By: Joseph Momoh, Daily Scope Reporter
The government’s suspension of the US$25 Airport Security Fee at Freetown International Airport has sparked fresh concerns over potential financial liabilities to Securiport (SL) Limited, with legal experts warning the move could trigger another costly contract dispute.
In a ministerial directive dated 1 July 2026, the Ministry of Internal Affairs instructed Securiport to halt collection of the fee from 6 July to December 2026. The ministry said the suspension will allow for a special audit by the Audit Service Sierra Leone and a review of the 2012 agreement. It cited the manual cash payment system as inconvenient and inconsistent with modern airport standards.
Under the contract, Securiport financed and installed the country’s immigration security infrastructure on the understanding that it would recover its investment solely through the Airport Security Fee. The agreement obliges the government to enforce collection and to compensate the company if state actions prevent revenue generation.
Requiring Securiport to continue providing services and maintaining technology during the suspension, without its primary income source, could significantly increase the state’s financial exposure, analysts say.
Past settlement looms large
Records show a similar interruption in previous years resulted in a protracted dispute that was settled for US$12 million. Documents also indicate government currently has outstanding obligations of US$8 million under the existing contract.
The new directive has also renewed scrutiny of the K5 Aviation Safety Fee. An official correspondence dated 18 September 2017 confirms that the International Air Transport Association approved Tax Code K5 specifically for Sierra Leone.
The arrangement provided for the US$25 charge to be added automatically to airline tickets, with airlines responsible for remitting proceeds to fund Securiport’s services. Despite that, manual cash payments at the airport reportedly continued for years.
Aviation observers are now asking whether airlines consistently applied the K5 code, whether revenues were properly remitted, and why cash collection persisted if an automated system was in place.
“Those questions will be central to the audit,” a source familiar with the matter said.
The ministry insists the suspension is not a termination of the contract. It has directed Securiport to maintain all screening infrastructure and record passenger statistics and projected revenue during the suspension period.
Legal analysts say that requirement could strengthen any future compensation claim by the company.
With no official comment yet from Securiport or U.S. authorities, experts caution that disputes involving foreign investors are closely watched internationally and can affect investor confidence.
As the suspension takes effect on 6 July, focus will shift to the audit’s findings, the status of K5 collections, and whether government can resolve outstanding obligations without incurring another multimillion-dollar settlement.
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