Freetown, 24th February 2026 – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged the Government of Sierra Leone to implement and enforce mandatory asset declarations for senior public officials, describing the measure as critical to strengthening transparency, reducing corruption vulnerabilities, and improving institutional credibility.
The call was made in the IMF’s Country Report No. 26/40, which reviewed Sierra Leone’s progress under the Extended Credit Facility program. The report builds on the recently published Governance and Corruption Diagnostic (GCD), identifying asset declaration as a cornerstone of governance reform.
According to the IMF, while Sierra Leone has taken steps to improve accountability, enforcement remains weak. The Fund stressed that asset declarations must go beyond paperwork to include verification, monitoring, and public accessibility if they are to have real impact.
The report notes: “The authorities plan to publish the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic (GCD) and implement measures to strengthen transparency, including mandatory asset declarations for senior public officials. Effective enforcement of asset declaration requirements will be critical to reducing corruption vulnerabilities and improving institutional credibility.”
The IMF further emphasized that compliance with asset declaration laws would help build investor confidence and reinforce Sierra Leone’s commitment to governance reforms.
This recommendation comes as part of broader efforts to align fiscal discipline with structural reforms, ensuring that international support translates into stronger institutions and sustainable growth.
