Sierra Leone Fails to Meet U.S. Fiscal Transparency Standards
Sierra Leone has been listed among countries that failed to meet the minimum fiscal transparency requirements, according to the 2025 Fiscal Transparency Report (FTR) released Monday by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs.
Covering the review period from January 1 to December 31, 2024, the report found that the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) “did not meet international standards of independence” and made “no significant progress” toward fiscal reforms. Although the ASSL continues to conduct annual audits of government accounts, it was flagged for lacking financial and managerial autonomy.
The report further noted that the government did not fully comply with legal requirements in awarding contracts and licenses for natural resource extraction, and that information on public procurement contracts was not publicly accessible.
Despite these shortcomings, the FTR highlighted some positive practices, including public access to budget documents and debt information – such as obligations of major state-owned enterprises – and parliamentary oversight of the military budget.
The Fiscal Transparency Report is a U.S. Congressional tool used to evaluate about 140 governments worldwide that receive American assistance. The 2025 edition assessed disclosure of budget documents, independence of supreme audit institutions, access to financial statements, and transparency in natural resource licensing and public procurement.