Government Owes Freetown City Council Le8.7bn in Rates, Rent and School Bus Costs
The Freetown City Council (FCC) says the Government of Sierra Leone owes the Council about Le8.7 billion in old Leones in unpaid property rates, rent and expenses incurred for the operation of government-supported school buses.
Speaking during an interview on Truth Media, Freetown City Council Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr said the Government has failed to pay property rates for the past two years, amounting to approximately Le3.8 billion.
She added that the Government also owes about Le2.9 billion in rent for one floor of the Council’s building occupied by the Ministry of Finance’s stores unit, PICRAFT, with payments outstanding since 2024.
According to Mayor Aki-Sawyerr, the Council further spent about Le2 billion on fuel, maintenance and drivers for school buses during the 2024/2025 school year, despite the buses being a flagship government initiative.
She argued that while the Government is proposing an increase in the number of local councils, existing councils should first be adequately financed to carry out their responsibilities.
The Mayor also claimed that throughout 2025, the Government did not disburse funds to the 22 existing local councils, raising concerns about the financial sustainability of local governance.
The Council’s claims highlight ongoing concerns over the financing of local councils and the extent to which unpaid government obligations are affecting their ability to deliver services.
