By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Ministry of Transport and Aviation, through the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA), has officially completed the payment of end-of-year benefits to former staff of the defunct Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC). The payment ceremony took place on Tuesday, 14th October 2025, at the SLPTA Headquarters, PWD Compound, Kissy, in the east end of Freetown.
The event marked the Government’s continued commitment to fulfilling financial obligations owed to former SLRTC workers following the corporation’s closure in 2024. The shutdown came after the enactment of a Parliamentary Act in 2023, which transformed the SLRTC from a transport operator into the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA) a national transport regulatory body.
Speaking during the event, Isaac Ken-Green, Acting Director General of the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA), used the occasion to recount the structural and financial challenges that led to staff redundancies and the formal closure of SLRTC, while underscoring the Government’s efforts to fulfil outstanding obligations to affected workers.
According to Isaac Ken-Green’s statement and accompanying records:
- In December 2020, 65 SLRTC employees were made redundant due to financial constraints caused by an overstaffed workforce and rising costs of maintaining operations.
- By September 2024, SLRTC was officially dissolved under a parliamentary act passed in 2023, which redefined the entity’s role: SLRTC transitioned from operator to regulator and merged into SLPTA.
- Between 2023 and 2024, 70 permanent SLRTC staff were declared redundant. Of these, 18 were absorbed into SLPTA to support regulatory functions, while 52 staff including drivers, mechanics, ticket agents and other operational roles could not transition, as their roles aligned with an operating entity rather than a regulator.
- Additionally, 39 contract staff were also declared redundant during the restructuring, bringing the total of affected permanent staff to 70.
Upon closure, SLPTA Management was able to mobilize resources to settle six months of backlogged salaries owed to SLRTC staff. The total staff liabilities at that time were recorded as Le 12,723,947, while other liabilities to institutions such as NASSIT (pension, social security) and suppliers stood at Le 2,879,759. In aggregate, the Government paid Le 15,603,705 to satisfy those obligations.
Isaac Ken-Green reiterated that the transition from SLRTC to SLPTA was not merely procedural but strategic: the shift reflects Sierra Leone’s broader reforms in public transport aimed at separating regulatory functions from service provision.
He emphasized that although many former SLRTC roles were incompatible with the new regulatory mandate, the Government remains committed to ensuring former employees receive due benefits and closure to their service. The distribution of end-of-year benefits is a tangible step in that direction.
Isaac Ken-Green also noted that the SLPTA, under the 2023 Public Transport Authority Act, now oversees policy development, licensing, route regulation and standards enforcement in the public transport sector.
He lauded the resilience and patience of the former staff and urged stakeholders, transport operators and the public to support the regulatory transition, reiterating the Authority’s vision for a more orderly, efficient and accountable public transportation sector.
The Acting Director General of the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority concluded by commending Government’s efforts, noting that the payment brings closure to a long-standing issue and ensures that former SLRTC staff receive their due compensation.
“The restructuring of the SLRTC into the SLPTA marks a significant policy shift aimed at improving transport governance, ensuring accountability and promoting efficiency within Sierra Leone’s public transport system. The SLPTA is now fully focused on its regulatory mandate, overseeing transport operations nationwide, setting safety standards, licensing operators and formulating policies to modernize Sierra Leone’s transportation sector,” he concluded.
Speaking on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, Edward Kwame Yankson, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, commended the extensive efforts made behind the scenes to ensure that the payments were successfully completed. He also applauded the former staff for their patience and composure throughout the long waiting period, noting that their calmness has yielded positive results.
Edward Kwame Yankson expressed the Ministry’s delight that the long-awaited payment has finally been fulfilled, with all staff receiving their full End-of-Year benefits without any backlog.
He further encouraged the beneficiaries to make wise use of the funds received, emphasizing that the payment represents a well-deserved reward for their years of dedicated service.
Abdulai Conteh, Acting Deputy Director of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security, commended the former staff for their patience and understanding since their redundancy. He expressed satisfaction that the Government has fulfilled its commitment by paying them their rightful benefits.
He noted that the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security was fully involved in the entire process to ensure that all affected staff received what was due to them in accordance with the law.
Abdulai Conteh also extended appreciation to all parties who contributed to making the payment possible and encouraged the beneficiaries to make prudent use of their End-of-Year benefits to support their families and improve their livelihoods.
Alphonso Manley, National Coordinator of the Child Rights Coalition, commended the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Transport and Aviation and the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA) for ensuring the smooth and transparent payment of End-of-Year benefits to former staff of the Sierra Leone Road Transport Corporation (SLRTC).
He explained that since 2019, he has been actively engaging with the former SLRTC staff and advocating for the payment of their benefits. Alphonso Manley expressed satisfaction that the long-awaited process has finally come to fruition, describing it as a victory for justice and workers’ welfare.
Meanwhile, former SLRTC employees expressed profound gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone for prioritizing their payments after years of uncertainty.
“Today, we are truly happy to receive our final End-of-Year benefit, which had been long overdue. We are grateful that our payment has finally been made,” one of the former staff remarked joyfully.
The event was climaxed by official presentation of Cheques to staff by Isaac Ken-Green, Acting Director General of the Sierra Leone Public Transport Authority (SLPTA) and Edward Kwame Yankson, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport.
