PARLIAMENT PASSES 2007 BUDGET

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 FREETOWN 000971 SIPDIS SIPDIS TREASURY FOR ASEVERENS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL SL SUBJECT: PARLIAMENT PASSES 2007 BUDGET REF: REF A FREETOWN 840 REF B FREETOWN 758 -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. On November 22, Parliament passed the 2007 budget after a series of debates. The government says that it will increase capital expenditures to rebuild capacity to deliver basic services and support private sector development. Government officials estimate economic growth at 7.5 percent for 2006 and credit part of continued growth to the resumption of bauxite and rutile mining operations. Inflation figures declined from 13.1 in 2005 to 6.3 percent at the end of September 2006 and the exchange rate remained stable. External debt stood at USD 1.72 billion at the end of June ¶2006. Total exports increased and domestic collections improved slightly. Budget projections for 2007 estimate that economic growth will slightly decrease to 6.5 percent. GoSL officials have become increasingly critical of international donors, support of NGOs that the Government views as monopolizing resources. Despite positive economic growth, significant challenges remain, particularly in the public utilities sectors (water and electricity),road infrastructure, and a poor investment climate, that could greatly impede progress. Improving public-expenditure and fiscal discipline are critical if Sierra Leone is to sustain growth and rebuild its broken infrastructure. END SUMMARY. -------------- CONTINUED GROWTH IN 2006 & 2007 EXPECTED -------------- ¶2. On November 22, Parliament approved the 2007 budget. Minister of Finance John Benjamin referred to the 2007 budget as a "development budget" and lauded Parliament members for expeditiously passing the budget . Benjamin had introduced the budget on October 27 in the annual budget speech to Parliament. Benjamin estimated that economic growth will be 7.5 percent at the end of 2006, but will decline slightly to 6.5 percent for 2007. He said that while there is a continuing need for rehabilitation and recovery, the government must begin to focus more on developing capacity to deliver basic services by shifting from recurrent to development expenditures. -------------- POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY AND INFLATION -------------- ¶3. Benjamin said that the government continued making progress towards its poverty reduction goals and expected to reach its HIPC completion point this year. He credited sound monetary policy for the reduction in inflation from 13.1 percent in December 2005 to 6.3 percent at the end of September 2006. He estimated that inflation would be 8.5 percent at the end of the year and would average 11 percent for 2007. He said that a decline in both food and non food consumer prices had helped reduce inflation during the year. -------------- EXPORTS REBOUND WITH RESUMPTION OF MINING -------------- ¶4. Benjamin reported that exports revenues increased slightly. He credited the small increase to the resumption of rutile and bauxite mining operations. Total exports at the end of July 2006 were USD 136.1 million, USD 99.4 million of which were mineral exports. Diamond exports accounted for USD 77 million, rutile was USD 3.6 million, followed by bauxite at USD 2.9 million. Imports remained high totaling USD 238.3 million at the end of July 2006, due mainly to high fuel prices. The exchange rate remained steady hovering around Le 3000 per USD at the end of August 2006. -------------- EXTERNAL DEBT AND DOMESTIC COLLECTION -------------- ¶5. Benjamin reported that the Government had an outstanding external debt of USD 1.72 billion at the end of June 2006, comprised mainly of debt owed to multilateral creditors, which accounts for 61 percent of the total stock of external debt. The World Bank, IMF, and African Development Bank own 32, 12, and 11 percent of that debt respectively. Benjamin reported that improved collections of customs and excise duties are expected to help increase total domestic revenues in 2006 to nearly USD 185 million or 12.7 percent of GDP. Revenues from customs and excise duties for 2006 are estimated at 7.1 percent of GDP or USD 102.3 million. He estimated that income tax revenues collected for 2006 and FREETOWN 00000971 002 OF 004 2007 would only contribute 3.6 and 3.9 percent of GDP or roughly USD 50.1 million and USD 60 million. -------------- FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶6. Benjamin estimated that Sierra Leone is projected to receive nearly USD 126 million in assistance or 8.8 percent of GDP for 2006. USD 16.3 million will come from interim HIPC debt relief and USD 63.4 million in assistance from key budget support donors. Government estimates for 2007 put assistance at USD 168 million or 10 percent of GDP. -------------- TOTAL EXPENDITURES AND BORROWING -------------- ¶7. Total expenditure and net borrowing for 2006 are estimated at 21 percent of GDP or USD 300 million. Benjamin said that recurrent expenditures will be 15.9 percent of GDP or USD 227 million, of which wages and salaries are expected to be 6.2 percent of GDP or USD 89.3 million. Benjamin said that the Government will allocate USD 65.7 million for goods and services, USD 11.4 million for transfer to local councils, and USD 9.3 million for grants to educational institutions for 2006. Total interest payments on external and domestic debt are projected at 2.6 percent of GDP or USD 37.4 million. Benjamin said that total development expenditure in 2006 is estimated at 5.1 percent of GDP or nearly USD 73 million, of which 81.5 percent are foreign grants and loans. ¶8. The overall budget deficit, excluding grants, is estimated at 8.3 percent of GDP or USD 118.6 million for 2006 compared to 11.7 percent of GDP or USD 137.4 million in 2005. Benjamin added that the deficit is expected to be largely financed