By Kadijatu Bangura, D.S
The Government of Sierra Leone has unveiled plans to restore state-owned Sierratel through a 10-year partnership with Africell, despite the telecom’s $35 million debt to EXIM Bank and $6.3 million in outstanding wage liabilities.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s weekly press briefing, Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation Salima Monorma Bah said the deal will allow Sierratel to operate as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) using Africell’s infrastructure to re-enter the market.
Bah stressed the arrangement is not a privatisation. “Ownership of Sierratel will remain with the Government of Sierra Leone and the company’s brand will be preserved,” she said. The agreement includes an option for a five-year renewal and will undergo performance reviews every five years.
Under the revenue-sharing model, Sierratel plans to resume voice, data and mobile money services, with a focus on affordability and competition. The minister said the relaunch will target students and young people in the digital and creative sectors.
To address immediate staff obligations, Africell has advanced $2 million to cover salary arrears and benefits. Bah clarified that government will reimburse Africell and remains responsible for settling all liabilities to Sierratel’s 179 employees, which total $6.3 million. Efforts to secure the balance are ongoing, she added.
Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security Mohamed Rahman Swaray linked Sierratel’s decline to a $35 million EXIM Bank loan taken under the previous APC administration to procure CDMA technology that later became obsolete due to discontinued factory support. “That decision significantly contributed to the collapse of the company’s operations,” Swaray said.
He noted that key labour issues have been documented, including unpaid salaries, accrued leave allowances and outstanding union dues. The initial $2 million disbursement will address some of these concerns in line with the Employment Act of 2023.
Sierratel Interim Managing Director Francis Matturi said years of limited reform and reliance on outdated technology had crippled the firm. Sierratel was formed from the merger of Sierra Leone External Telecommunications (SLET) and the Sierra Leone National Telecommunications Company (SLNTC). Its current operations are restricted to wholesale bandwidth services via fibre and fibre-to-the-home (FTTx) infrastructure.
Matturi confirmed that a full verification of staff liabilities has been completed with the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security. The finalised staff list will be submitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission for review before payments are made.
The government described the partnership as a critical step toward restoring Sierratel’s capacity while resolving longstanding financial and labour challenges.
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