By Joseph Momoh, Daily Scope Reporter
Sierra Leone’s domestic revenue hit NLe 4.52 billion in the first quarter of 2026, official data shows, with strong tax collection offset by zero earnings from mining and fisheries.
Figures from the Domestic Revenue Analysis – Quarter 1, 2026 indicate income tax led all revenue streams, pulling in NLe 1.86 billion to account for 41% of total collections. Goods and Services Tax followed with NLe 779 million, or 17%.
Import duties and other international trade taxes contributed NLe 565 million, representing 13%. Transfers through the Treasury Single Account added NLe 470 million, 10%, while customs and excise duties brought in NLe 281 million, 6%.
Non-tax revenues also held steady. Fees, fines, road user charges, and administrative levies combined for NLe 563 million, 13% of total inflows. Other departmental receipts performed strongly at NLe 497 million, driven by higher March collections.
But the report flags a major fiscal gap. Both the extractive and fisheries sectors recorded no revenue for the quarter, despite projections of NLe 1.29 billion from mineral resources and NLe 671 million from fisheries. The shortfall leaves a hole in planned mobilization.
With Q1 collections representing only 19% of the government’s annual target of NLe 23.67 billion, analysts say the fiscal outlook remains fragile without a rebound in resource-based sectors.
“Tax administration is delivering consistent returns from wages, consumption, and trade. But the budget cannot meet its targets if mining and fisheries remain idle,” one analyst noted.
Experts warn that without tighter compliance, enforcement, and reforms in those sectors, government may be forced to lean more heavily on borrowing to close financing gaps later this year.
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