Ministry of Finance Concludes Debt Sustainability and Medium-Term Strategy Workshops

Freetown, July 24, 2026 (SLENA)-The Ministry of Finance has concluded a two-week workshop to update the country’s Debt Sustainability Analysis and Medium-Term Debt Strategy, in a move officials said will strengthen debt management and guide future borrowing.

The workshop, organized by the ministry’s Public Debt Management Division, ended Friday at Leisure Lodge in Aberdeen, Freetown. Participants included representatives from the Bank of Sierra Leone, Statistics Sierra Leone, the National Revenue Authority, the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the Accountant General’s Department and civil society groups.

Officials said the exercise was aimed at reducing borrowing risks and aligning future loans with economic growth and the delivery of essential public services.

At the closing session, Deputy Director Santigie Charles Conteh said the latest review showed Sierra Leone had moved from a “weak” to a “medium” debt-carrying capacity.

He said the improved rating would need to be maintained over two consecutive Debt Sustainability Analysis cycles before it could be officially confirmed.

Conteh said sustaining the progress would improve the government’s ability to raise financing for key sectors, including education, health care and infrastructure. He called for stronger domestic revenue mobilization through digital systems, tighter fiscal discipline, stronger Public-Private Partnership frameworks and a more diversified economy.

Abu Bakarr Kamara, national coordinator of the Budget Advocacy Network, welcomed what he described as an inclusive process involving state institutions and civil society organizations.

He said the Debt Sustainability Analysis and Medium-Term Debt Strategy were important tools for macro-fiscal stability and for ensuring that borrowed funds were directed to productive investment, job creation and service delivery.

Kamara also warned that debt repayments continued to place pressure on domestic revenue. He urged the government to reduce unnecessary tax exemptions, speed up digital reforms and strengthen revenue collection in Customs and the Goods and Services Tax system.

The ministry said the workshops had produced a roadmap for future borrowing and stronger fiscal responsibility, with the updated frameworks intended to help protect the economy from unsustainable debt while supporting long-term development priorities.