The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has strongly criticized the Immigration Department and the Ministry of Internal Affairs for gross negligence and constitutional violations in the renewal and extension of Sierra Leone’s passport production contract with Netpage.
In its March 2025 report, signed by PAC Chairman and Deputy Speaker Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, the Committee faulted both institutions for extending the contract by five years without seeking Cabinet approval or parliamentary ratification, as required under Section 118 of the 1991 Constitution. The initial contract, ratified in 2013, expired in 2023.
Hon. Conteh had earlier issued a warning letter on February 12, 2025, urging adherence to constitutional provisions. Despite this, the Ministry and Immigration Department proceeded with the extension, a move the PAC described as unconstitutional and procedurally flawed.
A subsequent PAC report released in February 2026 warned that failure to ratify such agreements not only “exposes public revenues to loss” but also “undermines fiscal transparency and accountability.”
The Institute for Governance Reform (IGR) has linked the controversy to a broader trend of “elite capture,” where business elites manipulate bureaucratic institutions to secure undue advantages in public procurement. According to IGR, this practice pressures government officials to bypass procurement rules, weakening administrative integrity.
IGR data estimates annual passport production at 65,000 to 70,000 units, generating between $7 million and $9 million in sales. Over the past decade, passport sales are believed to have generated at least $70 million, yet the government has reportedly received no royalty payments.
Concerns over passport security have also persisted. Between 2013 and 2023, Sierra Leonean passports were frequently discovered in the possession of dangerous criminals abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously noted that many individuals processed for deportation to Sierra Leone by the Trump administration were not legitimate citizens, despite holding Sierra Leonean passports.
In response to these issues, citizens are demanding that future contracts for passport production be publicly advertised to credible local and international bidders. They argue that competitive bidding would ensure higher security standards for Sierra Leone’s sovereign travel document and guarantee fairer revenue arrangements for the state.