3.85.  Sierra Leone has not notified the WTO of its sanitary and phytosanitary legislation. The phytosanitary legislation includes the Agricultural Act 1946, the Plant Phytosanitary (Import) Rules of 1974, and was supplemented in 1976 with the Plant Phytosanitary (Import Restriction) Notice. The latter lists conditions under which about 64 categories of plants and plant products may be imported. It also lists plants that are the object of an absolute prohibition. The authorities indicated that a phytosanitary policy and a phytosanitary and a pest control bill are at the drafting stage. A draft food bill and food safety bills are under preparation

3.86.  In general, a phytosanitary certificate is required for the international movement of any plant material or product. The certificate is issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Security (MAFFS), in the format established by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). A pest-risk analysis is carried out prior to the issuance of the certificate. Plant products that are considered "pathways" for pest introduction require fumigation. These include: plant materials; foodstuffs in jute bags, cartons; timber, logs, piassava, ginger, rubber, kola nuts, furniture; other imported goods such as used mattresses, furniture, and used clothes. Since 2013, the authorities have charged a fumigation fee of Le 250,000 for a 20 ft container, and Le 450,000 for a 40 ft container; and a fee for issuing the certificate

3.87.  The Phytosanitary Control Unit operates at seven border ports of entry: the Queen Elizabeth II Quay (Freetown); the Freetown International Airport (Lungi); the Gbalamuya Customs (Kambia District); the Jendema Customs (Pujehun district); the Koindu and the Buedu Customs (both in Kailahun district); and Dogolia Customs (in the Koinaduou district). These entry/exit points inspect and certify import and export consignments, issue phytosanitary certificates, clearance certificates, or import and export permits

3.88.  The Crop Protection Unit is mandated to carry out phytosanitary inspections, treatment, and certification of plants and plant products for exports. It is the contact point under the SPS Agreement

3.89.  The Animal Diseases Act (undated) is the main legislative framework for animal health. Veterinary activities are performed by the Livestock Services Division of the MAFFS. According to the authorities, livestock inspectors are currently available at only two border posts. In the fishery sector, the Fisheries Sanitary Regulations of 2006 give power to the Director of Fisheries to adopt sanitary control schemes for the supply of fishery products. These may include inspection of fish‑processing establishments and management of licensing policies

3.90.  The authorities indicated that no SPS-related restrictions or prohibitions are currently in place

3.74.  Sierra Leone has not notified any technical regulations, or its national enquiry point under the WTO Agreement on Technical Barrier to Trade (TBT). The enquiry point is yet to be set up

3.75.  The Sierra Leone Standards Bureau (SLSB)[79] is the national statutory body in charge of standards, certification, and accreditation. It collects and disseminates information on standards and related matters, verifies weights and measures, and calibrates industrial and laboratory equipment. The SLSB has five technical committees: the National Codex Committee, the Industrial Standards Board, the Metrology Committee, the Food and Agriculture Committee, and the Engineering Technical Committee. The authorities indicated that the technical committees base their standards on those of international organizations, including regional institutions. In the absence of international standards on an issue (in the case of indigenous products for instance), the Bureau develops its own guidelines

3.76.  The SLSB is funded mainly by the Government. It also receives support from international and regional organizations, mainly the EU, ISO and ARSO, through technical assistance and capacity-building activities. Its own resources include fees charged for the verification of weights and measures instruments[80], and product testing

3.77.  In general, the SLSB follows ISO/IEC directives, and the Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius in the development of national standards. The process includes identifying the country's needs and priorities, based on national development strategies such as the Agenda for Prosperity, the National Export Strategy or the National Agricultural Development Plan; consultations with relevant stakeholders; development of the standard by the National Technical Committee; and publication of the standard in the Gazette

3.78.  The standard is then implemented by the relevant industry. Once a standard is published in the Gazette, the regulator of the relevant industry may submit it to Parliament to make it mandatory. A 60-day period is allowed for public comments before a standard can become a technical regulation. There are currently 100 standards and 33 technical regulations (Table 3.6). About 67 standards (voluntary), mainly on fresh fruits and vegetables, were published in 2014

3.79.  Sierra Leone has no mutual recognition agreements in place. The SLSB may inspect all imports at the borders, in collaboration with the regulatory authorities and Customs. The SLSB checks the certificate of conformity and labelling requirements, and may perform field tests before issuing clearance to Customs for the release of goods. In principle, substandard goods are confiscated and destroyed

3.80.  The SLSB has an agreement with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Under the agreement, SLSB has access to ASTM's standards, may participate in its technical committee meetings, and receives technical assistance. SLSB is a member of the African Organization for Standardisation (ARSO). It became a corresponding member of the ISO in January 2009. With this status, the SLBS may participate in technical committee meetings as an observer, but does not have the right to vote. The SLBS is an affiliate member of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) since 2003. It has adopted standards from the Codex, the IEC and the ISO (Table 3.5)

3.81.  During the review period, the SLSB has strengthened its laboratory facilities for food microbiology, food chemistry and petroleum products. Occasionally, SLSB uses the laboratories of the University of Sierra Leone for checking the quality of materials such as cement, paints, varnish, and fertilizers. A STDF project, related to a national assessment of the food control system, was approved in 2014. The authorities are currently working on finalizing an EIF Tier 2 project on standards.[81]

3.82.  In 2011, Sierra Leone switched from the English system of measurement to the international system of units, the metric system.[82]

3.83.  Sierra Leone has some technical regulations in place for the labelling and packaging of pre-packaged food (Table 3.5). SLSB has developed a conformity mark, which is yet to be adopted. The Price Tag Order 1956 requires traders to display prices on the shelves

3.84.  The Weights and Measures Act, 2010 requires sellers of packaged goods to declare the gross and net weights or measures on the package. Canned goods, foodstuffs, and pharmaceuticals must also be labelled to show the net weight or quantity of contents, and their country of origin. The Act requires the liquid content of beverages to be labelled, as well as the yardage and width of textiles