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

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. 

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

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

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

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.]

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.
 

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

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.

Port Overview

The Port of Freetown, the principal commercial port in Sierra Leone, is the most important entry gate for trade and commerce to the country. The Freetown Port (Queen Elizabeth II Quay) is located within the busy and congested eastern end of the city. It serves as the major logistics hub for Sierra Leone’s imports and exports. As an essential component of the country’s economic prosperity, this land is valuable in terms of its limited area and the need to maximize its efficiency.

Freetown Port has one of the finest natural harbours on the West African Coast, with a well-protected anchorage, a draft at berth of 7-10 meters, a length of quay of 1,067 meters consisting of 6 berths, and sizable and fenced land area allocated for the port.

The main port for International trade is located in the city of Freetown in Sierra Leone. Freetown has many small ports for boats (Queen Elizabeth II Quay, Cline Town Government Warf, Kissy Ferry Terminal, Kissy Oil Terminal and Tagrin Ferry Terminal), Oil Tankers, Fishing Vessels and Ferries. A concession agreement was entered into on 25 November 2010 between the Sierra Leone Port Authority, the Government, and the National Commission for Privatization, Bolloré Ports, and the Freetown Terminal Limited. This agreement was in relation to the concession of the Container Terminal (berth 3-6) which came into effect as of March 2011, to use, manage, operate and maintain berths 3-6 and all surrounding areas along with the fixed assets. In September 2015 Nectar Sierra Leone Bulk Terminal concluded agreements for berths 1 & 2.

Key port information can also be found at: 

Maritime-Database.com 

World Port Source

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

The key companies and their duties within the port include Sierra Leone Port Authority, considered as the landowner of the port. Freetown Terminal Ltd manages berths 3 to 6 which include the container yard, RoRo and break bulk cargoes. Nectar Sierra Leon Bulk Terminal manages berths 1 and 2 for bulk and break bulk cargoes. The transportation by road is provided by the Indigenous Transport Owners Association (ITOA). The security is provided by Protec for Freetown Terminal Ltd and Leone International Security for the Bulk Terminal. Holland Shipyards Sierra Leone Ltd. undertakes new building, repair and conversion of small and medium-sized vessels. Cargo tracking is done by TPMS (Transport and Port Management System), also in charge of tracking and the security of cargo and containers at the Port. Port Stevedore Labour Company and Leon Duck Labour company are also operating at the port.

To access the key port companies contact list, please click on the following link: 4.4 Sierra Leone Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Port Performance

Six vessels can be berthed and operated at the same time. The cargo Handling MTs includes container volume. The channel draft is 11 meters; the longest vessel size should not be more than 236 meters. The port is not congested. There is no established priority for humanitarian cargo. The average waiting time between arrival and berthing is 0.6 day per Freetown Terminal Ltd. 

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

There is no website containing the rates and tariffs. However, it is possible to find all the discharge rates and terminal handling charges in the following annexes:

Annex I: Sierra Leone Freetown Port Clearing Tariffs for Containers

Annex II: Sierra Leone Freetown Port Port Authority Tariffs

Annex III: Sierra Leone Freetown Port Transportation Tariffs for Containers

Annex IV: Sierra Leone Freetown Terminal Port Operation Charges

Berthing Specifications

For more information on the berths available at the Port of Freetown please check the following websites:

www.bollore-africa-logistics.com

www.nectargroup.co.uk

www.nsbt.world 

www.slnsc.org

General Cargo Handling Berths

From berths 1-2 is 400 meters length and berths 3 – 6 is 713 meters in length. The total length overall is 1,113 meters. Berths 1 – 3 is usually reserved for break bulk vessels and general cargoes, whiles berths 4 – 6 is considered for container vessels as that is the area where you will find the container stacking yards.

Port Handling Equipment

The Port handling equipment is managed privately by the two companies Freetown Terminal and Nectar.  

The equipment here below represents the equipment of Freetown Terminal only. 

Container Facilities

The 20-year concession includes plans to renovate and modernize the container terminal. Bolloré Africa Logistics, which now employs hundreds of people at the terminal, has started a wide range of developments, including refurbishment of the container wharf, introduction of secured, computerized management, delivery of appropriate modern handling equipment. Bolloré Africa Logistics plans to pursue its investment to ensure that its customers enjoy optimal service, while doubling the volumes handled within the next five years.

Customs Guidance

All containers should be scanned through the scanning machine available at the Customs in the port. The capacity of scanning is between 100 – 120 containers per day. This limits the number of containers that can be delivered from the Port. 

