Budget Advocacy Network Sierra Leone -BAN

Budget Advocacy Network Sierra Leone -BAN The Budget Advocacy Network promotes budget participation, openness, and accountability.

Gender-based violence can't be tackled by one ministry alone. Every sector at the local level needs a plan for it, and e...
24/09/2026

Gender-based violence can't be tackled by one ministry alone. Every sector at the local level needs a plan for it, and every plan needs a budget.

In Kailahun District, Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) trained District Council and sector staff on planning and budgeting for Gender Base Violence with supporr UNDP EU Spotlight Initiative. The aim is to strengthen planning and budgeting for GBV prevention and response in three districts (Kailahun, Moyamba and Falaba)

Figures from the Ministry of Gender and Children's Affairs and the Ministry of Social Welfare show that GBV cases in the district are alarming. "Plans and budgets are necessary for devolved sector staff to address GBV issues," said Hassan Mohamed Sheriff, Deputy Chief Administrator of Kailahun District Council.

Abdulrahman M. Sesay, BAN's Head of Programme, urged sector heads to build GBV protection into their own workplan. He stressed that protecting women and children isn't only the Ministry of Gender's job.

BAN Coordinator AbuBakarr Kamara called for clear budget lines for GBV prevention, sensitization, referral pathways and health services, captured across every sector.

Together, we're making sure local budgets protect women, girls and everyone at risk of violence.

UNDP in Sierra Leone | Budget Advocacy Network Sierra Leone -BAN| Kailahun District Council | Spotlight Initiative

Kailahun District Council's own-source revenue is growing. Budgeting and audit follow-up now need to catch up.On Monday,...
24/09/2026

Kailahun District Council's own-source revenue is growing. Budgeting and audit follow-up now need to catch up.

On Monday, 21 September, the Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) held an accountability session on own-source revenue (OSR) and audit accountability in Kailahun. The session was part of the Promoting Accountability and Citizens Engagement (PACE) Project, funded by Christian Aid.

Attendees included the Council Chairperson, councillors, the Chief Administrator, the Finance Officer, the Internal Auditor, and the Audit Committee. They were joined by Paramount Chiefs and chiefdom authorities, civil society organisations, the Public Finance Management Journalists Network (PFMJ), and community and women's groups.

What we learned:

✅ Revenue is up. Collections up to 21 September 2026 are already 17% higher than all of 2025. Property tax more than tripled, from Le303,080 to Le1,011,946.

✅ Market tolls have recovered. They went from minus Le205,328 in FY2024 to Le120,855 in 2026, four times what was budgeted.

⚠️ Budgets don't match what can actually be collected. In 2025, business licences brought in almost three times their budget. The GSM licence, diamond royalties and NGO registration brought in nothing. The 2026 business licence budget was then raised tenfold, and only 10% had been collected by September.

⚠️ Money is still coming in with no budget line. In 2026, Le120,000 of "other income" was recorded against a budget of just Le200. The FY2024 audit raised the same concern about Le623,402 of unexplained other income.

⚠️ The Council still depends on the central government. Own revenue was only 8% of total receipts in 2025. The Auditor-General reported about 92% dependence on transfers for FY2024.

The session also looked at progress on commitments from earlier PACE dialogues and the Paramount Chief MoU signing. It reviewed the Auditor-General's FY2024 findings and the Council's post-audit duties under the Local Government Act 2022.

Growing revenue only matters if it is planned for properly, recorded properly, and accounted for to citizens.

24/09/2026

Sierra Leone’s tax exemption regime is under scrutiny after new evidence reveals billions in foregone revenue, weak compliance among beneficiaries, and mounting arrears in key industries.

Link in the comments.


22/09/2026

“Currently, debt service and interest payments are among the biggest expenditure items in Sierra Leone.”

Abubakarr Kamara, National Coordinator, Budget Advocacy Network, speaking on Wake Up Sierra Leone.

Stay tuned to AYV Media for reliable news, updates, and entertainment.

📻 AYV Radio 101.7 FM
📺 AYV TV Channel 33 & 34 | DStv Channel 399
🌍 AYV International
🔗 Visit the AYV News website for more stories.

22/09/2026

“One of the ways to increase fiscal space is for the National Revenue Authority to collect sufficient revenue. If the National Revenue Authority collects enough resources and the public supports that process, the deficit will be reduced.”

Abubakarr Kamara, National Coordinator, Budget Advocacy Network, speaking on Wake Up Sierra Leone.

Stay tuned to AYV Media for reliable news, updates, and entertainment.

📻 AYV Radio 101.7 FM
📺 AYV TV Channel 33 & 34 | DStv Channel 399
🌍 AYV International
🔗 Visit the AYV News website for more stories.

22/09/2026

“Currently, we are taking on more domestic debt than international debt. This is affecting Sierra Leone’s finances because it is squeezing fiscal space and reducing the government’s ability to invest in health, education and other critical areas.”

Abubakarr Kamara, National Coordinator, Budget Advocacy Network, speaking on Wake Up Sierra Leone.

Stay tuned to AYV Media for reliable news, updates, and entertainment.

📻 AYV Radio 101.7 FM
📺 AYV TV Channel 33 & 34 | DStv Channel 399
🌍 AYV International
🔗 Visit the AYV News website for more stories.

22/09/2026

“If you look at the report published by the Accountant General, interest payments alone are close to 40% of domestic revenue. So, this significantly shrinks the fiscal space.”

Abubakarr Kamara, National Coordinator, Budget Advocacy Network, speaking on Wake Up Sierra Leone.

Stay tuned to AYV Media for reliable news, updates, and entertainment.

📻 AYV Radio 101.7 FM
📺 AYV TV Channel 33 & 34 | DStv Channel 399
🌍 AYV International
🔗 Visit the AYV News website for more stories.

22/09/2026

Domestic debt squeeze threatens Sierra Leone’s fiscal space, Budget Advocacy Network warns

Sierra Leone’s growing reliance on domestic borrowing is putting increasing pressure on government finances, with concerns that debt obligations could limit spending on critical sectors, the Budget Advocacy Network has warned.

Speaking on AYV’s Wake Up Sierra Leone, National Coordinator of the Budget Advocacy Network, Abubakarr Kamara, said government is currently taking on more domestic debt than international debt, a trend he said is “squeezing” the country’s fiscal space.

“Currently, we are taking on more domestic debt than international debt. This is affecting Sierra Leone’s finances because it is squeezing fiscal space and reducing the government’s ability to invest in health, education and other critical areas.”

Kamara said interest payments alone are close to 40% of domestic revenue, citing figures from a report published by the Accountant General.

“Currently, debt service and interest payments are among the biggest expenditure items in Sierra Leone.”

He said increasing domestic revenue collection through the National Revenue Authority could help reduce the deficit and create more fiscal space for government to finance national priorities.

The warning comes amid ongoing discussions about Sierra Leone’s revenue mobilisation, borrowing and the sustainability of public finances, with the pressure of debt servicing remaining a major issue for the national budget.

Stay tuned to AYV Media for reliable news, updates, and entertainment.

📻 AYV Radio 101.7 FM
📺 AYV TV Channel 33 & 34 | DStv Channel 399
🌍 AYV International
🔗 Visit the AYV News website for more stories.

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