1 Sierra Leone Country Profile

Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north, Liberia to the south-east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south-west. Sierra Leone has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests. Sierra Leone has a total area of 71,740 km² and an estimated population of 6 million (2011 United Nations estimate). Freetown is the capital, largest city, and the economic and political centre. Bo is the second largest city. The other major cities in the country with a population above 100,000 are Kenema, Makeni and Koidu Town. Sierra Leone is divided into four geographical regions: the Northern Province, Eastern Province, Southern Province and the Western Area, which are further divided into fourteen districts.

Generic country information can be located from sources which are regularly maintained and reflect current facts and figures. For a generic country overview, please consult the following sources:

Generic Information:

Wikipedia Information on Sierra Leone

IMF Information on Sierra Leone

Economist Intelligence Unit

(*note - this is a paid service)

Facts and Figures:

Wolfram Alpha on Sierra Leone

World Bank on Sierra Leone

Population Information on Sierra Leone

Humanitarian Organisation Information:

Website of the WFP on Sierra Leone

O ffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Website of UNDP on Sierra Leone

1.1 Sierra Leone Humanitarian Background

Calamities and Seasonal Affects
Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response
- Government
- Humanitarian Community

Disasters, Conflicts and Migration
Natural Disasters	Yes / No	Comments / Details
Drought	Yes	Sierra Leone’s dependence on slash-and-burn practices coupled with rising population density and lack of available land, make traditional methods of agriculture unsustainable in the long term, as within this system, land needs to lie fallow for some seven years.
Earthquakes	Yes	15 years ago 4.4 magnitude, 10 km depth Koindu, Eastern Province, Sierra Leone
Epidemics	Yes	Ebola outbreak in 2014/15, Measles, Malaria, Yellow fever, Cholera, Lassa fever, Dengue fever, Typhoid fever
Extreme Temperatures	No	-
Flooding	Yes	During the rainy season
Insect Infestation	Yes	Rice stem borers
Mudslides	Yes	During the rainy season
Volcanic Eruptions	No	-
High Waves / Surges	Yes	With 402 km of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, high waves should always be taken into consideration as a potential risk.
Wildfires	Yes	Wild or bush fires are one of the biggest causes of forest destruction and land degradation in the country.
High Winds	Yes	Sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February).
Man-Made Issues
Civil Strife	Yes	From 1991 to 2002
International Conflict	Yes	With Liberia and Sierra Leone during the civil strife
Internally Displaced Persons	No	At the present, there are no IDPs in the country.
Refugees Present	Yes	Approximately 690 Liberian refugees
Landmines / UXO Present	N/A	-

For more a detailed database on disasters in Sierra Leone, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters Database.

Calamities and Seasonal Affects

Seasonal Affects on Transport
Transport	Comments	From (month) to (month)
Primary Road Transport	Yes, some potholes might appear during the rainy season since most of the primary road is not paved.	May to October
Secondary Road Transport	Yes greatly affected during the rainy season since none is paved	May to October
Rail Transport	N/A	-
Air Transport	Heavy rain during the rainy season and the Harmattan wind during the dry season might affect or disturb the air transport	May to October / January to March
Waterway Transport	Limited during the dry season as the water level decreases.	November to May

There are two seasons in the year; the Rainy season from May to October and the Dry Season from November to April. The rainy season has impact on road conditions, especially the secondary and feeders which are dirt roads and could become impracticable due to the heavy rain and the traffic of heavy trucks.

Seasonal Affects on Storage and Handling (economic, social, climate…)
Activity	Comments	From <month> to <month>
Storage	No	-
Handling	Yes	May to October

The heavy rain during the rainy season could delay the handling of cargoes. In the country, there is a lack of adequate storage facilities. Combined with the inaccessibility of some areas due to the bad roads it is recommended to pre-stock before the rainy season.

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The Office of National Security (ONS) is the government entity entitled to manage disasters by its National Disaster Department. In addition to an opaque mandate, this entity lacks resources and capacity. During the Ebola outbreak, which was considered a health crisis, the president established a new entity called the National Ebola Response Centre headed by the Minister of Defense (CEO) and seconded by the ex-Minister of Social Welfare. The NERC is supposed to operate until the end of 2015 before handing over its operations to the MoH and ONS. The military assets could be used in a potential emergency situation.

To access the Government Contact List, please click on the following link: 4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community

The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) in Sierra Leone consists of all the 17 UN agencies, funds and programmes in Sierra Leone. The UNCT works “as one” to support Sierra Leone in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sierra Leone’s own national development agenda, or “Agenda for Prosperity” through a people-centred, rights-based approach to development as outlined in the Joint Vision of the UN Family for Sierra Leone – 2009-2012 and the Transitional Joint Vision – 2013-2014. The UNCT is currently led by UN Resident Coordinator interim and FAO Resident Representative for the Republic of Sierra Leone.

