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The National Revenue Authority (NRA) reported a sharp increase in domestic revenue for March 2025, reaching NLE 1.58 billion—a more than 50% jump from February’s NLE 1.04 billion.
Awoko reports that the rebound was driven by strong performances in income tax and Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections.
Income tax revenue rose sharply to NLE 687 million in March, up from NLE 402 million the previous month. GST collections also saw significant growth, climbing to NLE 202 million compared to February’s NLE 145 million, indicating improved compliance in consumption-based taxes.
However, customs and excise revenues showed only modest gains, increasing slightly to NLE 106 million from NLE 81 million in February. Import duties improved to NLE 139 million, up from NLE 100 million, though trade-related taxes continued to lag behind domestic revenue streams.
Other revenue sources were mixed. Road user charges and licenses generated NLE 17 million, while administrative fees dropped sharply to NLE 0.5 million. Meanwhile, the Treasury Single Account (TSA)—which consolidates government revenues—recorded NLE 415 million, bolstering the month’s fiscal performance.
The strong March figures signal progress toward Sierra Leone’s 2025 revenue targets, with income tax and GST accounting for over half of total collections. However, the slower growth in trade-related taxes highlights ongoing challenges in customs administration.
The NRA now faces the task of sustaining this momentum while expanding the tax base to ensure long-term revenue growth.
Where are all the money going?