Vice President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has urged government institutions to make job creation and private-sector growth central to Sierra Leone’s FY2027 budget as the government begins its next fiscal planning cycle.

Jalloh formally launched the budget process at the Miatta Civic Centre on Sept. 16 under the theme “Building Resilience to Create Jobs,” calling for spending plans that reflect national priorities and the country’s fiscal constraints.

He said government employment alone cannot meet Sierra Leone’s need for sustainable jobs, particularly for young people, and called for policies that enable businesses to start, expand and employ more workers.

The vice president said stronger infrastructure, access to finance, investment-friendly policies and effective public-private partnerships would be necessary to support that shift.

Related News

“Government cannot achieve this transformation alone. We therefore express our sincere appreciation to our development partners for the important role they continue to play in Sierra Leone’s development,” he said.

Jalloh highlighted the contributions of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, African Development Bank and European Union to infrastructure, social programs, institutional reforms and technical assistance.

He said development partners were increasingly supporting initiatives aimed at expanding private-sector activity, improving access to finance and strengthening Sierra Leone’s investment climate.

“These partners have worked with Sierra Leone through difficult times. Today, they are also working with us to strengthen our institutions, improve the investment climate, develop stronger public-private partnerships and create better conditions for Sierra Leonean and international businesses to invest and grow,” Dr Jalloh affirmed, adding that their support has been vital to the Government’s flagship Big Five Game Changers.

The vice president outlined five principles to guide the FY2027 budget: realistic revenue and expenditure projections, prioritisation of essential investments, using public spending to support growth, evidence-based tax policies and effective implementation.

He said ministries, departments and agencies should demonstrate what they intend to achieve with the resources they request rather than focusing only on the size of their allocations.

Jalloh said budget spending should produce measurable improvements, including functioning classrooms, reliable electricity, productive roads and financing for viable businesses.

The remarks come as Sierra Leone begins the formal FY2027 budget preparation process. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development have scheduled national policy hearings, followed by bilateral budget discussions with government institutions.

Jalloh also called for stronger fiscal discipline and improved resource mobilisation as Sierra Leone faces domestic financial pressures and external economic shocks.

“Our task is to use the resources available to us more intelligently, create space for the private sector to thrive, and ensure that public policy supports rather than constrains productive economic activity,” he concluded.

The FY2027 process will now move into detailed policy and budget discussions as government institutions develop proposals for the next financial year.