By Ishmael Sallieu Koroma
Sierra Leone’s Ports and Harbours Authority says it plans to expand its role in supporting the government’s development priorities, including job creation, food security, women’s empowerment and trade.
The Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) made the commitment while presenting its 2027 budget priorities at a public budget discussion in Freetown.
The authority’s Director of Finance, Andrew Tamba Kpulun, said its five-year strategic plan was aligned with Pillar Three of the Ministry of Transport and Aviation’s strategic plan, as well as the government’s National Development Plan and President Julius Maada Bio’s “Big Five Game Changers” agenda.
Mr Kpulun said improving port infrastructure and strengthening the skills of the authority’s workforce were among its key priorities.
He said the authority was also focusing on youth employment, women’s participation in the maritime sector and improving trade facilitation to support agriculture and the government’s “Feed Salone” initiative.
“The Port of Freetown plays a central role in the movement of agricultural inputs and food commodities,” Mr Kpulun said.
He added that the port therefore had an important role to play in strengthening agricultural value chains and improving food security.
More jobs planned
The authority said it had already recruited more than 300 young people into permanent employment and intended to increase that number in the next financial year.
“SLPHA has recruited over 300 youth into permanent service,” Mr Kpulun said.
The authority said employment opportunities were also being created through port operations, logistics, public-private partnerships and other maritime-related industries.
Women’s participation was another area highlighted during the budget presentation.
The SLPHA said it had achieved the government’s 30% quota for women’s employment and empowerment, although participants at the meeting called for further opportunities for women in the traditionally male-dominated maritime sector.
Civil society representatives, non-state actors and journalists attending the discussion also urged the authority to maintain efforts to prevent congestion at the Port of Freetown.
Port congestion can disrupt the movement of goods, increase costs for businesses and affect the wider supply chain, making efficient port operations important to Sierra Leone’s trade and economy.
The Ministry of Finance’s technical team described the SLPHA’s budget presentation as “detailed and comprehensive”.
The public budget discussion, held at the Miatta Conference Hall on Thursday, was part of the government’s broader process of reviewing the priorities and spending plans of public institutions ahead of the 2027 financial year.
The SLPHA says its strategic investments and operational plans are intended to ensure that the country’s main port continues to support economic activity while contributing to the government’s wider development programme.
