Author: gleanernewspaper

Radisson Blu, Freetown – Thursday 13 August 2026 – The Global Environment Facility (GEF) today launched a national project at a stakeholder meeting in Freetown to promote nature-based approaches and strengthen Sierra Leone’s food systems through the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP). The one-day meeting was attended by over 70 people and was organised directly by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MoECC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (MAFS) and other stakeholders. The representatives of the government institutions, private sector, farmer organisations, and development partners gathered to clarify roles and responsibilities in the project…

August 13, 2026 — A multi-agency team led by the National Revenue Authority (NRA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, the National Petroleum Regulatory Agency (NPRA), and SICPA, conducted a coordinated compliance assessment of selected factories and businesses in Freetown today to strengthen implementation of the Tax Stamp Law. The delegation paid visits to several key sites, including the Mackie Cement Factory in Hastings, the SICPA Warehouse in Wellington, the LEONE Oil Company in Kissy, Rockcem, and King Production at Shell in Kissy. The visits were intended to assess tax stamp compliance, identify any procedural or operational gaps, and…

KENEMA, SIERRA LEONE — Vice President Dr Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh has launched a nationwide regional consultation on local governance and decentralisation, which began with an event in Kenema. The initiative aims to strengthen local institutions, improve public service delivery, and ensure that government policies more accurately reflect the needs and realities of communities across the country.Addressing stakeholders at the Kenema consultation, Vice President Jalloh emphasised the importance of listening. He stated that the government is committed to hearing directly from communities and local institutions about the challenges they face and opportunities for improvement. “We are here to listen to your…

FREETOWN – The National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency (NaMEA) is intensifying efforts to ensure that government projects and programs in Sierra Leone are implemented effectively and deliver the expected benefits to citizens. This was disclosed by Director General Dr James Edwin on Tuesday, 11th August, 2026.Dr Edwin made his presentation during the Government of Sierra Leone’s Weekly Press Conference at the Miatta Civic Centre hosted by Mohamed Jaward Nyallay, Strategic Communications Adviser at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education. He briefed on NaMEA’s mission, achievements and plans as the country strives to enhance oversight of public investment.“The agency was…

Chief Minister Dr David Moinina Sengeh on Thursday 13 August 2026 led a Strategic Delivery Clinic with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its agencies to review institutional priorities, set measurable targets and improve coordinated delivery in support of the Government’s Big Five Game Changers.The clinic provided a structured platform for the Ministry and its agencies to share implementation plans, identify key deliverables and align institutional workplans with the national development agenda. Chief Minister Sengeh said Delivery Clinics are meant to build a shared commitment to clear, ambitious but achievable goals over six, twelve and eighteen-month time horizons, with a…

The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Dr Hannah Isatta Sao-Kpato Macarthy has lauded Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC) for embarking on a series of major water infrastructure investments that will greatly improve the availability of potable water across the Western Area of Freetown. The Minister made the remarks on July 28, 2026, while inspecting the newly rehabilitated Babadorie raw water storage facility and the upgraded Allen Town Water Treatment Plant in Regent. Both projects are scheduled for formal commissioning by President Dr Julius Maada Bio in the coming weeks.The Minister was conducted around the sites by GVWC Managing Director…

Belgian media reported that a 22-year-old woman from Anderlecht was arrested at Brussels Airport in late July with two suitcases containing around 51 kilograms of cocaine. Airport staff and police intercepted the luggage in the baggage hall on July 31 and made the arrest, officials said. The bags were sent from Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone to Brussels via Guinea. The woman was not a passenger on the flight which brought the suitcases into the country, investigators said. But instead, she is reported to have bought a cheap ticket to enter the airport to collect her luggage. Officials say…

Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA) is Director General, Musayeroh Barrie The Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority’s (SLCAA) terse denial has come under fire after Belgian authorities claim to have intercepted a large amount of cocaine linked to a Brussels Airlines flight departing Freetown International Airport (Lungi) on July 30. On July 31, airport staff and police at Brussels Airport detained two suitcases in the baggage hall, which Belgian officials claim contained approximately 51 kilograms of cocaine. According to Belgian reports, the luggage was transported from Freetown via Guinea to Brussels. On August 2, the SLCAA issued a statement calling previous reports of…

Questions continue to mount over why the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) moved swiftly to issue a press release denying reports of an alleged cocaine interception at the Freetown International Airport, Lungi, despite airport sources maintaining that an incident did occur. The Authority’s prompt response has raised eyebrows within sections of the aviation sector, with some industry stakeholders questioning why it took the lead in responding to allegations that, they argue, primarily concerned the airline involved and the relevant security and law enforcement agencies responsible for conducting any investigation. According to information obtained from multiple airport sources, the Authority’s decision to…

President Bio and Sierra Leone’s outgoing World Bank Country Manager, Dr Abdu Muwonge FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – Sierra Leone’s outgoing World Bank Country Manager, Dr Abdu Muwonge, was today honoured with the country’s highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Republic (GCOR), at State House, Freetown. The investiture, which took place at State House, marked the end of the mission of Dr Muwonge in Sierra Leone and was in recognition of his contribution to the strengthening of the cooperation between the Government and the World Bank in support of the national development priorities. Presenting the citation, Presidential Press Secretary…