The market in Sierra Leone is limited and small, therefore agencies and organizations prefer to import their needs and not rely on the availability of the market. 

For more information, please see the following link: 4.9 Sierra Leone Additional Service Provision Contact List

Accommodation

There is a limited number of accommodation providers in Sierra Leone and it is always recommended to take into consideration if the accommodation respects the minimum security requirements. 

Financial Service Providers

There are national and international banks available in Sierra Leone even though the number is limited. Sierra Leone Association of Commercial Banks (SLACB) is comprised of all thirteen registered commercial banks in the country which include  Sierra Leone Commercial Bank, Union Trust Bank, Zenith Bank (SL), Keystone Bank (SL), Skye Bank (SL), Rokel Commercial Bank, International Commercial Bank (SL),  United Bank for Africa (SL), Access Bank (SL), First International Bank (SL), Guaranty Trust Bank (SL), Standard Chartered Bank (SL) and EcoBank (SL). Money transfer agents like Western Union and Money Gram are operating in the country in addition to national private money transfer offices. Accountancy offices are available too. 

Standard Chartered Bank

In Sierra Leone, Standard Chartered Bank is an international bank ranked among the top three banks in the country.

Freight Forwarding Agents

There is a limited number of Freight Forwarding agents offering services of customs clearance. The agents mostly operate in Freetown. 

Handling Equipment Rentals

There is limited number of providers for Handling equipment rentals in Freetown. Mantrac is the Caterpillar agent in the country offering a variety of handling equipment for rent or sale. 

Postal and Courier Services

SALPOST (Sierra Leone Postal Services Limited) is the national post office of Sierra Leone. It has offices in the major cities and towns in the country offering basic services. The country is divided into three zones:

• Zone 1: PARCELS POST, GPO, FREETOWN and Rest of Western area
• Zone 2: BO, KENEMA, MAKENI, KOIDU TOWN 
• Zone 3: Blama, Lungi, Lunsar, Kabala, Kambia, Kailahun, Magburaka, PortLoko, Pujehun and Rest of the District Offices. 

In addition to the national post office there are several private international express couriers operating in the country, including DHL, TNT, UPS and EMI, which offer reliable courier services.

The Postal Services Regulatory Agency Act, 2012 established the Postal Services Regulatory Agency as a body corporate, to license and regulate the operation of postal services throughout Sierra Leone, to establish a Postal Services Regulatory Agency Board and to provide for other related matters.

More information could be found in the following annex: Annex IX: Sierra Leone Postal Services

Publishing/Printing Service Providers

Publishing and printing services are available in Freetown. 

Taxi Companies

Taxis are available in Freetown, however it is advised not to use taxis due to safety and security issues. There aren’t any national company offering this service. The vehicles are in bad condition and not well maintained therefore not a reliable and safe mean of transport. 

Vehicle Rental

There are vehicle rental companies in the country especially in Freetown. 

Electricity and Power 

The National Power Authority (NPA) and Bo-Kenema Power Services (BKPS), which fall under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy and Power, are the only distributors of electricity in the country. One of the ministry’s main development objectives is the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project for the provision of an environmentally sustainable and efficient power source. As is the case with many infrastructure related projects in Sierra Leone, the project is open to private sector involvement and forms part of a sustainable reform through privatization strategy. Power supply in the country can be sporadic. Most of the electricity supply is restricted to the main cities: Freetown, Kenema, Bo and Makeni. The Kingtom Power Station (KPS) has been the primary generating station in the Western Area for many years and functions on diesel. The electricity sector in Sierra Leone is severely challenged across generation, transmission and distribution. It is estimated that less than 10% of the population has access to electricity. Generation capacity is insufficient and transmission and distribution networks are largely inadequate and aging. The bulk of electricity consumption takes place in Freetown, the capital city.  The Western area, where Freetown is located, is supplied by the National Power Authority (NPA) and Bumbuna Hydro Power. Bo and Kenema, two other major cities in the southeast of Sierra Leone, are served by the Bo-Kenema Power Services (BKPS). The generation park of BKPS consists of a thermal power plant with an installed capacity of 5 MW located in the city of Bo and a hydro power station with 6 MW situated in the area of Dodo. Originally, there were provincial systems consisted of 12 isolated systems located in headquarter towns. But, most of these systems were destroyed during the war, with the exception of the Bo-Kenema Power Station (BKPS).  Frequent blackouts are experienced in the Freetown peninsula and other serviced areas. In some areas, electricity supply is available to customers only for a few hours every week. There has not been any expansion of the electricity networks to other regions in the country for the past years. Most areas in the interior of the country are wholly or largely without access to electricity.  

[1] Hydroelectric power, Thermal power…

Waste Management and Disposal Providers

Waste management: The nation's cities produce about 0.3 million metric tons of solid waste per year. In 2010, the total daily waste generated in Freetown was estimated at about 800 metric tons. The capital suffers from increasing waste and very little – and deteriorating – management. Rapid urbanisation in the last decade has exacerbated the situation (local media, 21/06/2012). There is an urgent need to deal with the solid waste accumulating in streets and drains, and to ensure the proper disposal of faecal sludge. Low-lying slums are particularly vulnerable to flooding due to poor drainage, with contaminated water contributing to the spread of waterborne diseases, including cholera (Overseas Development Institute, 01/2014). The City Councils are in charge of waste management. Freetown Waste Management Company (FWMC) was managing the wastes in Freetown which are disposed of at the city’s two landfills, Kingtom and Granville Brooke, located at the western and eastern ends of the city, which are essentially open dumps. Currently, Masada International Sierra Leone is a waste collection company and it was handed the collection of waste in the country on 1st week of October 2012 to handle all liquid and solid waste collection activities in Sierra Leone for the purpose of converting waste energy to ethanol products. Klin Salone is another waste collector in Freetown.