By Foday Moriba Conteh
Fresh concerns have resurfaced over Sierra Leone’s national e-passport arrangement following the publication of a detailed governance report by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), which raises serious questions about revenue losses, weak oversight and persistent flaws in the contract between the Government of Sierra Leone and the private company Netpage, mandated to print and sell Sierra Leonean passports.
The findings are contained in IGR’s recent report entitled: ‘Di hade’ pa di case’: Politics and Revenue Failures in Sierra Leone, a Krio phrase meaning “the heart of the matter.” The report examines how large state contracts, particularly those with strong revenue-generating potential, are often structured and managed in ways that provide limitedNetpage,Netpage, benefits to the state while favouring private business interests.
According to the report, between 60,000 and 70,000 passports are printed and sold annually in Sierra Leone. Based on prevailing fees, this translates into an estimated USD 7 million to USD 9 million in revenue every year. Despite those significant sums, IGR states that it found no evidence of royalty payments from the e-passport operation being paid into the Government’s consolidated revenue fund. That absence of traceable revenue inflows, the report argues, represents a major fiscal gap in a country where public resources remain severely constrained.
The cost of acquiring a Sierra Leonean e-passport is another major concern highlighted in the report. Priced between USD 100 and USD 180, the passport is among the most expensive in the West African region, making it unaffordable for many citizens. IGR notes that this high pricing is difficult to justify, particularly when there is little public evidence that the state is receiving proportional financial returns or that citizens are benefiting from significantly enhanced service delivery.
Beyond cost and revenue, the report draws attention to the procurement process underpinning the e-passport contract. Despite repeated concerns about pricing, transparency and state revenue losses, the contract has reportedly been renewed at least three times without any competitive rebidding or a thorough value-for-money assessment. Such renewals, IGR argues, undermine basic public procurement standards and deny the Government the opportunity to renegotiate improved terms that could increase revenue, lower passport fees or both.
The e-passport contract forms part of a broader analysis by IGR into why Sierra Leone, despite being resource-rich, continues to struggle with widespread poverty and weak public finances. While systemic corruption, political instability and ethno-regional politics are frequently cited as root causes, the report argues that insufficient attention is paid to how critical revenue streams are awarded and controlled. When lucrative contracts are structured in ways that limit state benefits, they place a long-term strain on Government budgets and weaken the state’s ability to fund essential services.
Drawing on data from approximately 3,400 state contracts and interviews with current and former officials from both the SLPP and APC administrations, IGR demonstrates that those challenges are not confined to a single political era. The e-passport contract concession examined spans multiple administrations. That continuity, IGR notes, illustrates how institutional practices often remain unchanged regardless of which political party is in power.
The report further suggests that business elites often employ deliberate strategies to maintain influence over key economic institutions. These include financing political actors across party lines, structuring agreements around offices rather than individuals to ensure continuity and exploiting periods of political transition when new officials may lack institutional knowledge or financial stability. In some cases, influence over sections of the media is also used to limit sustained public scrutiny of controversial contracts.
While IGR acknowledges the existence of ethical public servants and responsible business leaders who are pushing for reform, it warns that a system has been normalized in which large public procurement losses are tolerated and even legalized. The absence of strong political platforms focused on economic governance reform, the report notes, further weakens prospects for meaningful change.
Ultimately, the e-passport contract is presented not merely as an isolated administrative issue, but as a clear example of how flawed contractual arrangements can quietly drain national resources. Without transparency, competitive bidding and firm political will to protect public revenue, IGR cautions that Sierra Leone risks continuing a cycle where vital income streams benefit private interests while citizens bear the cost.
