The Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, is leading a high-level Sierra Leone delegation to the 2026 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, D.C.
He is accompanied by senior government officials, including the Ministers of Energy and of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, the Financial Secretary, the Governor and Deputy Governor of the Bank of Sierra Leone, as well as Chief Economists from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank.
The meetings, taking place from April 13 to 18, 2026, have brought together Finance Ministers, Central Bank Governors, development partners, global investors, civil society representatives, and academics to deliberate on the state of the global economy and other pressing international issues.
During the meetings, Minister Bangura held discussions with the Director of the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department (FAD), where he conveyed President Julius Maada Bio’s appreciation for the technical assistance provided to Sierra Leone in strengthening public financial management.
He highlighted support received in areas such as the review of the Public Financial Management Act 2016, the Public Procurement Act 2016, cash management and forecasting, and migration to Government Financial Statistics 2014 standards.
The Minister noted that the Government has implemented prudent economic policies over the last two years, resulting in improvements in key macroeconomic indicators, including lower inflation, a more stable exchange rate, a positive primary balance, and sustainable interest rates on government securities.
However, he warned that the recent crisis in the Middle East could threaten these gains and place additional pressure on the economy.
Minister Bangura appealed for continued IMF support, particularly in strengthening capacity within the mining sector through reforms on transfer pricing, implementation of advance pricing agreements, safe harbour regimes, review of the Income Tax Act 2000, the Excise Act 1998, and the mid-term review of the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy 2023–2027.
The Director of the Fiscal Affairs Department commended the Minister’s leadership in public financial management reforms and assured continued collaboration with Sierra Leone.
The Finance Minister also met with the Sierra Leone IMF Country Team, led by Mission Chief Christian Saborowski, to discuss recent economic developments and the possible effects of the Middle East crisis.
Bangura informed the IMF team that the Government is facing challenges under the current Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme due to the external shock caused by the crisis.
He said the Government has already taken steps to cushion the impact on the economy and sought clarity on possible IMF support for developing nations.
Mr. Saborowski acknowledged the difficult circumstances facing developing countries, particularly the risks to food security and poverty levels.
He advised Sierra Leone to focus on meeting the Quantitative Performance Criteria and Structural Benchmarks under the ECF programme by the end of April to enable completion of the third review in June 2026.
The Minister also engaged the Executive Director of the Africa West I Constituency of the World Bank Group, Dr. Zarau W. Kibwe, where he sought information on planned World Bank assistance to help developing countries respond to the global crisis.
He further informed the Executive Director that Sierra Leone’s country portfolio remains strong and discussions are ongoing to utilise the Rapid Response Option (RRO) to reduce the economic impact of the Middle East crisis.