The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) through The Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA) regulates the fuel sector in the country. There is no local production of fuel and fuel is usually imported from either Abidjan, Cotonou or Europe. There are three authorized importers in the country:

• Total
• Petroleum SL 
• Randlyn Petroleum

Each of the three has its own storage arrangements: Randlyn Petroleum is renting the facilities of the old refinery and Petroleum SL Ltd is using the National Petroleum (NP) facilities of 800,00 mt at Kissy Port. NP has a storage capacity of 50,000 mt for its own use.  

The three importers sell the fuel to the five Oil Marketing companies which are:

• TOTAL SL Ltd
• National Petroleum Company (NP)
• Randlyn
• Leone Oil 
• Safecon

Those five resell the fuel to the different dealers who will sell it to the retailers and the public. 

The importation of the fuel is limited for the time being due to the limited capacity of the old Jetty at the Freetown port. There is a new jetty which will be operational by the end of 2015 that will improve the import facilities. The new jetty will be managed by the Petrol Jetty Company jointly with the SLGOV.  

TOTAL SL Ltd is the only company authorised to import JET A1 in the country.  

Information may also be found at: http://www.mytravelcost.com/petrol-prices/ which is updated monthly.

For more information, please see the following links:

4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List

4.7 Sierra Leone Fuel Provider Contact List

Fuel Pricing

The prices are verified every two weeks by the PRA based on the average price for two weeks of the World Market Price (PLATTS). The Petroleum pricing formula takes into account average price plus the excise duty, the road tax and the exchange rate to the dollar. When these figures rise by 5% there would be an increase in the pump price of fuel and when it falls below 5% there will be a decrease in the pump price of fuels. 

Seasonal Variations

There are no seasonal variations in the fuel supply in the country. 

Fuel Transportation

Fuel is transported in the country by sub-contracted transporters. The only constraint is the bad condition of the roads during the rainy season. The current capacity can meet the local needs as well as any increase in demand from the humanitarian community. 
 

Standards, Quality and Testing

Sierra Leone Standards Bureau is the bureau in charge of standards on fuel quality and enforcement of such standards. A national testing laboratory exists at the aforementioned bureau which certifies if the fuel is good to enter the country or not. If not, the importer will have to resell it outside the country. 

In general Sierra Leone has a limited commercial transport capacity and most of the transporters own a limited number of trucks. The transporters accept to deliver goods from Freetown to major towns in the country. Due to the poor road conditions and the reluctance of the commercial transporters to carry any deliveries from the warehouses to the final delivery points, WFP maintains its own fleet of trucks (DAF and Mercedes). In addition, some UN Agencies and NGOs have a very limited transport capacity.

Sierra Leone Indigenous Transport Owners Association (ITOA) is the main private transport service provider for Freetown and several urban and rural centres.

Transport services are mainly performed on a one-off contractual basis.  Agricultural commodities such as palm oil, cocoa, rice and coffee are the main transport products, as well as livestock.  Mining companies such as AML, LMP and Sierra Leone Rutile also use road transporters for outbound transport of minerals and for the inbound transport of containers. 

According to a World Bank study in 2011, the road freight costs in Sierra Leone are much higher than some major routes in sub-Saharan Africa both within the country and across borders. For example, it can vary from $0.09 USD per km up to $0.16 USD per km within the country to reach $0.21 USD per km across border. (Source: Sierra Leone Diagnostic Trade Integration Study Update 2013)

For more information concerning the transporters and their capacities, please see the following link: 4.8 Sierra Leone Transporter Contact List

Many of the important laws regulating the labour market in Sierra Leone date back to 1960, a year before independence from the United Kingdom. These include the Employers and Employed Ordinance and the Trade Unions Ordinance. The labour laws are currently being revised in Sierra Leone. It was estimated that the process will be concluded at the end of 2014. A new draft of the Employment Law already exists. 

The Sierra Leone Labour Congress (SLLC), which was founded in 1976, is the umbrella organisation of trade unions in Sierra Leone and has 27 affiliated unions/organisations. The SLLC’s membership is increasing significantly, which is especially an influx of paid members from the informal economy.

Agriculture is the largest sector employing about 67% of the workforce and contributing 53% to GDP. Trade, hotels and restaurants has the most women to men employed, but with a low contribution to GDP relative to the number of workers in the sector. Diamond and mineral mining are prominent industries in Sierra Leone. The Ebola epidemic has adversely impacted the tourism industry. This epidemic has accounted for about 98% of checkouts in all hotels nationwide due to the cancellation of flights from and to Sierra Leone. Most road building has been suspended affecting mostly youths on basic wages.

The minimum wage is 500,000 SLL per month for 8 working hours / 5 working days per week. 

