16/06/2026
Ag. Director of Budget, Ministry of Finance’s Keynote Address, at the Launch of the 2025 OBS
Thank you, Madam Chair.
I am here to deliver the keynote address, so I do not feel the need to respond to some of the positions raised earlier. However, I would like to acknowledge UNICEF and our other development partners. We continue to work closely with them, and they support us in different ways to ensure that we continue delivering on the National Development Plan. We thank you and appreciate your continued support of the government of Sierra Leone.
Good afternoon once again, Madam Chair; colleagues from various ministries, departments and agencies; our development partners; representatives of civil society and non-state actors; members of the fourth estate; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.
It is indeed a privilege to stand before you today on behalf of the Ministry of Finance at the launch of the 2025 Open Budget Survey Report.
It is important to note—although this point has already been made—that the Open Budget Survey is an independent assessment of how governments work with their people to account for and disclose the use of public resources.
For the Ministry of Finance, the OBS is more than a scorecard. It is a mirror reflecting our commitment to the people of Sierra Leone. It reveals how effectively we are opening our financial processes to those whose lives are most impacted by our fiscal decisions.
In recent years, Sierra Leone has taken decisive steps towards greater fiscal transparency and accountability. Some of our key milestones include:
First, enhanced accessibility. We have expanded the publication of key budget documents, produced Citizens’ Budgets, and collaborated with partners to develop budget briefs that make complex macro-fiscal data more understandable to citizens.
Second, stronger oversight. We have strengthened parliamentary oversight and empowered the Audit Service Sierra Leone to play a more focused role in promoting fiscal accountability.
Third, citizen engagement. We have proactively reached out to civil society organisations and the media, recognising that true accountability can only flourish when citizens are informed and engaged.
While we celebrate these strides, we acknowledge that the journey towards full transparency is still ongoing. We continue to face challenges related to the timeliness and comprehensiveness of information, as well as making public participation more effective and meaningful for the average citizen.
However, our goal as a government is to ensure that no citizen feels left in the dark regarding how public resources are utilised.
As we launch this 2025 Survey Report, the Ministry of Finance reaffirms its commitment to greater openness by:
Firstly, guaranteeing openness by ensuring that all budget documents are comprehensive, timely, and available in accessible formats.
Secondly, fostering participation by creating structured and meaningful dialogue and feedback mechanisms between government and the public. We have heard a number of useful suggestions today on how this can be further practicalised.
Thirdly, innovating digitally. This is one area in which government has invested significantly in recent years. We are digitising processes across various ministries, departments and agencies, and we intend to leverage technology to make budget data more interactive and user-friendly.
Last year, the Honourable Minister emphasised the importance of restoring trust. I believe this remains a key priority within public financial management. We must cultivate a relationship of mutual trust between government and citizens, as this serves as the bedrock of sustainable national development.
Transparency and accountability are not our final destination. Rather, they are the pathways through which we ensure that resources reach the people and that every citizen feels a sense of ownership over national progress.
Let us therefore view the findings of the 2025 Open Budget Survey not as a verdict, but as a roadmap for reform. We have discussed today how these findings can inform future reforms, and I want to assure you that we are committed to doing exactly that.
Before I conclude, I would like to express the Ministry's sincere appreciation to the Budget Advocacy Network. We value your collaboration. You are often on our backs, but we appreciate that because it helps us improve.
We also wish to thank all stakeholders present today. Your continued scrutiny of the use of public resources makes government stronger and better.
I thank you all for your attention, and I look forward to the important discussions that will follow.
Thank you.
