The Minister of Finance, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura, has called on the senior management team of the Ministry to show strong leadership in carrying out economic and financial management policies in 2026. The remarks were made during a Senior Management Retreat held from January 14th to 17th, 2026, at the Fabulous Resort in York village.
Minister Bangura began by expressing appreciation for the Ministry’s staff for ending 2025 positively, contrasting it with challenges faced in 2024 related to their programme with the International Monetary Fund. “We decided in 2025 that we will not repeat and became very sharp and focused in ensuring that we sustain, maintain and deliver the programme,” he said.
He further noted that the Ministry had a robust performance in 2025 by meeting commitments with partners, which he attributed to staff commitment and professionalism despite difficult circumstances. He stressed that all departments should work proactively toward achieving targets for 2026, especially now that key macroeconomic indicators have been met.
Outlining his vision for the coming year, Minister Bangura highlighted areas such as revenue and tax policy reforms, climate finance initiatives, expenditure management, budget execution, and exploring new ways to fund government services.
Matthew Dingie pointed out that mobilizing resources is a core responsibility of the Ministry to support government programmes and projects. He explained this was why they chose the retreat’s theme: “Repositioning the Ministry of Finance to Enhance Domestic Revenue Mobilisation for Sustainable Economic Stability and Service Delivery.”
Directors were encouraged to develop policies for 2026 that would support broader government priorities under its Big Five agenda.
Deputy Minister of Finance I, Kadiatu Allie, described the retreat as an opportunity for reflection on achievements and challenges. She said it should also help strengthen leadership around accountability and transparency while reviewing progress on budget credibility processes, debt management, revenue mobilisation efforts, financial reforms, expenditure management practices, and increasing social spending on education, health care, agriculture and local councils.