FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BudgIT Urges Government to Prioritize Transparency and Accountability in Utilizing Chinese Economic Assistance for Sierra Leone

March 13, 2024 Freetown-Sierra Leone

BudgIT Sierra Leone is a prominent civic organization that promotes citizen and government engagement in good governance and societal reforms. It calls on the government to ensure transparency and accountability in the disbursement of China’s economic assistance to Sierra Leone. With China offering ¥50 million in economic and technical assistance, ¥20 million in debt cancellation, and 1500 tonnes of food aid, BudgIT emphasizes the need for these resources to be utilized effectively for the benefit of the Sierra Leonean people.

Daniel Conteh, program manager at BudgIT, emphasizes the importance of openness in the disbursement of the funds and the aid packages: “The government must make prudent considerations to ensure that food aid gets to the most vulnerable groups to alleviate their suffering; we want them to share information about where the food distribution locations are and how people can get them to avoid misappropriation.”

Sierra Leone’s economy remains fragile, as outlined in the 2024 budget. The government has promised to prioritize macroeconomic stability, food security, and poverty reduction. We want the government to provide detailed information about these projects. To successfully restore macroeconomic growth, strengthen Sierra Leone, and improve Sierra Leoneans’ lives, the government must first embrace transparency and accountability, and address underlying issues such as public sector inefficiency and corruption—which may result in unsustainable costs—before expanding its social safety net programs. Brima Sesay, Country Lead at BudgIT, explains, “We want citizens to understand how public funds are used to ensure service delivery and equitable use of these resources.”

The Chinese debt cancellation and economic assistance come at a time when the country desperately needs them. However, the government must ensure citizens have adequate information to track the use of public funds and the distribution of aid packages to meet its objectives. It is important to ensure the equitable use of these resources.

BudgIT calls upon the government to disclose the allocation of Chinese economic aid and the establishment of food distribution centers, while also ensuring that the funds are effectively utilized to address our existing economic difficulties. This would guarantee the deliberate allocation of the funds and deter any misuse of the economic assistance facility.

Signed

Name: Brima Sesay

Title:  Country Lead, BudgIT Sierra Leone

https://sierraleone.budgit.org/