By Alvin Lansana Kargbo
The Citizen Rights Network Sierra Leone (CRN-SL), a prominent civil society organization dedicated to upholding the rights of vulnerable groups and advocating for good governance, held a Press Briefing on Friday, November 3, 2023, at their office on Goderich Street in Freetown.
During the briefing, Executive Director, Ibrahim Bai Koroma presented the organization’s comprehensive report on the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 2024) Policy Hearing and Bilateral Budget Discussions with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and key stakeholders.
CRN-SL, a registered civil society organization operating within national and international legal frameworks, embarked on monitoring the FY 2024 budget discussions at the Ministry of Finance, starting on October 9, 2023. The 12-day bilateral discussions aimed to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the budget allocation process.
Several critical observations were made during this period. Notably, CRN-SL found that a significant number of MDAs did not submit their budget proposals on time, and the Ministry of Finance’s technical team played a dominant role in the discussions. The Director of Budget’s actions were questioned for frustrating the involvement of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Press and national stakeholders.
In addition to these observations, CRN-SL noted discrepancies in budget submissions, late disbursements, issues with document preparation, and non-compliance with financial regulations by some MDAs. They also highlighted concerns about the Ministry of Lands’ budget allocation and the challenges faced by the Sierra Leone National Shipping Company.
Furthermore, CRN-SL emphasized the importance of transparency, accountability, and adherence to Government’s regulations in the budget allocation process. They presented a series of recommendations to address the identified issues such as ensuring timely disbursements, involving CSOs, NSAs, and the Press and enforcing financial acts in Government institutions.
CRN-SL emphasized the importance of citizens’ participation in the budget discussions and expressed hope that the Government, the Ministry of Finance, and the wider public would use their findings to improve the FY 2024 budget process. They pledged to continue working with the Ministry of Finance to promote democratic rights and good governance in Sierra Leone.
CRN-SL’s report sheds light on the challenges and shortcomings of the FY 2024 budget discussions and calls for improvements in future budget hearings.