For more information on customs at the Port of Freetown, please see the following links:

Customs Import Procedure

1.3 Sierra Leone Customs Information

Terminal Information

Multipurpose Terminal

Freetown Terminal is considered as multipurpose terminal. 

Grain and Bulk Handling

Construction of the quay began in 1953 on what was once called Fourah Bay and was finally completed 7 years later in 1960 when it was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Berths 1, 1A and 2 are designated as bulk and breakbulk specific berths and in September 2015 Nectar Sierra Leone Bulk Terminal took over control of the terminal from the Sierra Leone Port Authority (the Port Landlord). The terminal has an assortment of storage sheds for through cargo enabling safe discharge of product 24 hours per day. Direct bagging from ship discharge is possible. Nectar Group Ltd has signed a 10-year license agreement with the Government of Sierra Leone to operate the Freetown Bulk terminal located at QEII Terminal, Freetown. The new venture is named 'Nectar Sierra Leone Bulk Terminal' or NSBT. Operations started at the beginning of October 2015.

Main Storage Terminal

Limited warehousing capacity in the Port which obliges the direct delivery for bulk cargoes. 

Stevedoring

Freetown Terminal Ltd provides the stevedoring for berths 3 to 6 while Nectar Bulk Terminal provides the services to the berths 1 and 2.

Hinterland Information

The Indigenous Transport Owners Association provide the trucks to transport materials at the Port. For deliveries inside the city of Freetown, the trucks can only leave the port after 8 PM. The cost of transportation can be found in the following annex:

Annex III: Sierra Leone Freetown Port Transportation Tariffs for Containers  

Port Security

Each concessionaire is responsible of the security of its concession. Freetown Terminal has subcontracted Protec Security to ensure security in its terminal while Nectar has subcontracted Leon International Security Company. CCTV have been installed in the Freeport. 

The Sierra Civil Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), established in 2008, is charged with the following functions among others:

• To licence and regulate Civil Aviation in accordance with the obligations of Sierra Leone under the applicable International agreements so as to meet the international and domestic demands for air transportation and air cargo services including oversight in the provision, operation and maintenance of aerodromes and related facilities for aviation and to advise government on the efficient development of the aviation industry;
• To promote and develop safety in aviation, including oversight in aircraft operation, air navigation facilities and services, air traffic control, meteorological services and facilities to combat hazards to air navigation;
• To licence and register aircraft and ensure safety of air navigation.
• To licence and regulate air transport;
• To coordinate search and rescue operations;
• To certify and regulate the operations of air travel agents, etc. 

The Sierra Leone Airport Authority manages Lungi International airport and all the other national airfields. Currently there is no national carrier and only UNHAS flies domestically in Sierra Leone.  A private chartered company called Versatile Air Services offers domestic flights for passengers and cargo.

Sierra Leone appears on the EU list of prohibited countries with regard to the certification of airlines, which means that no airline that is Sierra Leone registered can fly into the European Union.

For more information, please see the following links:

4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List

4.5 Sierra Leone Airport Company Contact List

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft

The following requirements need to be applied, presented and approved before preposition of foreign registered aircraft:

• Applications for permit/clearance for regular international scheduled flights and non-scheduled flights operated by foreign airlines into or in transit must be made to the Director of Civil Aviation and must be submitted at least 120 hours in advance of the intended landing. 
• For private flights, a flight plan is acceptable once transmitted two hours in advance of arrival. 

The application to the DCA must include:

• the name of operator
• type of aircraft
• registration marks
• certificate of airworthiness
• insurance
• information of passengers 
• freight requirements

Road transport is the most dominant mode of transport and represents about 85% of the entire transport system in Sierra Leone. 95% of the inland transport of passengers and goods is carried out on roads. Sierra Leone has a public road network of about 11,700 kilometres of which 8,700 km are functionally classified in the National Road System. The other 3,000 km consists of local roads and unclassified roads and tracks. The Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) manages the national roads. Ministry of Transport and Aviation (MoTA) provides the policy and regulatory framework for transport management in Sierra Leone. It is the overall body responsible for policy formulation in the area of road safety in the country. The Ministry has the mandate to draft and table amendments of traffic regulations to Parliament. The Ministry of Works, Housing and Infrastructure (MOWHI) oversees the policy guidance and execution of the Road, Housing and Infrastructure sectors in the country. It is in charge of the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation and overall maintenance of the road sector infrastructure. It took on the management of the feeder roads a few years ago. 
 

Approximately 11,000 km of public road network; Approx. 8,000 Km classified in National Road System (NRS); Approx. 3,000 Km local network and unclassified roads and tracks. 

