Sierra Leone MOF Posts Guide to 2023 Citizens’ Budget With Provisions Due to War, Coronavirus

The Sierra Leonean Ministry of Finance Dec. 30, 2022, posted online a guide to the draft Citizens’ Budget for fiscal year 2023, with measures included due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and coronavirus pandemic. The draft budget includes measures to: 1) broaden the GST base, in light of its current 60 percent level of exemption and exemptions for digital services and insurance; 2) strengthen tax compliance; 3) limit government contracts in the extractive sector to terms within the general tax law; 4) allow the conversion of ad valorem excise taxes on goods such as alcohol, tobacco, vehicles, sugar-sweetened beverages, and ...