By Saidu Jalloh, D.S. Reporter
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) wrapped up a review mission on February 26, 2026, assessing the progress of its Extended Credit Facility Program in Sierra Leone. The discussions were held at the Ministry of Finance Conference Hall in Freetown and involved IMF staff, senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Sierra Leone, the National Revenue Authority, and other government stakeholders.
Christian Saborowski, the Mission Chief for Sierra Leone, outlined the mission’s objectives, which included evaluating progress on structural benchmarks and reviewing the implementation of the Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies (MEFP) Commitments. Key areas of focus included governance and corruption diagnostics, public financial management reforms, domestic revenue mobilization efforts, and public debt management.
Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura expressed gratitude to the IMF for its ongoing support in strengthening Sierra Leone’s economy. He highlighted the government’s progress in managing inflation through prudent monetary policy in collaboration with the Bank of Sierra Leone, as well as efforts to enhance governance and transparency in public financial management.
Minister Bangura reaffirmed the government’s commitment to meeting remaining benchmarks essential for sustaining macroeconomic stability and emphasized the importance of continued technical support and policy coordination to maintain reform momentum.
Financial Secretary Matthew Dingie praised the IMF team and urged various governance sectors to collaborate effectively in implementing necessary reforms.
The findings from this mission will contribute to a formal review report in anticipation of the IMF’s spring meeting in April.
In December 2025, the IMF’s Executive Board completed the first and second reviews of Sierra Leone’s arrangement under the Extended Credit Facility Program, leading to the immediate disbursement of $79.8 million.
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