CSOs Reject 15% Water Tax

Abu Bakarr Kamara, Budget Advocacy Network

By James Conteh

A coalition of civil society organisations has strongly condemned the Government of Sierra Leone’s introduction of a 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST) on bottled and bowser water, warning that the policy threatens public health and places an unfair burden on poor households.

In a joint statement, the groups described the tax as “unjust, regressive, and dangerous,” arguing that bottled and bowser water remain the only reliable sources of drinking water for millions of Sierra Leoneans due to the country’s weak public water supply.

Citing data from the 2021 Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP), the organisations noted that only 11% of the population has access to contamination-free water, and just 23% of households have improved water sources on their premises. As a result, most families rely on purchased drinking water to avoid diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and diarrhoea.

The statement warned that taxing essential drinking water will heighten disease risks and increase medical expenses for vulnerable families, at a time when poor WASH conditions already cost Sierra Leone an estimated 5% of GDP each year.

The organisations argued that the government should instead strengthen revenue mobilisation by tackling tax exemptions, improving customs compliance, and reducing leakages—pointing out that Sierra Leone lost NLe 3.5 billion in tax exemptions in 2023 alone.

They called on the Government and Parliament to immediately reverse the GST on drinking water and adopt tax policies that protect public health rather than endanger it. The signatories include BAN, WASHNet, Focus 1000, HASiL, CGG, NMYCW-SL, WANEP, and the WASH Media Network.