The Government of Sierra Leone has announced new pump prices for petroleum products, increasing the price of petrol to NLe40 per litre and diesel to NLe45 per litre, effective Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
The Ministry of Information and Civic Education announced the revised prices in a public notice issued on Tuesday, citing continued increases in global petroleum prices and pressures on international oil markets.
According to the Government, global petroleum prices have continued to rise, driven partly by the ongoing conflict involving Iran and its impact on the international oil market.
Under the existing petroleum pricing formula, the Government said the full pass-through price would have been NLe41.04 per litre for petrol and NLe46.76 per litre for diesel.
However, the Government said it would absorb the difference through subsidies to cushion consumers from the full impact of the increase. This means motorists will pay NLe40 for petrol instead of NLe41.04, while diesel will sell at NLe45 instead of NLe46.76 per litre.
The adjustment comes amid recent fuel shortages and long queues at filling stations in parts of the country. The Government said several Oil Marketing Companies had reduced or stopped sales at some filling stations in recent days, contributing to supply shortages.
Authorities said the revised pump prices are intended to restore normal supply and ensure petroleum products remain available across the country.
Despite the increase, the Government announced that fares for the Waka Fine public transport service will remain unchanged.
According to the notice, additional Government support will be provided to cover the increased fuel costs incurred by the Waka Fine service, protecting commuters from an immediate increase in public transportation fares.
The Government also announced plans to accelerate measures aimed at strengthening its involvement in Sierra Leone’s petroleum supply chain, particularly in the areas of importation, storage and wholesale supply.
It said the measures are expected to improve fuel security, strengthen market stability and reduce Sierra Leone’s vulnerability to future external supply disruptions and petroleum price shocks.
