Sierra Leone faces fiscal pressure from rising domestic debt

Sierra Leone is facing fiscal challenges due to an increasing reliance on domestic borrowing. The Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) has warned that the government is currently taking on more domestic debt than international debt, which is squeezing fiscal space and limiting the ability to fund critical sectors such as health and education. According to BAN National Coordinator Abubakarr Kamara, interest payments alone account for nearly 40 percent of domestic revenue, making debt servicing one of the largest items in the national budget.

In response to these fiscal pressures, the Ministry of Finance has provisionally approved a budget of NLe110,558,700 for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for the 2027 financial year. This funding aims to support the ‘Feed Salone’ program, which seeks to achieve full rice self-sufficiency. Despite previous funding shortfalls in 2025, the agriculture sector reported a 4.21 percent increase in rice production, bringing the country to 73 percent self-sufficiency. The 2027 budget priorities include infrastructure, farmer financing through a new Development Bank, and strengthening the impact of the flagship agricultural initiative.