Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Finance has begun a five-day workshop to update the country’s Medium-Term Debt Strategy (MTDS) for 2025-2029, in a move aimed at strengthening public debt management and supporting economic stability.
The exercise, which started on Monday at Leisure Lodge in Aberdeen, Freetown, brings together representatives from the Bank of Sierra Leone, the National Revenue Authority, Statistics Sierra Leone, the National Minerals Agency, civil society groups, and the University of Sierra Leone.
Mathew Sandy, director of the Public Debt Management Division, said the strategy will guide government decisions on managing the cost and risk of the debt portfolio over the next five years. He noted that the framework was developed in collaboration with international partners including the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
“We are using the composition of the debt stock to assess cost, risk, and exposure, and to recommend the best option for cabinet approval,” Sandy said.
Deputy Finance Minister Kadiatu Allie said the government remained committed to improving economic stability through more disciplined and transparent debt management.
“The debt strategy approved in 2023 laid the foundation for a forward-looking approach that benefits citizens through investments in agriculture, education, infrastructure, and livelihoods,” Allie said at the opening of the workshop.
She added that updating the MTDS will provide a platform to strengthen sustainable debt practices, focusing on debt sustainability, risk management, and effective borrowing.
By Abdul Kamara
