By: Audrey Raymonda John
Sierra Leone hosted the 13th AFRITAC West 2 Steering Committee Meeting on Thursday, 18 and Friday, 19 June 2026, aimed at advancing institutional and economic reforms across the region. The meeting brought together government officials, development partners, and heads of regional institutions from Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, The Gambia, and other member states.
During the opening ceremony, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Madam Kenyeh Barlay, expressed appreciation to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) AFRITAC West 2 for its capacity-building support in promoting economic growth and resilience in West Africa.
She noted that member states and regional stakeholders are working toward a common goal of strengthening the capacity of public institutions to implement reform policies in areas such as revenue administration, public financial management, monetary and exchange rate policy, financial sector supervision, and statistics.
Madam Barlay also highlighted key achievements supported by the centre, including the development of a database of capital investment projects, public investment management guidelines, and improved alignment of budget processes with national development planning, with emphasis on gender-responsive and capital budgeting.
She further stated that revenue administration has improved through the introduction of tools and standard operating procedures designed to enhance tax administration efficiency. These include the Integrated Tax Administration System (ITAS), improvements to the taxpayer register, and strengthened customs intelligence and investigation capacity. She also cited State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) health check tools, SOE fiscal risk management frameworks, and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) implementation as key interventions supported by the centre.
The two-day meeting featured presentations on the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook, AFRITAC West 2’s achievements for FY2026 (1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026), and the FY2027 Work Plan. Discussions also covered the AFRITAC West 2 budget and financing gap under Phase III.
Panel discussions focused on key thematic areas, including Public Financial Management (PFM), monetary policy and banking supervision, statistics, leadership and governance, and the integration of IMF capacity development programmes with Fund-supported initiatives.
During a knowledge-sharing session on Public Financial Management reforms in Sierra Leone, participants reviewed achievements, ongoing reforms, challenges, lessons learned, and future priorities.
The Acting National Budget Director, Dr. Ilara Mahdi, delivered a comprehensive presentation outlining Sierra Leone’s PFM reform agenda. His presentation focused on institutional arrangements, the legal and regulatory framework governing public financial management, and the implementation of the PFM strategy and related policy documents.
The Ministry of Finance delegation was led by the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, who also chaired the Steering Committee.
Other senior government officials in attendance included the Principal Deputy Financial Secretary, the Chief Economist (panellist), the Deputy Financial Secretary, the Deputy Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, the Deputy Statistician-General, the Commissioner General of the National Revenue Authority, and other senior officials.
The meeting reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to regional cooperation, stronger public financial management systems, and sustained economic reforms across West Africa.