from foreign sources. In 2007, the deficit (excluding grants) is expected to increase to 10.9 percent of GDP or USD 182.5 million. -------------- 2007 OUTLOOK -------------- ¶9. Benjamin expressed optimism for continued economic growth based on expanding mining, agriculture, manufacturing, construction and service sectors. Benjamin projected that economic growth is expected to decrease slightly to 6.5 percent in 2007. He also said that the annual average inflation rate will hover around 11 percent while the end of the year inflation rate will be 8.5 percent. -------------- PRIVATIZATION -------------- ¶10. According to Benjamin, the Government will move forward with privatization plans for a number of state-owned organizations including the Rokel Commercial Bank, the Produce Marketing Board, Mining and General Services, the Shipping Company, the Road Transport Corporation, the Telecommunications Company, Postal Services, and the Housing Corporation. Benjamin said that the National Commission for Privatization will continue to evaluate other under-performing state-run entities for possible privatization. -------------- SHIFT FROM RECURRENT TO CAPITAL EXPENDITURES -------------- ¶11. Benjamin said that the GoSL must focus more attention on rebuilding its capacity to deliver basic services in the face of increasing societal frustration. He outlined plans to increase total expenditures and net borrowing in 2007 and said that those figures will increase to 24.3 percent of GDP or USD 407 million, up from 21 percent of GDP or USD 300 million in 2006. Benjamin said that this increase will be mostly reflected in an increase of capital expenditures from 5.1 percent of GDP in 2006 to 8.9 percent of GDP in 2007. He said that wages and salaries and non-wage, non-interest current expenditures will remain at their current ratios of GDP, and that in the wage bill, there will be an increase to cover the cost of a 10 percent cost of living adjustment to wages and salaries, a five percent salary increase, and the cost of recruiting 2000 teachers and 374 police officers. -------------- - LOCAL COUNCILS TO SHOULDER MORE RESPONSIBILITY -------------- - FREETOWN 00000971 003 OF 004 ¶12. The GoSL continues to move forward with decentralization plans. The government has pledged to build local councils' capacity to mobilize local resources and deliver basic services to residents outside of Freetown. In 2007, the government will transfer USD 15.7 million (13.2 percent of the national non-salary, non-interest recurrent expenditure for 2007) to local councils in the form of conditional grants tied to specific expenditure assignments. Benjamin said that the Local Government Finance Committee (LGFC) will be responsible for oversight of local council budgets. -------------- SECURITY, GOVERNANCE, AND CORRUPTION -------------- ¶13. In 2007, the Government plans to allocate USD 14.6 million to the military, USD 6.6 million to the police, and USD 2.6 million to the prison system. The National Election Committee (NEC) will receive USD 5 million for the July 2007 national elections, and the Political Parties Registration Committee (PPRC) will receive funding of USD 84,000. The Government will fund the Anti-Corruption Commission at an amount of USD 281,000. -------------- --- ENERGY, WATER, ROADS, AGRICULTURE, AND EDUCATION -------------- --- ¶14. The Government continues to struggle to provide basic services. The GoSL plans to allocate USD 11.3 million from the development budget to the electricity division of the Ministry of Energy and Power. USD 3.8 million will goes towards restoring electricity in three provincial districts in the Northern, Eastern, and Southern regions. USD 2.5 million is earmarked for water services, USD 48.1 million for roads, USD 5.5 million for agriculture, and USD 27.1 million for education. -------------- HEALTH AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT -------------- ¶15. Benjamin said that the Government will allocate USD 15.4 million to the health ministry. The ministry will target funding to expand access and the quality of health services to reduce high under five and maternal mortality rates. The Government will also commit USD 467,000 to support youth activities nationwide. In October, the GoSL launched a Youth Employment Scheme with the stated goal of creating 125,000 jobs over the next 12 months. (Ref A) -------------- CRITICISM OF DONORS INCREASES -------------- ¶16. Senior government officials have expressed increasing criticism of the donor community claiming that donor organizations, support of NGOs has created a parallel government that monopolizes critically-needed aid. They say that the Government could more effectively utilized these resources if they were made available directly to the Government. -------------- ADMIN FEE REPLACED BY FLAT FEE -------------- ¶17. In early November, the Government rescinded the 1.25 administrative fee on duty-waiver imported goods and has proposed to replace it with a flat processing fee of USD 167 per application as a means to defray the cost of duty waivers. (Ref B) (Comment: The GoSL appears intent on taxing easily identifiable international donors and NGOs rather than undertaking much-needed reforms in the tax system. End Comment) -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶18. The Government's projected budget for 2007 is once again heavily dependent on external aid, which will not last forever. Although Sierra Leone has maintained relative economic growth, the Government has failed to generate much-needed revenue and rebuild its capacity to deliver services, as well as stimulate private enterprise. Ongoing infrastructure struggles with electricity and water, high levels of youth unemployment, petty corruption, and a business environment not conducive to private investment are all serious factors that potentially could have a FREETOWN 00000971 004 OF 004 destabilizing effect on peace and security. END COMMENT. PRATT