By Emma Black

The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Government Finance Division, has initiated a comprehensive training program to roll out the Government Financial Statistics Manual (GFSM) 2014 framework to key government agencies. This training targets staff from the Ministry of Finance, Accountant General’s Department, National Revenue Authority, Bank of Sierra Leone, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, and Statistics Sierra Leone through the Budget Bureau.

The two-week training commenced on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, at the Ministry of Finance’s Conference Room. Director of the Budget Bureau, Tasima Jah, highlighted that the initiative was made possible through a formal request for Technical Assistance (TA) aimed at enhancing the quality of government financial data to support evidence-based policymaking.

Director Jah expressed enthusiasm about adopting the GFSM 2014 framework, emphasizing its role in improving policy analysis and financial reporting. He further noted that this transition will also strengthen monitoring under existing IMF programs.

Economists Robert Osudi and Emmanuel Ramathuba from the IMF’s Government Finance Division delivered detailed sessions during the training. Their presentations covered a wide range of topics including an overview of the GFSM 2014, accounting for stocks and flows, economic transactions, revenues and expenditures, financial assets, liabilities, balance sheets, cash flow statements, tax classifications, grants, and economic classification methods.

Throughout their mission in Sierra Leone, the IMF experts are scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with divisions responsible for Public Debt, Financial Decentralisation, the National Revenue Authority, Bank of Sierra Leone, Accountant General’s Department, and the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development. These engagements are intended to support the effective implementation and institutionalization of the GFSM 2014 framework across government entities.

The training represents a significant step towards modernizing Sierra Leone’s public financial management system, fostering transparency, accuracy, and compliance with international statistical standards.

Copyright –Published in Expo Times News on Monday,28th July, 2025 (ExpoTimes News – Expo Media Group (expomediasl.com)