Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Despite Sierra Leoneans paying some of the highest fees in West Africa for travel documents, the government is receiving little to no revenue from the country’s e-passport system, according to a new investigation by the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR).
In its January 2026 report, Politics and Revenue Failures in Sierra Leone, the IGR found that the e-passport scheme generates between $7 million and $9 million annually, yet there is “no evidence” that royalty payments from the private service provider are reaching the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The findings highlight a sharp imbalance between the financial burden placed on citizens and the benefits accruing to the state. Sierra Leoneans currently pay between $100 and $180 for an e-passport—fees the IGR says rank among the highest in the sub-region.
With an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 passports printed and sold each year, the system represents a major revenue stream. However, the report concludes that the proceeds appear to be captured almost entirely by the private company managing the service.
“Despite these significant annual earnings, we found no evidence of royalty payments from the service provider to the Government of Sierra Leone,” the report states.
Beyond revenue concerns, the investigation raises serious questions about procurement governance. The IGR reports that the e-passport contract has been renewed at least three times without a competitive bidding process.
“The contract has been renewed without rebidding or fresh value-for-money assessments,” the report noted, warning that such practices undermine transparency and may violate procurement regulations.
IGR Executive Director Andrew Lavalie described the arrangement as part of a broader pattern of what he termed “extractive contracting,” in which business elites retain control over lucrative public revenue streams regardless of which political party is in power.
According to the report, the irregularities span both the former All People’s Congress (APC) administration and the current Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) government.
The IGR is calling on the government to publish all income flows associated with the passport deal and has urged the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA) to intervene.
Among its key recommendations, the report proposes a cross-party consensus to renegotiate the contract, ensuring that state revenues are safeguarded and that the high cost of obtaining a passport delivers measurable returns to the public purse.
