Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Government of Sierra Leone’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and accompanying Finance Bill have been endorsed by Cabinet for submission to Parliament, following a special meeting chaired by President Julius Maada Bio.
Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh announced the endorsement, noting that the budget prioritizes key investments aimed at reducing household poverty and spurring economic growth.
The approval follows months of extensive bilateral negotiations between the Ministry of Finance and all government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
According to the announcement, the 2026 budget is built on a dual strategy: strengthening domestic revenue collection through a reinforced Finance Bill and directing those funds towards strategic investments in human capital and national infrastructure.
“This year’s Finance Bill addresses the critical need for increased revenue mobilization by strengthening the tax administration,” the Vice President stated. He added that the 2026 Appropriation Bill would leverage gains in human capital to prioritize “investments in health system strengthening and improving quality education at all levels.”
The budget also allocates significant resources to scale up investments in key national priorities, including food security under the Feed Salone initiative, energy access, and digitalization. These efforts, the government says, are designed to reduce household poverty and spur broader economic growth.
The Cabinet’s endorsement is the culmination of a detailed budget preparation process that began in September. During bilateral discussions, MDAs presented ambitious funding requests aligned with the government’s “Big Five Game Changers” and the National Development Plan.
Key sectoral requests that have now been consolidated into the final budget include:
Energy: A massive NLe 951.7 million request from the Ministry of Energy to strengthen the national grid and expand electrification.
Security: Combined requests totaling over NLe 576 million from the Sierra Leone Police, Ministry of Defence, and Correctional Service for personnel recruitment and operational enhancements.
Agriculture: A NLe 115.5 million budget for the Feed Salone program to boost rice production and food self-sufficiency.
Education: A NLe 1.4 billion request from the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education to expand school feeding, provide learning materials, and connect schools to power and the internet.
Infrastructure: A NLe 160 million plan from the Sierra Leone Roads Authority for major projects, including the Kabala–Falaba and Kambia–Kamakwie roads.
The Vice President emphasized that the final bill includes “clear parameters to improve expenditure management,” aiming to build a sustainable domestic finance architecture that can attract further development partner and private sector financing.
With Cabinet approval secured, the national spotlight now turns to Parliament, which will scrutinize and debate the proposed FY2026 budget in the coming weeks.
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