To access the Humanitarian Contacts Contact List, please click on the following link: 4.2 Sierra Leone Humanitarian Agency Contact List

1.2 Sierra Leone National Regulatory Departments

The National Revenue Agency (NRA) is charged with the responsibility of assessing and collecting domestic taxes, customs duties and other revenues specified by law, as well as administering and enforcing laws relating to these revenues. Sierra Leone is a member of the International Organization for Standardization. The Ministry of Trade and Industry supervises the Sierra Leone Standards Bureau (SLSB) and seeks to ensure an increased compliance with international standards. The National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) was established by an Act of Parliament in 2006 to regulate the Sierra Leone telecoms sector, protect consumer interests and ensure fair competition among service providers. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 2008 through the Environmental Protection Agency Act (2008) with the goal of creating and enforcing a strict regulatory framework for environmental regulation in Sierra Leone and became operational in 2009. The Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone was established through an Act of Parliament in 1988, and reviewed in 2001, to regulate Pharmaceutical Products, Medical Devices, Cosmetic Chemical substances, food and dietary supplement and herbal products, the practice of Pharmacy and any other matters related thereof. Ministry of Transport and Aviation (MoTA) provides the policy and regulatory framework for transport management in Sierra Leone. The SPECIALIST INSPECTION SERVICES (SL) LTD carries out the Pre-Shipment Inspection of exports from Sierra Leone.

For contact information, please see the following links:

4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List

4.3 Sierra Leone Laboratory and Quality Testing Company Contact List

1.3 Sierra Leone Customs Information

Duties and Tax Exemption
Customs Clearance

Duties and Tax Exemption

For contact information regarding government custom authorities, please follow the link: 4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List

Emergency Response

[Note: This section contains information which is related and applicable to ‘crisis’ times. These instruments can be applied when an emergency is officially declared by the Government. When this occurs, there is usually a streamlined process to import goods duty and tax free.]

Agreements / Conventions Description	Ratified by Country?
WCO (World Customs Organization) member	Yes, 06 November 1975
Annex J-5 Revised Kyoto Convention	Yes, 10 November 2006
OCHA Model Agreement	No
Tampere Convention (on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations)	No
Regional Agreements (on emergency/disaster response, but also customs unions, regional integration)	African Union (AU), ECOWAS, Mano River Agreement

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response)

The Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) aid policy lays down a number of procedures for receipt of external aid in general, and technical assistance in particular.

Ministries are expected to develop proposals for external assistance and have these formally signed off by the ‘Donor Harmonisation and Aid Coordination Committee’ prior to agreeing a package of assistance. NGOs offering assistance in Sierra Leone must acquire NGO status. Firstly, the NGO must be registered with the Sierra Leone Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (SLANGO). After that registration, the NGO should further register with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED). Sierra Leone has no expedited inspection and documentation procedures in place to facilitate the rapid entry of goods and equipment intended for international disaster response operations. All goods imported into Sierra Leone are subjected to pre-shipment or destination inspections, which are, in turn, subject to a fee. Duty free concessions and waivers are accorded for the importation of relief items. The National Revenue Authority (NRA) is responsible for the administration of duty waivers while the Minister of Finance is responsible for policy guidelines in respect of waivers. There are a number of requirements to be fulfilled by those eligible for duty waivers. The first is that, at the start of each financial year, entities eligible for duty waivers must prepare and submit to the NRA an exhaustive list of goods for which they will be applying for duty waivers. Should there be any ambiguity in the request, an applicant may be required to pay duty up-front but refunded if the applicant can prove satisfactorily that they are entitled to a waiver. Also, entities entitled to waivers would pay a non-refundable fee of 500,000 Leones per consignment to the NRA as administrative costs for processing duty waiver applications. The NGO Policy states that all assets purchased or acquired with donor funds should be the property of the people of Sierra Leone who are the beneficiaries – rather than of the NGO itself.

