The Ministry of Finance has presented its FY2027 budget and strategic priorities at the ongoing Bilateral Budget Hearings, outlining measures to increase domestic revenue, improve debt sustainability, strengthen public financial management and enhance fiscal oversight.
The presentation, held on Thursday, 1 October 2026, brought the Ministry’s own spending plans under stakeholder scrutiny after it had participated in reviewing budget submissions from other Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Representatives of District Budget Oversight Committees (DBOCs), Non-State Actors (NSAs) and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) facilitated the session, examining the proposed allocations and their alignment with Sierra Leone’s development priorities.
Opening the session, Director of Budget, Tasima Jah, said stakeholders would lead the engagement as part of efforts to promote participation and accountability in the national budget process.
Deputy Minister of Finance I, Kadiatu Allie, noted that Ministry officials had spent previous sessions scrutinizing submissions from other institutions and were now prepared to have their own proposals subjected to similar examination. She encouraged participants to engage fully and raise questions requiring clarification.
Financial Secretary, Matthew Dingie, described the budget hearing process as an important mechanism through which citizens and stakeholders can understand how public resources are allocated, utilized and monitored.
He said Sierra Leone’s economy has been growing at about 3 to 4 percent annually, while Government continues to pursue measures aimed at supporting industrial activity, managing inflation and maintaining exchange-rate stability to strengthen investor confidence.
Matthew Dingie also pointed to external pressures, including developments in the Middle East, petroleum price movements and changes in international interest rates. He said Government continues to respond through interventions covering fuel, social protection and the energy sector while pursuing stronger domestic revenue mobilisation.
Presenting the Ministry’s budget and strategic framework, Acting Director of Research and Delivery, Alhaji Abu Komeh, outlined its mandate, achievements, expenditure performance, FY2027 deliverables, 2027–2029 Strategic Plan, contract payment analysis and procurement programme.
The Ministry’s priorities include increasing domestic revenue, strengthening public debt management, improving budget planning and execution, enhancing accounting and reporting of public funds and strengthening internal controls. Other areas include fiscal risk management, corporate governance, macroeconomic and fiscal policy coordination, fiscal decentralization, donor-funded project management and access to climate finance.
According to the presentation, the Ministry received an approved budget of NLe164.1 million in 2025, against actual expenditure of NLe164.2 million, representing a variance of NLe0.1 million.
For 2026, its approved budget stands at NLe269.3 million. By the end of September, expenditure had reached NLe188.5 million, leaving a balance of NLe80.8 million.
Major expenditure areas include administrative costs, support to the National Revenue Authority for the procurement of Electronic Cash Register Machines, optimization of Ministry data connectivity and licences and international subscriptions.
The Ministry also reported continued implementation of domestic capital and donor-funded projects, including the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, Project Fiduciary Management Unit, Sierra Leone Urban Resilient Project and Accountable Governance for Basic Service Delivery.
For FY2027, the Ministry is targeting an increase in domestic revenue from 10.7 percent of Gross Domestic Product, equivalent to NLe18 billion in 2025, to at least 12.3 percent, or NLe25.99 billion, by 2027.
It also intends to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio from 49.3 percent in 2025 to 43.5 percent by 2027 and bring the overall budget deficit, including grants, down from 4.4 percent of GDP to below 3 percent over the same period.
Other targets include operationalizing the National Electronic Single Window, including replacing the ASYCUDA system, and increasing project portfolio disbursement from 26 percent to at least 30 percent.
The Ministry further plans to strengthen fiscal risk management and fiduciary oversight of State-Owned Enterprises, MDAs and public sector projects, advance fiscal decentralization, enact the revised Public Financial Management Act and produce regular macroeconomic projections and evidence-based research.
Periodic reports on the implementation of audit recommendations are also expected to form part of the Ministry’s accountability measures.
The proposed FY2027 budget totals NLe232.6886 million, virtually matching the approved ceiling of NLe232.6887 million. Allocations cover the Corporate Services Directorate, Office of the Financial Secretary, Economic Policy Management Directorate, Fiscal Operations Directorate, and Project Fiduciary Management and Coordination Directorate.
During the interactive session, panelists and other participants raised questions and concerns relating to the Ministry’s priorities, expenditure and proposed programmes. Matthew Dingie and Directors of the Ministry responded to the issues raised, providing further clarification on the FY2027 budget and planned activities.
