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Sierra Leone’s Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, presented the government’s 2026 budget to Parliament on Friday 28th November 2025, outlining a comprehensive fiscal plan totaling Le 30.04 billion (16.0% of GDP).
Under the theme “Enhancing Domestic Revenue Mobilisation for Sustained Economic Stability and Improved Service Delivery,” the budget aims to reduce reliance on foreign aid by boosting local revenue collection while directing significant resources to key government offices and priority sectors.
The total expenditure and net lending for 2026 is projected at Le 30.0 billion, comprising Le 21.7 billion in recurrent expenditures and Le 8.4 billion in capital expenditures and net lending.
The 2026 budget is anchored on a projected economic growth of 4.6 percent in the medium term, driven by stability in the macroeconomic environment and expansion in agriculture and mining. The government projects total revenue and grants to reach NLe 25.9 billion, with domestic revenue contributing NLe 22.2 billion.
Despite the focus on revenue generation, the budget anticipates an overall deficit (including grants) of NLe 4.4 billion, which the government plans to finance through domestic and foreign sources.
Key Allocations to Executive Offices
The budget documents reveal significant allocations for the operational costs of the executive branch. According to the recurrent (goods and services) budgetary allocations:
Office of the President: The Office of the President has been allocated approximately NLe 182.5 million for recurrent operational expenses. Within this vote, the Office of the Secretary to the President is allocated NLe 141.9 million, while NLe 108 million is earmarked for overseas and local traveling expenses.
Office of the Vice President: The budget allocates NLe 12.9 million to the Office of the Vice President for recurrent operations, with an additional NLe 3.5 million for the Office of the Secretary to the Vice President.
Office of the Chief Minister: Operating under the Office of the President’s infrastructure, the Office of the Chief Minister is set to receive NLe 19.2 million for recurrent expenditure.
Major Sector Spending
The government continues to prioritize human capital development and infrastructure in its expenditure plan:
Education: The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education receives a recurrent allocation of NLe 1.3 billion. This includes NLe 1.1 billion specifically for the school feeding program and NLe 39.6 million for WASSCE examination fees. The wage bill for the education sector stands at NLe 1.9 billion.
Health: The health sector is allocated NLe 1.4 billion, representing 8.0 percent of total primary expenditures. This includes NLe 42.2 million for the procurement of free health care drugs.
Agriculture: To support the “Feed Salone” initiative, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is allocated NLe 290.6 million from the domestic capital budget and NLe 95.3 million from the recurrent budget.
Infrastructure: The Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) is allocated NLe 792.9 million from the domestic capital budget for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads and bridges.
Energy: The government has set aside NLe 480.4 million in subsidies for the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) to cover outstanding invoices to Independent Power Producers.
Governance and Other Institutions
Allocations to other key governance institutions include:
Parliament: NLe 85.0 million.
The Judiciary: NLe 30.0 million.
Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL): NLe 100.0 million.
Audit Service Sierra Leone: NLe 19.0 million.
A detailed breakdown of each departmental budget is below:
Government Ministry, Department & Agencies |
2026 Approved Budget |
| Ministry of Public Administration and Political Affairs | 5,068,000 |
| Office of the Chief Minister | 16,778,900 |
| Office of Presidential Infrastructure Initiative | 1,605,800 |
| Governance Advisory Unit | 203,600 |
| Delivery and Performance Tracking | 606,200 |
| Ministry of Local Government & Community Affairs | 13,614,800 |
| Southern Province, Bo | 1,252,700 |
| Eastern Province, Kenema | 1,145,600 |
| Northern Province, Makeni | 1,237,400 |
| North-West Province, Port Loko | 1,084,300 |
| Sierra Leone Small Arms Commission | 1,564,000 |
| Independent Commission for Peace and National Cohesion | 4,883,100 |
| Office of the Secretary to the President | 141,877,800 |
| Office of the Chief of Staff | 1,171,000 |
| National Assets and Government Property Commission | 543,100 |
| Anti-Corruption Commission | 13,700,000 |
| Office of the Ombudsman | 3,526,900 |
| Independent Media Commission | 698,200 |
| Political Parties Registration Commission | 6,144,100 |
| Law Reform Commission | 622,200 |
| Sierra Leone Insurance Commission | 753,400 |
| Local Government Service Commission | 669,300 |
| Public Sector Reform Unit | 1,080,100 |
| National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency | 1,371,500 |
| Presidential Initiative for Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security | 10,316,600 |
| Office of the Vice President | 17,000,000 |
| Scaling Up Nutrition | 5,000,000 |
| Millennium Challenge Compact Secretariat | 597,200 |
| Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative Secretariat | 942,400 |
| National Early Warning and Responses Mechanism Center | 6,894,900 |
| Parliament | 85,000,000 |
| Cabinet Secretariat | 6,421,000 |
| The Judiciary | 30,000,000 |
| Audit Service Sierra Leone | 19,015,800 |
| Human Resource Management Office | 5,935,900 |
| Public Service Commission | 4,600,700 |
| Office of the Solicitor-General | 45,742,700 |
| Administrator and Registrar-General | 7,431,900 |
| Justice Sector Coordination Office | 2,040,500 |
| Sierra Leone Law School | 592,300 |
| Legal Aid Board | 7,200,000 |
| Local Courts | 400,000 |
| Independent Police Complaints Board | 1,219,100 |
| Ministry of Planning and Economic Development | 18,180,200 |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Co-operation | 98,513,300 |
| High Commission, London | 9,876,800 |
| U.N. Delegation, New York | 10,492,300 |
| High Commission, Abuja | 9,034,300 |
| Embassy, Monrovia | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Conakry | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Washington, DC | 9,332,900 |
| Embassy, Moscow | 4,800,000 |
| Embassy, Addis Ababa | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Beijing | 5,087,800 |
| High Commission, Banjul | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Brussels | 5,517,600 |
| Embassy, Riyadh | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Berlin | 4,800,000 |
| Embassy, Tehran | 2,400,000 |
| High Commission, Accra | 5,656,800 |
| Embassy, Cairo | 4,800,000 |
| Embassy, Dakar | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Dubai | 4,800,000 |
| Embassy, Nairobi | 4,800,000 |
| Sierra Leone Mission, Geneva | 4,800,000 |
| Embassy, Kuwait | 4,800,000 |
| Embassy, Seoul | 4,800,000 |
| Embassy, Rabat | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Ankara | 4,800,000 |
| Sierra Leone Mission, Islamic Military Counter Terrorism, Saudi Arabia | 2,400,000 |
| UNESCO Delegation, Paris | 2,400,000 |
| Embassy, Doha | 2,400,000 |
| Embassy, Algiers | 2,400,000 |
| Embassy, Paris | 3,840,000 |
| Embassy, Dublin | 3,840,000 |
| Ministry of Finance | 207,047,800 |
| National Revenue Authority | 484,928,800 |
| Revenue Appellate Board | 400,000 |
| Accountant-General’s Department | 29,849,100 |
| Ministry of Information and Civic Education | 6,436,000 |
| Outreach Coordination Unit | 1,543,200 |
| National Council for Civic Education and Development | 3,029,100 |
| Sierra Leone News Agency | 800,000 |
| Electoral Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL) | 99,985,300 |
| Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation | 4,500,000 |
| Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation | 3,960,700 |
| Felei Tech City | 500,000 |
| National Commission For Democracy | 2,000,000 |
