Freetown, Sierra Leone, 27th October 2025- Sierra Leone’s mid-year fiscal performance for 2025 reveals a mixed picture of strategic overspending and critical underfunding, according to expenditure data in the Budget Execution Report First Half January – June Financial Year 2025.
The summary of goods and services expenditure shows that while key sectors such as general administration and defence exceeded their budget allocations, the police sector received less than a third of its projected funding.
The government spent NLe1.99 billion on general goods and services, NLe98.76 million more than the budgeted NLe1.89 billion, indicating a deliberate push to maintain core operations amid rising inflation and service demands. This overspend suggests prioritization of essential procurement, logistics, and administrative continuity.
However, the biggest deviation came under the “General and Others” category, which saw actual spending of NLe881.58 million, far surpassing its budgeted NLe506.37 million. Analysts say this spike may reflect emergency allocations, unplanned operational costs, or shifting priorities within central government functions.
Defence spending also rose above projections, with NLe227.66 million spent against a budget of NLe170.22 million, a 34% increase. The uptick aligns with regional security concerns and increased demand for military readiness, though it raises questions about long-term fiscal discipline.
In stark contrast, the Sierra Leone Police received just NLe74.24 million out of a budgeted NLe250.80 million, marking a 70% shortfall. The underfunding comes despite growing public pressure for improved law enforcement capacity, community policing, and institutional reform. With crime prevention and public order increasingly in focus, the shortfall could hamper operational effectiveness and morale.
Social and economic sectors also saw a significant dip, with actual spending at NLe568.23 million, well below the budgeted NLe868.23 million. This 35% underspend may affect service delivery in education, health, and rural development, areas critical to inclusive growth and poverty reduction.
Correctional Services was the only category to match its budget exactly, with NLe62.34 million spent as planned, suggesting stable operations and predictable cost structures.
The FY2025 first-half report paints a picture of uneven fiscal execution, where some sectors are stretched beyond their limits while others remain under-resourced. As the government prepares its second-half allocations, stakeholders are calling for a more balanced approach, one that aligns spending with strategic priorities, institutional needs, and public expectations.
