The acting Minister of Finance, Madam Kadiatu Aliie, on Tuesday, 23rd April 2024, received a scoping mission on Electricity and Fuel Subsidy Reforms and Social Protection in Sierra Leone from the Fiscal Affairs Division of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Head of mission, Fernanda Brollo, Senior Economist at the Expenditure Division, Fiscal Affairs Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), stated that the mission is part of the ongoing capacity development engagement between FAD and the Ministry of Finance on expenditure management, and that they are here now to understand the issues and challenges on expenditures on energy, fuel, and social protection, and how they can support the Ministry of Finance through staff capacity development.
Fernanda Brollo, in her statement, also mentioned that they conducted similar exercises on expenditure on health, education, and the wage bill and that the technical assistance on expenditure policy issues is to support the Ministry’s economic reform programmes.
In her response, the Ag. Minister of Finance, Kadiatu Allie, welcomed the team, stating that the mission is timely, especially now that the government is facing challenges with the issue of energy and fuel subsidies.
She assured the mission that the relevant government agencies would provide the required data to support the mission.
Other directors and heads of the unit present also contributed to the discussion as the mission is to meet with several agencies like the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), the Ministry of Energy, the Energy Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC), and others.