The Government of Sierra Leone is expanding its digital transformation drive to local councils nationwide, with the rollout of the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System, PFM Smart and automated audit-tracking software aimed at reducing revenue leakages, strengthening financial discipline and improving transparency in public spending.

The move was announced by President Julius Maada Bio during his State Opening address to Parliament for the Year of Action and Accelerated Delivery, where he stressed the need for local authorities to manage public resources transparently and deliver measurable improvements in essential services.

President Bio said local government represents one of the main points through which citizens experience the state, making accountability at the local level critical to national development.

“Local government is where most citizens directly experience the State… Local councils must manage public resources transparently and deliver measurable improvements in roads, markets, water supply and sanitation, healthcare, education and other essential services,” he said.

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At the centre of the digital transformation is the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) System, managed under the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA).

The platform is designed to move key stages of the public procurement process—including bidding, supplier registration, evaluation and contract awards onto a unified digital platform.

By digitising the procurement process from start to finish, the government expects to reduce human discretion, eliminate paper-based delays and create greater opportunities for local businesses and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to participate in government contracts.

The system is also expected to strengthen competition and reduce opportunities for procurement manipulation, particularly in contracts involving local infrastructure and community development projects.

As part of the broader financial management reforms, the Ministry of Finance has deployed PFM Smart financial tracking software across all 21 Local Councils.

The system is intended to strengthen local revenue collection, budgetary control and monitoring of public expenditure, giving authorities greater capacity to track financial transactions and manage devolved resources.

The government has also introduced digital audit-follow-up software across central government institutions and local councils. The system will allow recommendations arising from Auditor-General reports to be tracked electronically, requiring administrators to address financial queries and account for unsupported expenditure.

The government’s digitalisation programme comes against concerns over the risks associated with manual procurement processes and decentralised cash management.

Public procurement accounts for approximately 17.5 percent of Sierra Leone’s GDP, making stronger controls in the sector important to protecting public resources and ensuring value for money.

Through the integration of digital procurement and local council financial management, the government expects to reduce procurement leakages by ensuring that contracts for projects such as community markets, feeder roads and sanitation facilities are subjected to transparent and competitive processes.

Savings from reduced administrative waste are expected to support essential local services, including clean water facilities, primary healthcare units and school maintenance.

The digital reforms are also intended to strengthen accountability as more responsibilities and resources are devolved to local councils.

By maintaining verifiable digital transaction records, the government says it will be able to track how devolved funds are allocated and spent, providing stronger safeguards against diversion and misuse of public resources.

President Bio further emphasised that digital reforms will be accompanied by strict performance and compliance requirements.

Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as local councils, will be assessed against published performance benchmarks. Delays in service delivery or procurement processes will have to be formally explained, while failure to comply with digital audit findings could attract administrative or legal action.

The government says the reforms are ultimately intended to establish a more transparent and measurable system of public spending, ensuring that resources allocated for local development translate into tangible improvements in communities across Sierra Leone.

As the country enters the Year of Action and Accelerated Delivery, the administration is seeking to use digital technology to strengthen financial oversight and ensure that every Leone allocated for development is properly accounted for and reaches its intended beneficiaries.