FREETOWN, 24th September 2026 – The Government of Sierra Leone has assured the public that there is sufficient fuel supply in the country and that pump prices will remain unchanged despite rising global oil prices.
In a Public Notice issued today by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, government said following engagements with Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), prices will continue as:
Petrol – NLe40.00 per litre
Diesel – NLe45.00 per litre
The Ministry disclosed that the current full pass-through prices – the actual market price without government intervention – are higher:
Petrol – NLe41.80 per litre
Diesel – NLe47.89 per litre
To cushion consumers, government says it will continue to subsidise the difference:
Petrol – NLe1.80 per litre
Diesel – NLe2.89 per litre
“The subsidy will remain in place until the next fuel price review,” the notice stated.
Government also said it will continue to provide additional targeted fuel subsidy for Waka Fine buses to keep current fares unchanged.
The statement comes amid public anxiety in recent weeks over rumours of a looming shortage and possible price hike, which triggered long queues at some filling stations in Freetown and the provinces.
Why Government Is Still Subsidising
Sierra Leone operates a fuel price deregulation formula administered by the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA), where prices are reviewed monthly based on international crude oil prices, freight costs, exchange rate of Leone to the dollar, and taxes and margins.
With Brent crude hovering around $85 per barrel and the Leone under continued pressure, the full import cost has increased. Rather than pass the full cost to consumers, government has reintroduced partial subsidies – a policy it has used intermittently since 2022 to prevent a spike in transport and food prices.
Government said it will continue to engage OMCs including NP (SL) Ltd, TotalEnergies, LeonOil and Conex, and monitor supply, distribution and prices across the country.
