Sierra Leone’s Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has called for Sierra Leone’s FY2027 national budget to prioritise job creation, private-sector growth and stronger implementation of government programs.
Dr Jalloh made the call while formally launching the FY2027 Budget Process under the theme “Building Resilience to Create Jobs.”
He said the Government’s target of creating 500,000 jobs for young people by 2030, with at least 30 percent representation of women, cannot be achieved through government employment alone.
“Sustainable jobs at the scale our country requires will depend on a thriving private sector,” Dr Jalloh said.
He said businesses must be able to start, survive and expand, while Sierra Leone must become more attractive to international investors.
According to the Vice President, this requires maintaining macroeconomic stability, improving access to finance and markets, strengthening infrastructure and human capital, providing reliable energy and ensuring that government policies encourage investment and enterprise.
Dr Jalloh also acknowledged the economic pressures created by global developments, including the effects of COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war and continuing instability in the Middle East.
He said, as an economy dependent on imports of fuel and other essential commodities, Sierra Leone can quickly feel the impact of global developments through domestic prices, public finances and the cost of doing business.
The Vice President called for stronger fiscal discipline, improved budget credibility, better revenue performance, prudent debt management and stronger implementation of government programmes and projects.
He further urged Ministries, Departments and Agencies to justify their budget requests by demonstrating what they intend to achieve with the resources allocated to them.
“As MDAs prepare their budgets, I expect them to look beyond the amount of money they wish to receive and demonstrate what they intend to achieve with it,” he said.
Dr Jalloh said proposed government programmes and capital investments should contribute to national priorities and, where applicable, improve productivity, facilitate investment, strengthen private-sector development or create sustainable economic opportunities.
On infrastructure, he said the impact of public investment should be measured by the economic benefits it delivers, rather than simply the amount of construction completed.
He cited roads as an example, saying government should assess whether investments connect farmers to markets, reduce transportation costs and make it easier for businesses to move people and goods.
He also highlighted energy as a critical factor for businesses and investors, saying unreliable electricity and high alternative energy costs can constrain production and investment.
On revenue mobilisation, Dr Jalloh said Sierra Leone needs to significantly increase domestic revenue but cautioned that taxation must also take into account its potential impact on investment and business expansion.
He called for future Finance Act proposals to be increasingly “data-driven, evidence-based and investment-friendly,” with impact assessments, regional benchmarking and engagement with the private sector before major tax measures are advanced.
The Vice President also said fiscal incentives should increasingly be assessed against measurable benefits to Sierra Leone, including investment, production, exports and employment.
As the FY2027 Budget process begins, Dr Jalloh identified five principles to guide its preparation: realism in revenue and expenditure planning, prioritisation, using public spending to facilitate growth and investment, aligning revenue mobilisation with investment competitiveness, and making implementation the ultimate test of the budget.
He said budget allocations should ultimately translate into tangible results for citizens.
“An allocation has no developmental value until it becomes a functioning classroom, a reliable power connection, a productive road, an irrigation system, medicine in a health facility, finance reaching a viable enterprise or a service that improves the life of a citizen,” Dr Jalloh said.
He formally declared the FY2027 Budget Process launched, calling on MDAs to demonstrate what they can realistically deliver, by when, and with what measurable results.
