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The 2023 Auditor General’s report on the accounts of Sierra Leone has revealed significant financial discrepancies, including unrecovered loans and unsupported expenditures, raising concerns about fiscal accountability in state operations.
The report, presented in Parliament by the Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), disclosed that government-issued loans totaling NLe200,599,603 to State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) remain outstanding despite an expected repayment deadline of December 31, 2023.
Additionally, the audit uncovered irregularities in duty waivers granted to businesses. Thirty-one entities received waivers amounting to NLe3,197,986.10 without submitting critical documentation such as registration certificates, line ministry approvals, customers’ valuation certificates, and packing lists. The report further highlighted that some tax waivers claimed under home-use (IM4) declarations at the Lungi Department of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) lacked supporting documents uploaded to the system, amounting to NLe8,698,923.58.
In a further indictment of government financial practices, the report identified unsupported expenditures from imprest bank accounts across selected ministries and departments. Transactions worth NLe18,129,006.37, US$3,004,387.25, and €3,615,048 were executed without relevant documentary evidence, leaving auditors unable to verify their purpose.
These findings underline systemic lapses in financial accountability and management across government entities, with Parliament expected to scrutinize the report and seek explanations from responsible officials.
