By Kelfala Kargbo

Freetown, 23rd February 2026 – Parliament has received two critical financial oversight reports from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), detailing the Auditor-General’s findings for the 2023 financial year. The reports highlight significant recoveries, persistent gaps in accountability, and the broader fiscal implications for Sierra Leone’s governance framework.

Deputy Chairman of the PAC, Hon. Paramount Chief Desmond Kargobai II, presented the reports covering the Auditor-General’s review of Local Councils and the Accounts of Sierra Leone for 2023. He emphasized that under Section 119 of the 1991 Constitution, the committee is mandated to scrutinize public expenditure, with the reports capturing key financial irregularities, resolutions, and recommendations.

Deputy Speaker of Parliament and PAC Chair, Hon. Tawa Conteh, disclosed that the committee had successfully recovered over NLe 24,000 (24 million old leones) from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). In addition, through deductions and settlements, the PAC secured USD 760,000 in outstanding royalties owed to the government.

Conteh further revealed that close collaboration with the National Revenue Authority (NRA) enabled the recovery of USD 13.5 million in underpayments and undervalued taxation for 2024. These figures underscore the committee’s growing role in plugging revenue leakages and strengthening fiscal discipline.

Progress was also noted in resolving audit queries: 60% of issues raised in the Auditor-General’s 2023 report were addressed at the MDA level, while 42% were fully resolved at the council level. However, the reports caution that systemic weaknesses remain, requiring sustained oversight and reforms to ensure compliance across government institutions.

Despite the financial significance of the session, opposition Members of Parliament from the All People’s Congress (APC) were absent, leaving the chamber filled only with Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) MPs. This was in direct response to the arrest and detention of the Secretary General of their (APC) party.