Organizational Requirements to obtain Duty Free Status
United Nations Agencies
As per the agreement signed with the government of Sierra Leone, UN Agencies are exempted from all Import/Export taxes, including the GST. However, a waiver should be obtained from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance.
Non Governmental Organizations
The Government of Sierra Leone may provide relevant financial and institutional support to NGOs, in the form of duty waivers, tax allowances and other facilities to enable them develop, reinforce and sustain their organisational capacity for more effective delivery of service. The GOSL has mandated the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED) to approve all duty waivers. In the case of NGOs, the Ministry scrutinises NGO applications for duty waivers and recommends approval to the Minister of Finance. Duty waiver applications (including permit clearance) from NGOs will only be granted by the Ministry of Finance & Economic Development after recommendation by the Director General.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

Duties and Taxes Exemption Application Procedure
Generalities (include a list of necessary documentation)
The process of applying for duty free waiver concession in Sierra Leone is a very long one which incorporates as follows: The Country Office applies for duty free waiver concession on every consignment whether Food or Non-Food Items imported into the country or to be exported out of the country. A letter, signed by the Country Director and / or Resident Representative or by the Deputy Country Director, attaching the Customs Entries which is prepared by our Clearing and Forwarding Agent together with a copy of the Bill of Lading or the Air Waybill and any other relevant documents. The application letter together with the relevant documents are forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs first where it takes a minimum of 5 working days before it is accepted for approval for duty free waiver concession which should be signed only by the Minister of Foreign Affairs himself. The MoFA forwards the application to the Ministry of Finance for approval. The Ministry of Finance cross checks and confirms the customs duty assessed on the customs entry forms which is to be waived by the Government. At the Ministry of Finance, It usually takes an average of 5 days as well, the deputy can approve. From the Ministry of Finance, it is sent to the National Revenue Authority to budget the assessed customs duty which has been approved for duty free waiver concession. It is later sent to customs to verify the entry. This normally takes 4 days. From the Customs and Excise Department, after verifying the customs entry, it is again sent to the NRA. This usually takes 2 days. As soon as it is sent to the NRA, the Commissioner General then approves for customs examination, verification and release. This process usually takes 2 days after which the duty free waiver application is completed and approved. From there the C&F Agent then pays the required Administrative Fees for Each consignment / Bill of Lading which amount to 750,000 Leone per B/L or AWB and 30,000 Leone for the processing in the Asycuda system. When the duty free waiver application has been approved, customs then examines the goods whether Food or Non-Food Items, loosed or groupage, bagged or containerised, going through the scanning process, examining the containers / cargoes / consignments, and then sends the examination report to the Commissioner of Customs and Excise to verify and release the cargo / consignments for onward delivery. Only containers are scanned.
Process to be followed (step by step or flowchart)
n/a

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Duties and Taxes Exemption Certificate Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicles & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecoms Equipment
Invoice	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Packing Lists	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs
Other Documents	Certificate of origin, certificate of radiation, phytosanitary, certificate of declaration of diplomatic mission. 1 original copy, applies to UN and NGOs	n/a	Import Certificate from Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone	n/a	n/a	n/a

Customs Clearance

General Information

Customs Information
Document Requirements	An Import Declaration Application Form [IDF] has to be completed by the importer for every shipment to Sierra Leone and only one inspection will be performed per IDF.
Embargoes	None
Prohibited Items	Right hand vehicles, Antiques, Asbestos, Dangerous goods, haz. or comb. Mats, Furs, Gambling devices, Ivory, Narcotics, Pornography, Precious metals & stones
General Restrictions	Arms and ammunition (authorization from the Ministry of Interior, Intelligence Section, is required), Plants (authorization from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is required), Pharmaceuticals (authorization from the Ministry of Health is required), Pets of good health certificate and valid vaccination certificates can obtain permit. Currency: Residents: of up to 50,000 of local currency and of up to $5,000 worth of foreign currency Non-residents: of up to 50,000 of local currency and unlimited amount on foreign currency that needs to be declared upon arrival.

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

Customs Clearance Document Requirements (by commodity)
	Food	NFI (Shelter, WASH, Education)	Medicines	Vehicles & Spare Parts	Staff & Office Supplies	Telecoms Equipment
D&T Exemption Certificate	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs
Invoice	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs
AWB/BL/Other Transport Documents	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs
Donation/Non-Commercial Certificates	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	n/a	n/a	n/a	n/a
Packing Lists	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs
Phytosanitary Certificate	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	n/a	Yes, Original, 1 copy, applies to UN and not NGOs	n/a	n/a	n/a
Other Documents	Certificate of Origin, certificate of radiation, certificate of declaration of diplomatic mission, 1 copy each, applies to UN and NGOs	n/a	Import certificate from Pharmacy Board of Sierra Leone	n/a	n/a	n/a

Transit Regime

The customs procedure depends on the instruction written on the Bill of Lading or the AirWay Bill. If the mention ‘in Transit’ is written on the B/L or the AWB then the transit procedures are followed. The clearing agent will establish the necessary document and the customs will provide the escort up to the exit point from the country.

Transit from Sierra Leone is guided by the ECOWAS supplementary convention A/SP.1/5/90 establishing a community guarantee mechanism for inter-stat road transit of goods.