By Musa Nikawa
Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Hon. Abdul Kargbo of the APC, launched a blistering attack on the Government’s Supplementary Appropriation Act, 2026, arguing that while billions of Leones are being allocated to electricity subsidies, commercial borrowing and politically influenced expenditures, critical sectors such as healthcare and education risk being deprived of essential funding.
Contributing to the parliamentary debate, Hon. Kargbo described the sharp increase in electricity and fuel subsidies as a matter of serious national concern. He noted that the allocation had jumped dramatically from NLe480 million in the original budget to NLe1.6 billion in the supplementary estimates, questioning the sustainability of such spending. “If those managing our electricity sector cannot perform, then let us think about privatizing it,” he declared, adding that despite changes in leadership, including the dismissal of boards and ministerial interventions, the country’s electricity challenges remain unresolved.
He also questioned the allocation of NLe1.43 billion for electricity and Independent Power Producers, alongside NLe243 million in fuel subsidies to oil marketing companies, urging Parliament to demand greater accountability regarding the beneficiaries of those payments. Hon. Kargbo further expressed concern over the Government’s increasing reliance on commercial bank borrowing. He observed that financing through commercial banks had risen from approximately NLe567 million to over NLe4.17 billion, despite repeated government commitments to reduce domestic borrowing. According to him, such borrowing undermines the positive macroeconomic indicators cited by the Minister of Finance, including a reduction in the debt-to-GDP ratio.
The Opposition Leader also identified what he described as glaring contradictions between the Minister’s budget speech and the detailed annexes accompanying the Supplementary Budget. While the speech assured Parliament that Free Quality School Education, including school feeding, would continue uninterrupted, he argued that the annexes reflected significant reductions in several education-related goods and services, including school feeding and educational programmes.
Turning to healthcare, Hon. Kargbo questioned how hospitals and health facilities would provide adequate medicines and medical supplies if allocations to the sector continue to decline. “We should be investing more in medical supplies so that when ordinary citizens fall sick, they can receive proper treatment. Too many people are dying because they cannot access adequate healthcare,” he said. While strongly criticising aspects of the budget, Hon.
Kargbo commended the Minister of Finance and the technical staff of the Ministry, describing them as hardworking professionals operating under difficult fiscal conditions. He argued, however, that political interference often overrides technical advice during the budget preparation process. “The budget is influenced by two forces, the technical and the political. The technical people may have the expertise, but when the political actors come in, they often impose decisions without regard for technical recommendations,” he observed. He urged Government to prioritise expenditures that directly improve the lives of ordinary Sierra Leoneans by creating jobs, strengthening healthcare services and protecting education, rather than increasing spending on what he characterised as politically driven priorities.
Hon. Kargbo concluded by calling for a genuinely people-centred budget that reflects the everyday needs of citizens instead of expanding recurrent expenditure at the expense of essential public services.
Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, has defended the Government’s Supplementary Appropriation Bill, arguing that the proposed adjustments are necessary to preserve Sierra Leone’s fiscal credibility, maintain macroeconomic stability, and cushion the economy against global economic shocks.
Contributing to the parliamentary debate, Hon. Nyuma said the Executive had a constitutional and legal obligation to return to Parliament whenever changes to the assumptions underpinning the national budget required amendments to existing appropriations. He stressed that supplementary budgets are not an indication of policy failure but rather an essential mechanism for ensuring transparency and maintaining the credibility of the Government’s fiscal framework.
“The obligation of the Minister of Finance and the entire Executive is to ensure that we fulfil the constitutional mandate. When circumstances change, it is only proper that Government returns to Parliament, explains those changes frankly, and justifies the necessary adjustments,” he said. Hon. Nyuma noted that Sierra Leone’s economic performance in 2025 had been strong, with the country attaining macroeconomic stability and building financial buffers that are now helping Government absorb external shocks.
According to him, those reserves have enabled Government to introduce adjustments while maintaining relative economic stability despite an increasingly uncertain global environment. He warned that the international economy continues to face what economists describe as a “permanent shock,” largely driven by geopolitical tensions, particularly conflicts in the Middle East, which have disrupted global commodity markets.
He cautioned that these challenges could persist until 2027 or even 2028 if global conditions fail to improve. The Leader of Government Business further observed that traditional development partners are increasingly prioritising domestic spending, defence, and security over foreign assistance, making it imperative for Sierra Leone to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation. He therefore welcomed the emphasis placed on improving tax administration and revenue collection, particularly through goods and services taxation, describing it as the backbone of sustainable domestic revenue generation.
Hon. Nyuma assured Parliament that the National Revenue Authority (NRA) has been given clear performance targets and that Government remains committed to holding the institution accountable for meeting its revenue obligations. He acknowledged that domestic revenue projections for the first half of 2026 had fallen short because economic activity slowed significantly due to external factors rather than weaknesses in Government policy.
One of the major drivers of the supplementary budget, he explained, was the sharp increase in global petroleum prices. He disclosed that while the 2026 Budget was prepared based on an international oil price of approximately US$70 per barrel, global prices later surged to more than US$120 per barrel following geopolitical tensions. Because Sierra Leone relies heavily on imported petroleum products, he explained, the increase affected transportation, electricity generation, industrial production, and ultimately the prices of goods and services across the economy.
Despite these pressures, Hon. Nyuma said Government deliberately avoided increasing fuel taxes during the year in order to shield citizens from even higher pump prices. Instead, he revealed that Government negotiated authority to maintain a petroleum subsidy mechanism, supported by a minimum allocation of NLe10 million, to stabilise fuel prices through a transparent petroleum pricing formula. He maintained that the supplementary budget demonstrates Government’s commitment to responsible fiscal management, transparency, and protecting the economy from external shocks while preserving the gains already achieved in macroeconomic stability.
