.

The Government of Sierra Leone, alongside the International Budget Partnership, Budget Advocacy Network Sierra Leone (BAN), Christian Aid, and UNICEF, has launched the 2025 Open Budget Survey Report, which highlights progress in public participation and oversight in the national budgeting process while calling for stronger and sustained budget transparency.

The report shows that Sierra Leone has made significant improvements in opening up budget processes to civil society, local communities, and parliamentary scrutiny, creating more opportunities for citizens to monitor and influence public spending. It notes that transparency and citizen engagement are critical to ensuring accountability and improving service delivery.

The survey emphasizes that public budgets remain the main source of funding for essential services such as education, healthcare, social protection, and child welfare. It stresses that stronger budget transparency and oversight can help direct resources to the most vulnerable, reduce inequality, and improve child wellbeing.

Stakeholders at the launch described the progress as encouraging but fragile, noting that sustained political will, technical capacity, and active civil society participation are necessary to turn the current momentum into lasting reforms. They urged government and partners to deepen public participation, improve access to budget information, and strengthen oversight to ensure every leone spent delivers meaningful benefits to children and communities across Sierra Leone.

Click to Read Report Here :The Report