU).

Speaking to journalists in Freetown Alieu Sesay said "no duty waiver for FPU or else I will go to jail for three years." It could be recalled that the ministry of health and sanitation has applied for a duty free concession for medical equipment meant for the Bo and Kono government hospitals from the FPU United States branch.

Sesay said he can not change the law or bend the rules because if he failed to make money for the government he would be jailed.

"FPU is not entitled to duty waiver. It has to respect the law. I am going to hold on it until otherwise," he said.

He noted that only the executive will see that NRA grant concession waiver for the two containers or the ministry of health covers the bill.

"The FPU should register as a local branch in Freetown but it cannot sit in the USA and ask for duty free concession here," he said and confirmed that he has received calls and correspondences from the minister of health asking for free concession for the medical items.

"According to the finance act 2006, for the avoidance of any doubt, a government ministry or department shall be liable to pay import duty on its imports," he stressed.

Sesay said the laws would not be changed for anyone and called on the ministry to go to cabinet or parliament to seek executive waiver if at all the consignment was beneficial to the ministry of health.

He said the holding on to the containers has nothing to do with politics adding that since January the government has not received any support from donors.

Financial Secretary of FPU in Atlanta Georgia USA Alphajoh Cham told Concord Times via telephone interview that they were aware of the fact that they were not registered as a local non governmental organization.

"That was why we went through the ministry of health, but the ministry did not help us with executive orders," he said.

Cham said they sent letter to parliament and the office of the president for them to help in obtaining duty free concession for the consignment.

"We are requesting for an executive order so that the container would be released," he said.