Peep Sierra Leone

Acknowledge of Dignitaries

It is with great pleasure that I stand here to present this key note address for this launching ceremony for the Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPFMRP).

Since the turn of the century, the Government of Sierra Leone through the support of our Development Partners, has actively engaged in Public Financial Management Reform initiatives which have culminated in improvements in Public Financial Management within the public sector in recent years.

These Reforms have encompassed several facets of Public Financial Management including the Legal and Regulatory Framework, Procurement, Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Financial Management in Local Councils, Monitoring and Evaluation, Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), Internal Audit, Records Management, Human Resource Management and Debts Management.

The specific reforms undertaken over the course of the past years in the respective areas are briefly summarized thus:

1. Legal and Regulatory

2. The enactment of the Government Budgeting and Accountability Act (2005) and the Financial Management Regulations (2007), the Public Procurement Act (004) ad its Regulations of 2006, National Revenue Act (2003) and the Local Government Act (2004) have all provided the foundation for sound public financial management both within the Central Government and Local Councils. You will agree with me that the existence of the aforementioned paves the way for checks and balances to ensue with respect to Government activities.

2.  Procurement

The establishment of procurement committees in all MDAs, publishing of contracts awarded on the National Public Procurement Authority's website and existence of an Independent Procurement Review Panel have all aided in the strengthening of the procurement process.

3. Integrated Financial Management Information Systems (IFMIS)

The IFMIS implementation in Sierra Leone continues to be herald as one of the shining examples of such implementation in Africa. Our strategy of roll-out to large spending Ministries Departments and Agencies has seen the IFMIS rolled out to ten line ministries since it was first implemented in the Accountant General's Department in June 2005. This has significantly improved the process of recording and accounting for government's activities with the elimination of all backlogs of financial statements. I am pleased to announce that for the past two years, the Accountant General has submitted the financial statements to the Auditor-General within the prescribed timeframe stipulated in the Government Budgeting and Accountability Act (2005). This has further provided the enabling environment for the timely completion of the external audit with the Auditor General also submitting the audited 2008 financial statements to Parliament within the allocated timeframe.

4. Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF)

Following the implementation of the MTEF in 2001, all MDAs are now required to prepare strategic plans which are linked to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. The active participation of District Budget Oversight Committees and other civil society groups during the budget formulation and execution stages further helps to strengthen and deepen the MTEF process. The active engagement of budget committees within the respective MDAs and Local Councils further seeks to deepen the MTEF process.

5. Financial Management in Local Councils

Following the implementation of the MTEF in 2001, all MDAs are now required to prepare strategic plans which are linked to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. The active participation of District Budget Oversight Committees and other civil society groups during the budget formulation and execution stages further helps to strengthen and deepen the MTEF process. The active engagement of budget committees within the respective MDAs and Local Councils further seeks to deepen the MTEF process.

5. Financial Management in Local Councils

The recruitment of key financial management personnel in the local councils including finance officers, accountants, procurement officers and internal auditors and the continuous training and support provided since the resuscitation or decentralization in 2004 have provided the impetus for financial management in local councils. This is exhibited by the monthly posting of local councils' financial statements on their respective notice boards and the timely submission of year-end financial statements to the Auditor General in accordance with the Local Government Act (2004). The introduction of a financial accounting package which has currently been rolled out to eight local councils further seeks to promote financial accountability and transparency within the decentralization process.

6. Internal Audit

The enactment of the Government Budgeting and Accountability Act (2005) earlier highlighted, paved the way for the full recognition of Internal Audit within the financial management laws. Over the years, we have since set up internal audit structures in fifteen MDAs with some also adopting the practice of establishing audit committees. These are regularly supported by technical assistants within the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.

7. Monitoring and Evaluation

The Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys and other PFM assessments undertaken in recent times utilizing the Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) and Commonwealth frameworks amongst others have been employed in monitoring, evaluating and measuring progress in Public Financial Management reform.

As a government, we are committed to improving on the aforementioned strides made in Public Financial Management Reform over the past couple of years. We are therefore extremely thankful to our development partners -Department for International Development, European Commission, World Bank and African Development Bank - for their relentless efforts and support in ensuring that gains made over the past years are improved upon. It is in this light that we are, together with our Development Partners, now launching an Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project (IPFMRP), which seeks to sustainably improve the credibility and predictability, control and transparency of fiscal and budget management over the course of the next four years.

The IPFMRP broadly facilitates the following:

1.         Strengthening Macrofiscal Coordination and Budget Management

2.         Reinforcement Key Aspects of the Control System to Support Improved              Service Delivery.

3.         Establishing and Maintaining Sustainable and Capable Central Finance                  Functions.

4.         Supporting Non-State Actors

5.         Project Coordination and Administration

The institute responsibility for implementing the IPFMRP rests with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, National Public Procurement Authority, Human Resource Management Office and other MDAs, with Parliament and Non-State Actors exercising oversight.

The unprecedented amalgamation of Development Partners in supporting a single PFM reform project replacing the previous fragmented support arrangements will undeniably foster goal congruence in achieving the overall project development objective.

I must take this opportunity to reaffirm our Government's commitment in promoting the already fruitful partnership with our Development Partners in enhancing sound public financial management both within the Central Government and Local Councils and hereby formally launch the Integrated Public Financial Management Reform Project. I thank you all.