The Citizen Rights Network Sierra Leone (CRN-SL) recently presented its findings and recommendations on the recently concluded FY2025 budget hearings held at the Ministry of Finance on George Street, Freetown.

The report primarily focused on discussions aimed at uncovering challenges and enhancing transparency and accountability during the budget presentation process.

The Executive Director of CRN-SL, Ibrahim Bai Koroma, highlighted that 55% of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) were late in presenting budget proposals, thereby disrupting the flow in discussions at the program then.

Additionally, the report says 60% of MDAs failed to provide the required fifty copies of their documents, thus undermining the efficiency of the process. Some MDAs also missed the bilateral discussions, which further affected the overall process.

Bai Koroma emphasized the significant involvement of the Ministry of Finance’s technical team, who critically evaluated the budget proposals through rigorous questioning.

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the press, non-state actors (NSAs), and the District Budget Oversight Committees (DBOCs) were given the opportunity to scrutinize MDAs’ presentations, thus underscoring a multi-faceted approach to oversight function.

Specific challenges were highlighted, including the Sierra Leone State Lottery Company having issues with non-compliance from Partners Accord Logistics, which failed to provide financial records to the Sierra Leone National State Lottery. The Sierra Leone National Shipping Company also expressed dissatisfaction with non-cooperative ministries and mining companies, noting that Kingho Mining Company was the only one that had complied with procedures over the past years.

Koroma stressed the need for the Ministry of Finance to empower CSOs, NSAs, and the press to hold MDAs accountable for improper presentations in subsequent budget hearings

He advocated for the monitoring of timely disbursements with a focus on identifying MDAs that are efficient and effective in performance. Virtual presentations were suggested to accommodate various stakeholders, and the inclusion of sign language services was picked to be considered in futuristic deliberations thereby ensuring accessibility for the impaired in hearing.

Furthermore, Koroma recommended that the Ministry enforce the Finance Act of 2018 and relevant regulations for all government institutions and mining companies. Revenue-generating and developmental MDAs should give focused attention in budget discussions next time. He advised for prior structuring of the agenda for ease of monitoring by various stakeholders and suggested considering a larger venue to facilitate public monitoring. Specific time frames for budget presentations were also recommended for MDAs.

The Office of the Chief Minister should ensure oversight across all ministries during budget presentations, and revisions to the FY2024-2025 SALWACO report should be considered, he stated.

Koroma expressed pride in CRN-SL’s commitment to advocating for citizens’ rights and ensuring that budget discussions are transparent and inclusive. The outlined recommendations aim to address observed challenges and improve future budget processes.

The successful conclusion of the FY2025 deliberations, as acknowledged by Financial Secretary Mr. Mathew Dingie highlights collaborative efforts toward a better governance roadmap.

CRN-SL looks forward to continued collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and other stakeholders to advance democratic rights and effective governance in Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone Commercial Bank has been commended for its outstanding performance in stabilizing the economy during challenging periods marked by currency fluctuations. Throughout this process, the bank has effectively outlined its role and responsibilities as observed by key CSOs and media houses.

At the conclusion of the evaluation, teams from the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank received positive feedbacks, while achieving high scores from various stakeholders, including the technical team, the National Security Agency (NSA), the Debt Bureau of the Central Bank (DBOC), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), and the press.

“This recognition highlights the bank’s commitment to excellence and its significant contributions to the economic stability of Sierra Leone, ” a statement in respective of the bank outstanding performance, said.