The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) in Sierra Leone has presented its proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year, amounting to Le40,734,628,000, alongside its 2027–2029 Strategic Plan and Public Investment Programme (PIP), to the Ministry of Finance. This presentation was made on September 30, 2026, at the Miatta Civic Centre. The event was chaired by Dr. Ilara E. Mahdi, Deputy Director of Budget at the Ministry of Finance. The session was attended by senior officials from MoPED, representatives of government programmes, District Budget Oversight Committees, civil society organisations, non-state actors, the media, and members of the public.
During the presentation, Acting Development Secretary Usman Cherry Conteh provided an overview of the Ministry's mandate and its performance in the 2026 fiscal year, as well as its planned priorities for the 2027–2029 period. He emphasized that MoPED is responsible for coordinating national development planning, policy formulation, and implementation to promote inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth. Conteh highlighted several key achievements in 2026, including the establishment of six Sector Working Groups and the implementation of capacity-building programmes for public officials.
The achievements in 2026 also included strengthened coordination of development activities across all 16 districts, progress in Chiefdom Development Planning, and management of project-affected communities. Additionally, Sierra Leone’s Peacebuilding Fund re-eligibility process saw progress, and 10 bankable Blue Economy projects were developed. The Ministry also completed 20 Local Council Development Plans and rolled out the National Public Investment Management Policy to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) as well as all 22 local councils.
Deputy Director of NGO Affairs, Dr. David A.K. Abu, presented the financial details of the proposed budget for 2027. He stated that the budget is aligned with MoPED’s strategic priorities and key interventions under the Public Investment Programme. The 2027–2029 PIP prioritises the establishment of a Project Preparation Facility, strengthening district-level development coordination, and advancing decentralisation and public awareness of the National Development Plan.
The 2027–2029 PIP also includes the continued development of the Public Investment Management Information System (PIMIS), creation of an Induced Resettlement Secretariat, and digitalisation of service-level agreements. Other priorities for 2027 include implementing C-PIMA reforms, integrating the Wan Fambul National Framework into the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP), and developing sector guidelines aligned with national and global development goals.
The Ministry plans to prepare 10 investment-ready national projects, operationalise PIMIS across MDAs and local councils, convene high-level development partnership meetings, and strengthen development assistance coordination. The session featured an interactive question-and-answer segment led by the Ministry of Finance technical team, during which participants sought clarifications and offered recommendations on the proposed budget and programmes.
The presentation concluded with a motion for approval moved by Samuel Jeremiah and seconded by Yeabu Kargbo of Port Loko District. The engagement reinforced MoPED’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective coordination in national development planning, as well as the efficient use of public resources to support Sierra Leone’s development agenda.
Key points
- The proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year is Le40,734,628,000.
- The budget and strategic plan aim to promote inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth.
- The presentation was made to the Ministry of Finance on September 30, 2026.
