Government Moves to Tighten Oversight in Extractive Sector with New MoU

The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) and the Sierra Leone Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (SLEITI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability in reporting within the country’s extractive sector.

The agreement was signed on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, at the ASSL Conference Room in Freetown.

Auditor-General Abdul Aziz said the MoU reflects a shared commitment to promoting accountability and good governance in the extractive industries. He noted that ASSL and SLEITI will collaborate on the production of Sierra Leone’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) reports in line with international EITI standards.

Under the previous arrangement, ASSL certified reporting templates submitted by mining companies, government ministries, departments, agencies, and chiefdom authorities. Under the new framework, ASSL will serve as the Independent Administrator responsible for preparing EITI reports, conducting scoping exercises, analysing data, identifying reporting gaps, and making recommendations.

“You cannot be both the referee and the player at the same time,” Abdul Aziz said, referring to the change in roles. He also acknowledged the role of civil society organisations in supporting the EITI process.

SLEITI National Coordinator Mohamed Baimba Koroma described the MoU as a partnership designed to leverage the expertise of both institutions in support of governance and national development. He noted that Sierra Leone, as an EITI-implementing country, publishes reports covering the legal and institutional framework, contracts and licences, production and exports, revenue collection and allocation, as well as environmental, social, and governance issues.

Koroma said SLEITI is partnering with ASSL for the 2024–2025 EITI Report in line with Requirement 4.8 of the EITI Standard, describing ASSL as “technically competent, credible, trustworthy and free from any conflict of interest” in handling sensitive information.

Deputy Auditor-General Morie Lansana said ASSL’s reputation for professionalism and independence has enabled deeper collaboration with SLEITI, adding that public confidence continues to motivate the institution’s work on transparency and oversight in the extractive sector.

The MoU is expected to guide future cooperation between ASSL and SLEITI on EITI reporting.