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The Ministry of Transport is facing a substantial debt of SLE 737 million related to vehicle procurement as it plans for the 2025 fiscal year.
Deputy Director Haroun Conteh highlighted the ministry’s financial needs during a recent budget presentation, seeking a total budget of SLE 750,108,000.
This includes funds for the Office of the Permanent Secretary, the Directorate of Transport, and the Sierra Leone Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Bureau.
Key goals for 2025 include completing the Integrated and Resilient Urban Mobility Project (IRUMP), delivering 196 vehicles to district staff, providing 114 new vehicles for ministers, reviewing the National Vehicle Fleet Policy, and developing a government vehicle database.
Despite procuring 241 vehicles over the past two years for public officials, only 45 have been delivered due to financial constraints.
Director Taslima Jah questioned the decision to proceed with procurement amid insufficient funds, while Permanent Secretary Charles Tom Kamanda assured that all activities were approved by the Ministry of Finance.
Conteh further explained that the consolidation of vehicle procurement with operating costs has led to the Ministry of Finance viewing their expenditures as excessive, resulting in insufficient funding for basic operational needs. This shortfall has significantly impacted the ministry’s ability to carry out its planned activities
