Reference Library

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Country

Pillar

Factor

Country	Pillar	Factor	Framework title	Project cycle	Enforcement practice	Approval body	Approval requirements	Approval timeline	Approval cost	Key provisions	Watch developments
Sierra Leone	Social	Community consent	Best practice & some sector guidance / national consultation requirements (ESIA / Forestry / Mines) View source Public consultation / community engagement required as part of ESIA/sector approvals; FPIC expectations for community lands and indigenous rights where relevant	N/A	Consultation is required on paper but quality varies — risk of inadequate FPIC in practice.	EPA-SL (ESIA) and sector agencies	N/A	Consultation and incorporation into ESIA timeline — often extends overall approval time	Consultation costs (logs, meetings, compensation budgets)	Obtain written community agreements for land access / wayleaves; include benefit sharing & grievance mechanism.	Increasing donor & investor focus on FPIC and community benefit sharing — watch implementation guidance.
Sierra Leone	Social	Child labour	Child Rights Act (and related protections; new Child Rights Act 2024 replaces earlier law) View source Prohibits hazardous child labour; age limits and protections; requires remediation and referral of affected children.	N/A	Enforcement varies; artisanal sectors (mining, agriculture) remain high-risk.	Ministry of Social Welfare & Labour Inspectorate	N/A	Immediate remedial action required on discovery	No permit costs; enforcement is through prosecution and social services interventions (costs borne by state/NGOs)	Do not engage minors in operations; ensure contractors comply and include child-labour clauses in contracts.	Watch the implementation of the new Child Rights Act and related guidance on hazardous work definitions.
Sierra Leone	Social	Customer relations & consumer protection	Consumer protection provisions in national law; sector consumer rules (if any) View source Requirements on transparent tariffs, complaint handling, safety info and accurate billing where utilities regulated	N/A	Enforcement depends on sector regulation; consumer protection often under-resourced in many countries.	Sector regulator (if license required) / Consumer protection office	N/A	Ongoing customer service & complaint handling timelines (regulator sets standards if applicable)	Costs for customer registration, meters, dispute resolution processes (operational costs)	Provide clear customer contracts, grievance mechanism, data protection and disclosure of service interruptions and tariffs.	If electricity market liberalisation/regulation changes, new consumer rules could apply — monitor regulator announcements.
Sierra Leone	Social	Agent safety and security (Rationale: this may fall under occupational H&S but given the sunking incidents, we thought it would be good to make it more explicit.)	Covered under OSH & Employment Act; supplemented by sector guidance & security regulations View source Employer obligations for worker safety; requirement to manage risks to agents; security measures for cash/fuel handling	N/A	Enforcement limited; many firms implement internally to manage risk.	Labour Inspectorate & OSH authorities; local law enforcement for criminal acts	N/A	Ongoing	Costs for insurance, security training, protective equipment, secure cash handling systems	Ensure safety protocols for field agents, clear reporting and incident response; insurance and digital payment preferred.	Rising interest in digital payments & agent protection requirements — monitor sector guidance.
Sierra Leone	Social	Slavery	Criminal Code provisions; Anti-Trafficking instruments & practices View source Prohibits forced labour and trafficking; requires victim support & prosecutions.	N/A	Enforcement active but resource constrained; prosecutions occur where evidence exists.	Police, Anti-Trafficking Unit, Ministry of Internal Affairs	N/A	Immediate investigations & prosecutions	No permit cost; enforcement costs for investigations (state/NGO funded victim support)	Incorporate forced labour checks into supplier due diligence and recruitment processes.	Continued donor support and international cooperation on trafficking cases; watch new national action plans.
Sierra Leone	Social	Community land use	Customary land arrangements; Lands statutes; Town & Country Planning Act View source Consent/compensation and due diligence required for land acquisition; customary land requires community consultations & agreements.	N/A	Enforcement of formal title processes exists; customary land complexity often causes delays & disputes.	Local Council & Lands Ministry for formal titles; customary processes for community consent	N/A	Time depends on land type: months for formal transfer; customary consent may take longer due to negotiations	Survey, compensation and registration costs; community benefit costs (varies)	Secure legally valid land rights and documented community agreements (wayleaves for lines), avoid disputes that can halt projects.	Land administration reforms underway — watch digitisation and new guidance on customary land consent.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Solid waste & operational pollution	EPA Act; Public Health Ordinances / Local by-laws View source Discharge standards for effluents, requirements for pollution prevention measures, operational pollution controls.	N/A	Not fully enforced uniformly; larger/visible industries are better monitored.	