The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, announced Friday the commencement of the Fiscal Year 2027 budget preparation process, setting the stage for a series of high-level policy hearings and bilateral discussions that will shape government revenue and expenditure priorities for the coming financial year.

In a public notice issued on Friday, September 11, 2026, the Ministry outlined a detailed timetable for the consultations. The process kicks off with National Policy Hearings on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. at the Miatta Civic Centre in the Youyi Building, Freetown.

Attendance at the policy hearing will be restricted to Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Professional Heads, Vote Controllers and two Budget Committee members from the respective institutions. The hearing will serve as the curtain-raiser for the budget preparation process, bringing together MDAs and Local Councils to discuss and review sectoral policies contained in the Medium-Term National Development Plan.

Following the policy hearing, Bilateral Budget Discussions for all MDAs will run from September 21 to October 3, 2026, between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily at the Miatta Civic Centre Rooms. The discussions will provide a platform for stakeholders to examine and agree on policies that will guide revenue generation and the allocation of public resources to various MDAs in the FY2027 budget.

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Government institutions have been advised to prepare detailed strategic plans containing realistic and achievable programs designed to support key Government priorities and the Medium-Term National Development Plan. The Ministry further directed all Vote Controllers to submit 50 copies of their strategic plans and budget proposals to the Budget Bureau of the Ministry of Finance at least two days before their respective scheduled bilateral discussions. All presentations during the bilateral discussions are required to be prepared and delivered using Microsoft PowerPoint.

Beyond Government institutions, the Ministry has invited representatives of Development Partners, Non-Governmental Organisations, District Budget Oversight Committees, Government Accountability and Civil Society Organisations and other Non-State Actors to participate in the consultative meetings. Their participation is expected to broaden engagement in the budget preparation process and provide stakeholders with opportunities to contribute to discussions on national priorities, revenue generation and public expenditure.

The FY2027 budget process is unfolding against a backdrop of significant fiscal reforms. The government has proposed a total expenditure ceiling of NLe 31.1 billion for FY2027, equivalent to 14.7% of GDP, according to a Budget Call Circular signed by Financial Secretary Matthew Dingie. Recurrent spending will dominate the budget at NLe 23.4 billion, with the wage bill projected at NLe 8.8 billion. Debt service will consume NLe 6.1 billion, while the domestic capital budget is projected at just NLe 2.3 billion, highlighting limited fiscal space for government-funded development projects.

The Ministry of Finance is also implementing a transition from the 1986 Government Finance Statistics system to the more comprehensive GFS 2014 framework, a reform that began in 2022 with the upgrading of the government’s Chart of Accounts from 27 digits to 33 digits. The government and the IMF have agreed that the 2027 Budget should be submitted to Parliament entirely in the GFS 2014 format, with key institutions including the National Revenue Authority, Statistics Sierra Leone and the National Social Security and Insurance Trust participating in the transition.

In a related development, the Ministry of Social Welfare has announced plans to ring-fence budget allocations for vulnerable groups including persons with disabilities, women, youth, the aged and children at risk. Minister Melrose Karminty stated that the ministry will present a budget proposal during the FY2027 policy hearing that ensures inclusion is funded, not just spoken about.