Agriculture and Education Ministries Present 2027 Budget to Finance Ministry
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Finance has begun bilateral discussions with government institutions as part of preparations for the FY2027 national budget, with agriculture and education among the first sectors to present their priorities.
The discussions opened Monday, September 21, at the Miatta Civic Centre in Freetown and are designed to scrutinize the spending proposals and performance of ministries, departments and agencies before final allocations are determined.
The Ministry of Finance said the sessions will examine institutions’ funding requirements, previous performance, implementation challenges and proposed programs against national development priorities.
The bilateral exercise forms part of the FY2027 budget preparation process, with discussions scheduled to continue through October 3.
Budget Bureau Director Tasima Jah opened the proceedings and highlighted the Finance Ministry’s role in supporting the government’s Feed Salone agenda through budgetary planning and resource allocation.
Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security presented achievements recorded in 2025 and outlined funding priorities under the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework.
According to the agriculture ministry, 5,000 hectares of inland valley swamps were developed in FY2025, while 24,295 hectares across inland valley swamps, Boliland and riverine areas were cultivated in 15 districts.
The ministry also reported producing 2,000 metric tonnes of certified seed, rehabilitating 420 kilometers of feeder roads and establishing 10 new rice mills.
Its proposed recurrent expenditure is set at Le110.56 million for 2027, increasing to Le115.53 million in 2028 and Le123.04 million in 2029.
The proposed funding would support expanded mechanization and irrigation, climate-smart farming, improved seed systems and targeted assistance for women and young people, according to the ministry’s presentation. A separate report on the session also cited the same 2027 figure and additional agricultural targets.
Deputy Finance Minister I Kadiatu Allie questioned agriculture officials on their proposed resource allocations and implementation plans.
Agriculture Minister Dr. Musa Kpaka defended the ministry’s requests, pointing to the resources required to advance the government’s agricultural transformation program.
The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education also appeared before the budget team, with its presentation led by Deputy Budget Director Illara Mahdi.
The education session reviewed the ministry’s FY2025 performance, FY2026 budget execution, ongoing infrastructure projects and progress on commitments contained in the previous budget speech. The ministry requested Le1,662,179.3 to support its listed programs, contracts and educational activities.
The Finance Ministry said the ongoing hearings will require each MDA to present its strategic plans, expected deliverables, domestic and donor-funded capital projects and gender-responsive budget proposals.
The assessments are expected to inform the government’s final public-sector allocations as it balances institutional priorities, implementation performance and available fiscal resources ahead of the FY2027 National Budget.