Government To Commence FY2026 Budget Preparation

The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, has announced the commencement of preparations for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 National Budget.
According to a public notice issued by the Ministry, the process will begin with the National Policy Hearings on Thursday, 11th September 2025, at the Freetown International Conference Centre, Aberdeen. The hearings will be held under the theme: “Enhancing Traditional, whilst Introducing Innovative Domestic Revenue Mobilization Strategies to Finance the Big Five Game Changers.”
The National Policy Hearing will serve as the curtain raiser for the budget process, providing an opportunity for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), and Local Councils to discuss and review sectoral policies contained in the Medium-Term National Development Plan.
The notice furthered that attention will be restricted to Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Professional Heads, Vote Controllers, and two Budget Committee Members from each MDA.
Following the hearings, Bilateral Budget Discussions for all MDAs are scheduled from 18th to 27th September 2025, at the Ministry of Finance conference rooms.
These discussions will run daily and will focus on finalizing revenue generation strategies and resource allocation priorities.
At the said hearing, MDAs are expected to present detailed strategic plans with achievable programmes aligned with the government’s priority areas and the National Development Plan.
They are also required to submit comprehensive analyses of ongoing projects, including actual costs, amounts disbursed to date, and outstanding balances.
The notice further emphasized that all Vote Controllers should submit 60 copies of their strategic plans and budget proposals to the Budget Bureau at the Ministry of Finance, while project analyses should be submitted to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development at least two days before their scheduled date adding that presentations must be delivered using Microsoft PowerPoint.
Representatives from development partners, non-governmental organisations, District Budget Oversight Committees (DBOCs), as well as governance and accountability civil society organisations are also invited to participate in the consultative sessions.
The Ministry of Finance assured that the 2026 budget preparation process will be consultative, transparent, and geared towards strengthening domestic revenue mobilization to support government’s “Big Five Game Changers.”