SIERRA LEONE – EXTENDED BANKING HOURS AT QUEEN ELIZABETH II QUAY TO BOOST PORT EFFICIENCY
The Bank of Sierra Leone has extended the operating hours of commercial bank branches serving the Queen Elizabeth II Quay and Cline Town vicinity, in a move expected to further improve the ease and efficiency of doing business around the country’s principal seaport.
Per a directive issued by the Bank of Sierra Leone, commercial bank branches in the designated areas will now operate from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The decision follows a stakeholder meeting held on July 30 2026, and is aimed at strengthening banking services in these strategic zones. The extended banking hours are expected to provide greater convenience for port users, importers, exporters, clearing agents, and other stakeholders, particularly those whose transactions require banking services beyond conventional operating hours.
This development represents another significant step in the collective effort the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) put to address operational bottlenecks and create a more responsive business environment at the Port. Commenting on the development, the Director General of the Authority, Yankuba Askia Bio, said that “an efficient port is not only about vessels berthing and cargo being handled, but also depends on the availability and coordination of the wider services that support the movement of goods.”
He noted that at the Port of Freetown from banking and customs services to cargo handling, documentation, transportation and other essential processes, every link in the chain matters. “The extended banking hours complement our ongoing efforts to make the Queen Elizabeth II Quay more efficient, accessible and business-friendly, thereby supporting faster transactions and smoother port operations,” DG Bio commented.
This development also reflects the importance of strategic collaboration among government institutions, regulators, service providers and private-sector stakeholders in achieving a common objective of being a port that delivers effective, efficient and reliable services to the people and businesses of Sierra Leone. As the port continues to strengthen its operations and improve the overall customer experience, initiatives such as this demonstrate that when stakeholders work together, the barriers to efficient port service delivery can be progressively addressed.
Source : SLPHA
