A civil society group, Corruption Watch Sierra Leone, has called on the Government of Sierra Leone to urgently release subventions to local councils, citing concerns over delays in funding for public service delivery.

The National Coordinator of the organization, Alhaji Abu Koroma, made the appeal in a public statement, stressing the importance of timely financial support to councils and government institutions.

Mr. Koroma said the role of Corruption Watch Sierra Leone goes beyond monitoring and reporting corruption cases to the Anti-Corruption Commission Sierra Leone. He noted that the organization also advocates for institutions where their rights and operational needs are affected.

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“The right to keep government institutions running is by releasing government grants quarterly to councils and continuous supervision,” he said, adding that without financial and technical support, institutions cannot function effectively.

He likened the situation to “farmers going to the farm with the intention to harvest without having a cutlass at hand,” underscoring the challenges councils face without adequate funding.

According to Corruption Watch Sierra Leone, findings indicate that since 2025, no grants have been disbursed from the central government to councils or Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The organization further stated that in 2024, grants were only released for two quarters and were paid in 2025 as a backlog.

Mr. Koroma warned that continued delays could undermine service delivery, noting that while civil society engages international partners for financial and technical support, the government remains the primary source of funding for councils.

“We cannot continue advocating to our donor partners for financial and technical support and forget our bread basket, which is the government, to continue to share its obligations to councils,” he said.

While raising concerns, he acknowledged that there may be challenges affecting the government’s ability to release the funds and urged understanding of possible constraints.

He also noted disparities in internally generated revenue among councils, with some districts having limited capacity compared to more developed areas.

Despite the funding concerns, Mr. Koroma commended Chief Administrators and their teams across the country for maintaining service delivery, particularly in the absence of elected chairpersons and mayors. “That shows your commitment to Sierra Leone,” he said.

The statement adds to growing calls for improved fiscal coordination between central government and local councils to ensure effective public service delivery across the country.