Freetown, 22nd December 2024 – The 2024 Auditor General’s Report has raised serious concerns over financial management at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, revealing that more than NLe 4 million in collected revenue was not deposited into official government accounts.
According to the report, revenue streams from the sale, survey, and regularisation of land amounting to NLe 3,541,598 were not paid into the Transit Account at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank. In addition, auditors found that NLe 496,035 was not transferred from the Transit Account to the Treasury Single Account at the Bank of Sierra Leone.
The Auditor General noted that “no evidence was submitted to confirm that revenue totalling NLe 3,541,598 was deposited into the Transit Account” and that “the ASSL is yet to receive confirmation that NLe 496,035 has been transferred to the Treasury Single Account.” Both issues remain unresolved.
The audit further highlighted the absence of reconciliation between the Ministry and the National Revenue Authority (NRA), a gap that increases the risk of financial leakages. Auditors recommended that the Principal Accountant liaise with the NRA Revenue Collector to ensure all outstanding funds are transferred to the Consolidated Fund, and that regular reconciliations be conducted to detect and correct errors in a timely manner.
In its official response, the Ministry acknowledged the findings but insisted that its records reconciled with the NRA’s. “From our records, the figure indicated reconciled well with the ministry’s voucher and the NRA’s record. Copies of all relevant documents on this finding are available for review,” management stated. On the issue of the NLe 496,035 transfer, the Ministry argued that it had “no control over such transfers.”
Despite these assurances, the Auditor General concluded that the discrepancies remain unresolved, stressing the need for stronger financial discipline and accountability. The findings add to growing calls for digitisation of revenue systems, stricter reconciliation protocols, and enhanced oversight of ministries to prevent future losses.
