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Sierra Leone’s 2024 Audit Report has revealed alarming financial irregularities, totaling more than NLe 44.8 million, as well as nearly $1 million USD and €7,000 EUR in discrepancies.
The report highlights serious weaknesses in the country’s financial management, with payroll issues emerging as the largest source of irregularities.
According to the audit, Payroll Management accounted for NLe 13.77 million, marking it as the single biggest area of concern. The report pointed to ghost workers and duplicate payments as the main causes of these irregularities.
These issues suggest that the government’s payroll system is vulnerable to fraud and inefficiency, raising concerns over the integrity of public sector compensation processes.
Following closely behind, Payments Without Supporting Documents amounted to NLe 11.42 million. This gap in documentation reflects broader issues with record-keeping and raises doubts about the transparency of financial transactions in government departments. Experts warn that weak documentation systems increase the likelihood of mismanagement and misuse of public funds.
In addition, the audit found that lapses in revenue collection and reporting resulted in a further NLe 10.49 million in irregularities. These findings highlight systemic weaknesses in revenue management, where the government is failing to accurately track and collect the funds it is owed. Such inefficiencies only contribute to the country’s ongoing fiscal challenges.
Smaller, but still significant irregularities were identified in other areas, including Statutory Deductions (NLe 3.88 million), Contract Management (NLe 3.01 million), and Assets Management (NLe 2.22 million). While these losses are less substantial, they point to broader governance issues that require urgent attention.
The cumulative impact of these irregularities – totaling over NLe 44.8 million, in addition to nearly $1 million USD and €7,000 EUR – indicates deep-rooted problems in Sierra Leone’s financial governance.
The report stresses that without immediate reforms in areas such as payroll digitization, procurement oversight, and statutory compliance, the country risks continued financial leakage that undermines both fiscal discipline and public trust.
The 2024 Audit Report serves as a wake-up call, urging the government to strengthen oversight mechanisms and take decisive action to prevent further financial mismanagement.
