By: Mamajah Jalloh
The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has requested a recurrent budget of Le79, 000,713 for the 2027 financial year, saying the allocation is critical to increasing domestic revenue and transforming the ministry into a major contributor to government coffers.
The request was presented during the FY2027 budget hearings by the Acting Director, Sheku Sei, who acknowledged that the amount is slightly above the ministry’s budget ceiling.
Sei said the decision ultimately rests with the Ministry of Finance, arguing that increased funding would enable the Fisheries Ministry to generate significantly more revenue for the government.
“Except if you don’t want revenue, you can give us the ceiling. But it is left to you as a country what you want: ceiling or revenue,” he said.
He added: “Give us 79,000,713. If you give it to us in 2027, we will give you very close to 20 million United States dollars. It’s about ceiling. It’s about revenue. You choose.”
Sei cited the ministry’s revenue performance to justify the request, stating that it generated Le120 million in 2024, Le150 million in 2025, and is projected to contribute Le200 million in 2026.
For 2027, he said the ministry is targeting Le360 million in revenue if the requested budget is approved.
The Acting Director also highlighted logistical challenges facing the ministry, revealing that it currently operates without a vehicle.
He said the lack of transportation recently contributed to the death of 8,000 out of 12,000 fingerlings imported from Ghana, as the ministry could not transport them to its experimental farm in time.
According to Sei, the recurrent budget includes Le26 million for the Office of the Permanent Secretary. The ministry’s overall budget request, including Le135.5 million under the Public Investment Programme (PIP), amounts to approximately Le215 million.
He also outlined several challenges encountered in 2025, including delays in the disbursement of funds, inadequate funding for technical divisions, insufficient staffing at arms stations, and pending approval of recruitment requests.
Sei further raised concerns over the devolution of fishing-licensing responsibilities to local councils, saying it has resulted in some operators obtaining licences while using illegal fishing nets that catch juvenile fish.
He warned that the practice poses a serious threat to the sustainability of Sierra Leone’s fisheries sector.
To address the problem, Sei said the ministry is developing an application in collaboration with the National Revenue Authority (NRA) to enable fishermen to obtain boat licences directly through mobile money.
He explained that the system would reduce direct handling of licence payments by fisheries officers, while funds would be transferred directly to local council accounts.
“No fisheries officers will touch their money and the fishermen are very happy,” Sei said.
He said the new system is expected to address concerns over illegal licensing and revenue leakages in the sector.
Sei urged the Ministry of Finance to approve the requested recurrent budget, stressing that it is essential to the ministry’s efforts to mobilize domestic revenue.
He concluded that while recurrent expenditure is critical to the ministry’s operations, public investment is also important, particularly in meeting counterpart funding obligations for fishermen.