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Financial Secretary Matthew Dingie has issued a clarification regarding the government’s recently imposed tax on bottled water, stating that the levy applies strictly to imported products and will not affect locally manufactured brands.
The clarification comes amidst growing public concern and strong criticism from civil society organizations regarding the potential impact of new taxes on essential commodities.
Speaking on the rationale behind the policy, Mr. Dingie emphasized that the move is a deliberate protectionist strategy designed to stimulate job creation and strengthen Sierra Leone’s domestic manufacturing sector. He argued that imported bottled water competes directly with homegrown brands, often undermining their market share.
“The ones coming from overseas are the products we have levied tax upon,” Dingie stated. “We want to ensure that Sierra Leoneans increasingly consume water produced domestically. We want people to use our own water made in Sierra Leone.”
The Financial Secretary highlighted that the country already hosts several water-producing companies, including Grafton Water and Sierra Water, which collectively employ significant numbers of Sierra Leoneans. He noted that by making imported alternatives more expensive, the government aims to drive demand toward local manufacturers. This, he argued, will allow these companies to expand production and create more sustainable jobs.
The clarification appears to be a direct response to a recent backlash from a coalition of civil society organizations. In a joint statement issued last week, the coalition condemned the imposition of a 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on water, describing it as “economically regressive” and “medically dangerous.”
The CSOs had warned that taxing water would burden vulnerable households, citing data that 63% of the population relies on purchased water due to a lack of safe public sources.
However, the Ministry of Finance maintains that the policy is not intended to burden the average consumer but to curb imports and retain capital within the local economy.
