By Day Break
In a development that raises serious concerns about inter-agency coordination and the rule of law in Sierra Leone, the Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), under the purview of the Ministry of Energy, has been accused of consistently suffocating the NRA’s mandate. The issue centers around EDSA’s apparent disregard for revenue protocols and regulatory frameworks that are essential to national development and fiscal discipline.
The NRA, as Sierra Leone’s central tax collection agency, is tasked with ensuring that all government entities, State-Owned Enterprises, and private businesses operate within the ambit of the country’s tax laws and contribute appropriately to the national treasury. However, recent actions and patterns of behavior by EDSA and officials within the Ministry of Energy suggest a troubling trend of non-compliance and institutional overreach.
According to credible sources within government circles, EDSA has on multiple occasions failed to remit statutory taxes and charges due to the NRA, and in some cases, has proceeded with major contracts and procurements without the requisite tax clearances or consultations with the Revenue Authority. These actions not only violate Sierra Leone’s Public Financial Management Act but also compromise efforts to ensure transparency and accountability in public finance.
Even more concerning is the reported interference by senior officials at the Ministry of Energy, who are accused of shielding EDSA from scrutiny and resisting attempts by the NRA to enforce tax laws. This has created a climate of impunity and fostered tensions between institutions that are supposed to collaborate in the national interest.
“How can we expect ordinary citizens to pay their taxes when major state actors are setting such a bad precedent?” asked a senior official familiar with the matter. “It sends the wrong signal and damages public trust in the system.”
Observers argue that this conflict highlights deeper governance challenges within Sierra Leone’s public sector, where turf wars and lack of coordination between Ministries, Departments and Agencies often result in duplication, waste, and inefficiency. For a country working hard to attract investment, expand its fiscal space, and strengthen domestic revenue mobilization, such institutional sabotage is both damaging and unsustainable.
Analysts are calling on President Julius Maada Bio to take decisively action to restore order and ensure that all government institutions – regardless of their portfolio or influence – are subject to the same rules. They also urge the Ministry of Finance and the Anti-Corruption Commission to look into the matter and ensure that EDSA’s financial and operational practices are audited in line with national standards.
Sierra Leone cannot afford a power sector that operates above the law, especially when the country faces enormous challenges in accessing energy, service reliability, and revenue generation. Institutional harmony and respect for legal mandates are crucial if the nation is to make meaningful progress.
In the end, the message must be clear: no institution is bigger than the law, and no ministry should undermine the authority of another – especially one that is central to the country’s financial survival as the NRA.