EPA-SL (industrial effluent & pollution permits) and Local Councils for municipal sanitation	N/A	Continuous compliance; monitoring intervals set by permit conditions	Monitoring & compliance costs (audits, monitoring equipment); permit fees variable	Containment for fuels, transformers, battery storage; stormwater & runoff controls; fuel spill contingency plans.	Strengthening of monitoring capacity and potential new effluent/regulations.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	ESIA	ESIA requirements under EPA Act and sectoral laws (Mines, Forestry, Fisheries) View source Screening, scoping and full ESIA for listed projects; public consultation, baseline studies, ESMP and monitoring plan required.	N/A	ESIA approvals are enforced for major projects but follow-up monitoring is uneven.	EPA-SL (formal ESIA approval/certificate)	N/A	ESIA review: weeks to months depending on level (and on completeness & public comment)	Consultancy costs (ESIA consultant fees), public consultation costs; administrative fees per agency guidance	GMG projects with land-use change, fuel stores, or community impacts normally require ESIA; include ESMP for O&M phase.	Increasing integration of ESIA into other sector approvals; monitor new EPA guidance and sectoral harmonisation.
Sierra Leone	Social	Employment & labour relations	Employment Act, 2023 (Employment protections, contracts, minimum wage, grievance procedures) View source Requirements on contracts, working conditions, minimum wage, non-discrimination, termination processes, and employer obligations.	N/A	Enforcement improving; labour inspectorate capacity limited outside major urban centres.	MoELSS / Labour Inspectorate (inspections & enforcement)	N/A	Ongoing compliance; inspections complaint-driven or scheduled	Administrative costs; employer statutory contributions (social security etc.)	GMG developers must use compliant contracts, adhere to wage laws and reporting obligations.	New Employment Act 2023 implementation regulations — monitor guidance and sector-specific rules.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Deforestation	Forestry Act and Forestry (Amendment) Act 2022; Community Forestry Regulations View source Permits for logging, licences for timber extraction; special protection for certain forests (including mangroves where applicable).	N/A	Enforcement gaps exist — illegal logging and encroachment remain challenges (NGO reporting).	Forestry Division (permits, community forestry agreements)	N/A	Permit terms vary: short permits to multi-year concessions; processing time depends on application complexity	Licence fees, concessions rents, royalties; reforestation and monitoring costs	Avoid sourcing illegal timber, ensure chain-of-custody and replanting obligations; mangrove restoration restrictions apply.	Forestry Amendment Act 2022; stronger emphasis on community forestry & reforms — watch implementation guidelines. (sierralii.gov.sl)
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Material sourcing (Rationale: much of the emissions for minigrids come from the supply chain such as material sourcing and transportation so it would be good to include them for assessment.)	Forestry Act; Mines & Minerals Development Act 2022; Fisheries & Aquaculture Act 2018 (sector laws regulate sourcing & export). View source Licences/permits for extraction; traceability & due-diligence expectations for timber, minerals and fish products; export certification.	N/A	Enforcement improving for minerals (transparency push) but illegal sourcing still occurs in some supply chains.	Respective sector agencies (Forestry Division, NMA, MFMR)	N/A	Ongoing compliance; export clearances per shipment	Permit/processing fees, export levies, certification costs (e.g., timber legality)	For GMGs ensure legally sourced timber/sand/aggregate; verify contractors’ sourcing & document chain-of-custody.	International scrutiny on supply chains (timber legality, minerals transparency) — watch for new traceability obligations.
Sierra Leone	Social	Others..	Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment (GEWE) Act 2023" in Sierra Leone View source Requirements for inclusion, grievance redress, gender-sensitive engagement; may be conditions of donor finance	N/A	Compliance often tied to donor financing; enforcement by financiers & partners rather than government alone.	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Include gender disaggregated KPIs, accessible GRM, local hiring targets.	Donor & investor emphasis on ESG and gender inclusion — incorporate these early.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Environmental disaster management/business continuity plan (Rationale: minigrids are prone to physical climate risks such as extreme heat and given its fundamental infrastructure status in society, some countries may have policies on disaster management in response to unexpected events such as natural disasters. For example, it may require the infrastructure to be able to operate/perform at a given level of risk or incident frequency.)	National Disaster Management Act / NDMA frameworks; contingency planning guidance View source Obligations for reporting incidents, preparedness & response plans; infrastructure criticality may require resilience measures.	N/A	Implementation improving but community response capacity varies; private operators often do contingency planning voluntarily.	