The mobile sector has experienced strong growth in the past few years, largely reflecting the poor state of the fixed-line infrastructure, with competition between five GSM networks. Some consolidation has taken place, and in October 2014 Comium had its licence suspended following its continued inability to pay licence fees or creditors. The state-owned fixed-line incumbent Sierratel has entered the mobile market with a CDMA2000 1x network which it uses to provide fixed-wireless access and broadband internet services following an upgrade to the EV-DO standard. This development saw it become the country’s first 3G mobile network operator. Other 3G services based on HSPA technology were launched in 2011 and 2012.The regulator has in recent years responded to customer complaints of poor service by obliging mobile operators to improve services and network capabilities. In this area they are competing with a significant number of wireless broadband network operators that have emerged as providers of converged internet and VoIP telephony services. Sierra Leone depended entirely on satellites for international connections until February 2013 when it was connected to the ACE submarine cable. This has considerably improved bandwidth capabilities and is expected to bring down the price of broadband which has hitherto been extremely expensive.

There are procedures to register sim cards by filling up the appropriate application and presenting a valid ID or passport at the mobile phone provider. 

Telecommunications Regulations

The National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) aims to ensure a world-class telecommunications sector in Sierra Leone. NATCOM is the country’s independent telecommunications regulator, but it also plays a key role in spurring on information and communications technology (ICT) development.

Under the Telecommunications Act of 2007, there is an obligation to acquire a licence to operate any telecommunications network in Sierra Leone. The National Telecommunications Commission may, after consultation with the Minister, make exemptions to this requirement. At this point in time, no special exemption procedure is granted to international relief operators. The Commission allocates the frequencies required for the operation of any telecommunications network, and any applications to use them must be addressed to the Commission. In allocating the frequencies, the Commission takes availability and fairness into account, but emergency situations are not mentioned. A license is also required for the use of a radio transmitter. A special arrangement is available for diplomatic missions, but not for disaster response actors. Activities in breach of these regulations may lead to a fine or a prison sentence up to two years.

Agriculture is the primary occupation in Sierra Leone, employing two-thirds of the labor force and accounting for 50% of GDP. Most Sierra Leoneans live on small, scattered farms, following a scheme of bush-fallow rotation, slash-and-burn field preparation, and limited use of fertilizer. Agricultural exports in 2004 amounted to nearly $13.9 million and consisted of coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, piassava, kola nuts, and ginger. Rice, grown by 80% of farmers, is the most important subsistence crop and, along with millet in the northeast, is a food staple; 265,000 tons were produced in 2004, down from an annual average of 508,000 tons during 1989 to 1991. The Rice Research Institute, located in the Northern Province, breeds high-yielding varieties for seed. Other domestic food crops include cassava, yams, peanuts, corn, pineapples, coconuts, tomatoes, and pepper. Coffee is grown in the eastern and southern provinces; production totaled 18,000 tons in 2004. Cocoa is grown in the Kenema and Kailahun districts of the Eastern Province and in the Pujehun District of the Southern Province, mainly on smallholdings of about 0.4–1.2 hectares (1–3 acres). In 2004, an estimated 11,000 tons of cocoa beans were produced. Palm produce is derived from stands of wild palms, mainly in the northeast and southeast; production in 2004 included 24,375 tons of palm kernels and 39,000 tons of palm oil. Although there is substantial local consumption of palm kernels, they are a major agricultural export. Piassava, a raffia palm fiber used for broom and brush bristles, is grown in the swampy areas of the extreme south. Small amounts of kola nuts were also exported, and modest crops of bananas, pineapples, and sugarcane were grown.

The World Bank estimates that Sierra Leone will lose at least $1.4 billion in economic growth in 2015 as a result of the Ebola outbreak, leading to an "unprecedented" GDP contraction of 23.5 percent. The economic damage has been exacerbated by a sharp decline in global iron ore prices and the collapse of the mining sector amid an exodus of foreign investors. The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak resulted in a serious shock to the agriculture and food sectors in 2014. The epidemic started spreading when crops were being planted and expanded during the crop maintenance and the critical harvesting period for the staple crops rice, maize and cassava.

In Sierra Leone, the aggregate food crop production is estimated at about 2.09 million tons, about five percent lower than 2013. Milled rice production, accounting for about 85 percent of the cereal production, is estimated at 770,000 tons, about 8 percent below last year. However, the modest decline at the national level masks the significant harvest declines at sub-national levels of up to 17 percent.

Cereal import requirements in 2015 are estimated at 300,000 tons, slightly up from last year. Rice import requirements account for about 215,000 tons of the total. With commercial imports estimated at 285,000 tons the uncovered gap is estimated at about 55,000 tons for which additional resources and international assistance is required. The significant impact of Ebola on export earnings is expected to have compromised the country’s ability to import more.

Sierra Leone faces numerous challenges in its capacity to deliver goods and services. These challenges are found across all productive economic sectors and include human, financial, manufacturing, technological and infrastructural capacities. During and after the civil war, the country’s human resource base dwindled as a result of the migration of highly trained professionals and skilled workers to more lucrative markets, a situation quite glaring in the public sector. A weak national infrastructure (roads, transport, electricity, water and sanitation) also contributes to the limited production of goods and services for the domestic and export markets.

For  more information, please see the following link: 4.10 Sierra Leone Producers, Wholesalers, and Retailers List

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.