On 1st July, 2026 the Minister of Internal Affairs (apparently acting on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone) ordered the temporary suspension of the payment of the USD25 Airport Security Fee at Freetown International Airport. The temporary suspension is expected to last for six months, according to a leaked internal memo from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The contract between the Government of Sierra Leone and Securiport was signed in March 2012. Securiport is legally obliged under the terms of the contract to upgrade the Immigration Control System at the Freetown International Airport. The company has effectively and profoundly discharged this responsibility since 2012.
According to the Ministerial directive, the temporary suspension is to allow for the ongoing independent verification and special audit being conducted by the Audit Service Sierra Leone on the operations of the company.
In addition to that, according to the directive, โThe pause will allow the Ministry and relevant authorities to evaluate a more seamless, integrated system of collection that eliminates public inconveniences and addresses the broad unpopularity of the current mechanism among traveling passengersโ.
The question must now be asked: Do you have to temporarily suspend the payment of Airport Security Fee for six months at the countryโs only airport just to conduct an audit? What sense does that make?
Why did the Ministry of Transport and Aviation and the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority fail to implement a new Tax Code for the payment of the Airport Security Fee as suggested by Brussels Airlines?
A leaked memo from SLCAA shows that the Authority was not averse to the idea. In a letter to the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation dated 18th September, 2017 the Authority directed all airlines โTo collect Airport Security Fee at point of saleโ on the ticket by Code K5. This special code was developed solely to eliminate โpublic inconveniencesโ and address โthe broad unpopularity of the current mechanismโ of the collection of payments for Airport Security Fee at the Freetown International Airport.
Fortunately, in the letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, nobody accused Securiport of non-performance or breach of the contract they have with the Government of Sierra Leone.
Actions Have Consequences
A famous British Politician once said, โWhen you choose an action, you choose the consequences of that actionโ.
When the Sierra Leone Government cancelled the mining license of SL Mining in 2019, the company resorted to a clause in the contract that gives them the right to pursue international arbitration in the United Kingdom. The matter was settled out of court after the Sierra Leone Government had spent millions of US Dollars on legal fees for professional services.
Securiport Is A US Based-Company
In their response to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Securiport, Dr. Enrique Segura made it crystal clear that his company would comply with the Ministerial directive as instructed, โunder protest and without prejudiceโ. He continued, โThis compliance shall not be construed as a waiver of any right under the Agreement or as acceptance that the directive is consistent with the Governmentโs obligationsโ.
Donโt Mess With An American Company
The authorities in Sierra Leone should be reminded that they are dealing with an unpredictable President in America. Donald Trumpโs erratic behavior is causing a lot of problem in the world today.
Exactly a week today, President Julius Maada Bio was in Makeni, publicly praising the US Government for the US$480M MCC Compact and the NANT Project to boost the energy infrastructure in Sierra Leone.
With all this, how can we now turn around and treat an American company the way we have treated Securiport?
This issue needs to be properly handled or it risks jeopardizing bilateral relationship between Sierra Leone and the United States of America. The Americans are watching!
May common sense prevail!
