By- Aruna Rashed Toma Bangura

The Audit report 2021 has reported that government received direct budget support grants totaling Le1, 037.8 billion in 2021 compared to Le302.4 billion received as direct budget support grant for 2020.

According to the report the disbursements of direct budget support loan decrease from by 166% from Le2, 558.1 billion in 2020 to Le 961.7 billion in 2021.

Direct budget support grants consist of HIPC Relief (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries) of Le16.5 billion and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under its balance of Payment program to the Consolidated Revenue Fund through the Grant Assistance Relief for Catastrophic Containment Relief Trust which includes an estimated amount of Le188.5 billion during the Financial Year 2021 equivalent to US$17.19 million.

Government received the total amount of Le832.7 billion equivalent to US$74.1 million from the International Development Association (IDA) in December 2021 as a direct budgetary support from the World Bank under the Development Policy Operations for Sierra Leone.