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

Distance Matrix

To access the detailed Road Distance Matrix, please see the following annex: Annex VII: Sierra Leone Road Distance Matrix

To view access constraints in Sierra Leone, please see the following annex: Annex VIII: Sierra Leone National Road Condition

Road Security

The road safety situation in Sierra Leone is serious and has deteriorated over the past years, mainly due to the growing numbers of vehicles and ineffective implementation of the road safety interventions. There are currently no routine regular road safety audits in place on the entire road network and no compliance regimes. Local drivers do not follow general road safety rules.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

There aren’t any weighbridges and axle load limits in Sierra Leone even though it is requested by ECOWAS regulations. This lack of limits control affects the roads and their maintenance as most of the trucks are over loaded. 

The national railway system was closed down in 1975 after a recommendation from the UN special fund. Volumes were low and maintenance costs high. At its height the narrow gauge railway lines stretched from Freetown to Pendembu in the east and from Freetown to Makeni – a total of 458 km. There was also a private mine railway (from Lunsar to Pepel) and a Mountain Railway in Freetown. There are 84 kilometres of railway in Sierra Leone, all of which is private and of a narrow gauge, 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in). Sierra Leone no longer has any common carrier railroads, as the 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge Sierra Leone Government Railway from Freetown through Bo to Kenema and Daru, with a branch to Makeni, closed in 1974. The country does not share rail links with adjacent countries, Guinea and Liberia. The existing railway between the port of Pepel and the Marampa iron ore mine is being refurbished by African Minerals PLC. This is a common carrier railway, but will be used predominantly for transporting iron ore. African Minerals is also constructing a new standard gauge railway from the Tonkolili iron ore mine to a new port at Tagrin Point.

For more information, please see the following link: 4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List

Maritime transport services are managed by the Sierra Leone Port Authority, Sierra Leone Maritime Authority and Sierra Leone Maritime Administration. There is only a limited river transport system (270 km) during the rainy season.  Major ports of Sierra Leone include: Bonthe, Freetown and Pepel. Queen Elizabeth II Quay in Freetown represents the country's only deep water port facility capable of berthing large-hulled cargo or military vessels.

For more information, please see the following link: 4.1 Sierra Leone Government Contact List

Company Information

For more information, please see the following link: 4.4 Sierra Leone Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Storage facilities are limited in Sierra Leone. It is possible to find them in Freetown but it becomes more difficult to locate inside the country. During the Ebola Response, WFP established different warehousing facilities in the country with Port Loko as the main hub. These storage facilities were to be used by all the humanitarian actors in the frame of the Ebola Response. 

For more information, please see the following link: 4.6 Sierra Leone Storage and Milling Company Contact List

Commercial Storage

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified
[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat
[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Storage Used by Humanitarian Organizations

The major humanitarian organizations store their items in Freetown. The main preference is to run their own facilities. The largest organization storing items in the country is WFP. During the Ebola Crisis, WFP provided storage facilities to both the humanitarian organizations and the different government entities. The lack of adequate commercial and public storage facilities was surmounted by providing Mobile Storage Unit (Wiikhalls/Rub halls).  

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified
[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat
[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

 Public Sector Storage

[1] Warehouse Type: Open storage, container, rub-hall, silo, concrete, other, unspecified
[2] Warehouse Access: Raised-siding, flat
[3] Warehouse condition: Appears intact, appears damaged, under construction/repair

Cold Chain

The main option for cold chain lies with the Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI). EPI has sufficient cold chain storage capacity on a national level to store the vaccines and different medicines, but lacks normal adequate facilities to store medicine and other materials. For the moment they use containers as storage facilities. The main challenge in cold chain resides in the districts and peripheries due mostly to the lack of stable electricity supply. Ideally, EPI would plan to build 2 walk-in cold rooms in Bo to cover the southern region and in Makeni to cover the eastern region, but without any continuity plan and the shortage in electricity supplies, makes it impossible to launch such a needed project. More than 50% of the solar refrigerators disseminated in the country are not functioning.  

Sierra Leone Milling Assessment

Seaboard West Africa Limited (SWAL) is the only wheat flour milling operation in Sierra Leone. Was established in 1966 with initial shareholding of: 60% by Seaboard Inc. of Kansas USA, (later transferred to Seaboard Trading and Shipping Limited - STS), and 40% by GoSL (Government of Sierra Leone)

Milling Company - Sea Board West Africa Limited

This mill is located adjacent to the Port. The proximity to the Port provides the opportunity discharge their grains by means of conveyors thus reducing transport cost.

It produces flour for the entire country and also exports.

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.