“The total outstanding public debts of the Government as at end December 2025 was NLe67,960,295 or 38% of GDP, comprising domestic debts NLe26,440,743 Thousand (NLe18,313,723Thousand – end FY2024) and external debts NLe41,519,552 Thousand (NLe42,747,020 ThousandFY2024),” the just published unaudited statement of account of the government of Sierra Leone revealed.
The document explained that the total amount of domestic debts of NLe26,440,743 Thousand as at end December 2025 consists of short-term securities (with less than one-year maturity) in the form of treasury bills NLe19,332,491 Thousand) and Ways and Means Advances closing balance of NLe600,661 and long-term securities of NLe6,372,348 mainly in the form of treasurybonds.
That there was also an outstanding bridging loan facility excluding interest of NLe135,242 owed to the Bank of Sierra Leone as at the year end.
The document pointed out that domestic borrowings during the fiscal year under review was NLe 23,651,329 and total domestic loan repayment of NLe18,248,039, which resulted in a net increase ofNLe5,403,290 in the stock of domestic debts.
“These movements were through rollover of treasury bills and treasury bonds as well as issuing and redeeming new securities. Domestic debt interest payments totalled NLe7,738,630 Thousand in FY2025, compared toNLe4,441,603 Thousand in FY2024, occurring mainly because of the hike in treasury bill rates,” the documment added.
It also explained that the total amount of external debts payments made by the Government in FY2025 was NLe2,377,857 (NLe1,930,056 Thousand – FY2024) comprising principal loan repayments amounting toNLe1,560,252 Thousand (NLe1,644,766 Thousand – FY2024) and interest payments to external creditors amounting to NLe817,605 Thousand (NL285,289 Thousand – FY2024), maintaining that the total amount of external debt outstanding at end of FY2025 stood at NLe42,747,020 Thousand.
