FY2027 Budget Hearing: MoICE Seeks NLe101 Million as Trade Ministry Reports NLe254 Million Revenue
Sia Lucy Kannah Sierra Leone’s Fiscal Year 2027 national budget hearings have continued with the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry presenting their funding requirements, outlining achievements and detailing key priorities for the 2027 financial year.
The technical sessions brought together representatives from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including vote controllers, budget officials and non-state actors, for reviews of institutional performance and proposed allocations.
At the MoICE session, the budget review was led by Deputy Director of Budget Jacob Tenga Sessie and Assistant Director of Budget Alpha Osman Kamara. Permanent Secretary Andrew Kamara Esq. presented the ministry’s financial requirements, while Chief Director Alimamy Lahai led a presentation on MoICE’s FY2026 performance and strategic priorities for FY2027.
The ministry outlined programmes covering civic education, citizen engagement, strategic communications, professional training, policy development and capital projects.
Among the proposed civic initiatives are the National Civic Day Series, allocated NLe5 million; the fourth edition of the Salone Civic Festival, NLe5 million; the Presidential Town Hall, NLe1 million; and civic engagement for the Population and Housing Census, NLe1.2 million.
MoICE also presented a proposed capital expenditure of NLe101.23 million. Major allocations include NLe13.8 million for government outreach through a mobile audio-visual public address system and accessories, NLe15.54 million for fencing the SLBC perimeter at Leicester Peak, NLe25 million for National Digital Migration, NLe2.5 million for the transformation of the Daily Mail, and NLe42.28 million for the construction of the National Records and Archive Centre.
Other proposed capital allocations include NLe890,000 for International Media Commemorations and NLe1.225 million for the National Fund for Public Interest Media.
Meanwhile, during the Ministry of Trade and Industry’s presentation, officials, guided by Deputy Director of Budget Illara Mahdi, reported that agencies under the ministry generated NLe254.2 million in revenue during the first half of 2026.
The reported revenue comprised NLe162.6 million from Integrated Trade Services, NLe17.6 million from the Produce Monitoring Board, NLe59.1 million from the National Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NLe9.6 million from the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau and NLe5.3 million from the Sierra Leone Produce Marketing Company.
For FY2027, the Trade and Industry Ministry identified the formalisation of the informal sector, strengthening national quality infrastructure, regional integration and trade facilitation, implementation of the Manufacturers’ Round Table recommendations, support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and the development of key trade policies as priority areas.
The ministry also presented a FY2027 MDA budget of NLe36.06 million against a recurrent expenditure ceiling of NLe9.15 million, leaving a difference of NLe26.91 million above the ceiling.
The largest proposed allocation is NLe26.88 million for the Office of the Permanent Secretary, followed by NLe3.08 million for the Directorate of Policy, Planning and Research and NLe2.97 million for the Directorate of Export Promotion and Regional Integration.