NDMA (coordination), EPA (pollution incidents), sector ministries for infrastructure resilience	N/A	Immediate reporting required for major incidents; recovery timelines variable	Emergency preparedness & response costs; contingency planning & insurance costs	GMGs should have business continuity planning for extreme weather, fuel spill response, backup systems & safe islanding.	Integration of climate resilience into NDMA planning and donor-supported resilience programs — watch updates.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Others..	Petroleum/transport & hazardous goods regulations; Fire & Safety codes; Local ordinances View source Storage & transport standards for fuels, batteries and hazardous chemicals; permits for storage tanks, transport documentation	N/A	Variable enforcement at local level — compliance often driven by insurers & financiers	Local Fire Services, EPA (hazardous materials), Ministry of Transport (hazardous transport permits)	N/A	Permit issuance varies by agency & complexity	Costs for permits, safety audits, fire certification; insurance	Batteries, generator fuel storage require secondary containment, signage and emergency procedures	Watch updates to hazardous chemicals management and battery-waste regulations.
Sierra Leone	Social	Occupational health & safety	Provisions in Employment Act 2023; Mines Act H&S sections; draft OSH Act (if enacted) View source Employer obligations for safe workplace, reporting accidents, PPE, training and safety audits; industry-specific requirements for mines, construction.	N/A	Enforcement variable but improving; mines & larger firms more closely monitored.	MoELSS & sector regulators (Labour Inspectorate; Mines Inspectorate)	N/A	Ongoing compliance; immediate reporting for serious incidents	Costs for PPE, training, safety audits, safety officer(s) — variable	GMG operators must implement electrical safety, battery safety, fuel handling procedures, routine inspections.	Draft OSH Act under review — monitor its enactment and regulations.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Emission regulations	The Environment Protection Agency Act (EPA Act), 2008; EPA (EIA Licence) Regulations (2010); Environment Protection Agency Act (Consolidated/Amendments 2022). View source EIA required for listed projects; emissions/discharges require licences or conditions; threshold: projects in the First Schedule (and others as determined) must register/submit ESIA.	N/A	Partially — enforcement capacity improving but gaps exist, especially for monitoring/continuous compliance outside major projects.	EPA-SL (EIA registration & licensing unit)	N/A	From weeks to several months depending on complexity and review comments.	Varies by project scale — fees and consultant costs borne by proponent (administrative fee schedules in agency guidance).	GMGs (grid, mini-grid station sites, diesel generators etc.) will typically require screening; emissions control measures and permit conditions (noise, air emissions, fuel storage).	EPA has updated instruments and guidance (2022 Act consolidation). Watch EPA circulars and any new EIA thresholds or digitised application systems. (parliament.gov.sl)
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Land use changes	Town & Country Planning Act; Local planning regulations; land laws View source Planning permission needed for change of land use, construction of substations, access roads, right-of-way.	N/A	Enforcement inconsistent—formal urban areas more regulated; customary land areas often managed outside formal planning systems.	Local Council / Lands Ministry (planning & building permit units)	N/A	Varies by Local Council; may take weeks to months, depends on completeness & customary consent	Application fees; survey & cadastral costs; compensation costs for affected landholders (varies)	Ensure due diligence on customary land, get planning permission and wayleave agreements for lines.	Ongoing land admin reforms and digitisation of records; customary land issues remain a key risk.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	End of life management	Waste management provisions under EPA Act; National Waste Management Policy (sector guidance) View source Controls on disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes; hazardous waste requires permit and controlled disposal.	N/A	Enforcement is inconsistent at municipal level; hazardous waste better regulated but monitoring limited.	EPA-SL for hazardous wastes; Local Councils for municipal waste licences/permits	N/A	Permit issuance timelines vary; ongoing compliance and permit renewals as specified	Varies (disposal fees, permit fees, remediation costs)	Require proper disposal of batteries, e-waste, oils; recycling/contract with licensed waste handlers recommended.	National waste policy and donor programs may introduce EPR or stronger municipal waste rules — watch policy updates.
Sierra Leone	Environmental	Wildlife	Wildlife conservation provisions; CITES domestic measures View source Protection of endangered species; restrictions on trade, harvest, research permits may be required (CITES where applicable).	N/A	Enforcement variable; wildlife crime sometimes under-resourced.	Forestry Division / relevant conservation authority for permits	N/A	Ongoing protections; permit duration varies	Permit fees for research/collection where applicable; costs for mitigation	Ensure project avoids critical habitat, includes mitigation if near reserves or species habitat.	Watch CITES listings and national category changes for species protections. (CITES)

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