By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sierra Leone Parliament, chaired by Deputy Speaker Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, convened a crucial meeting on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, with more than eighty business entities at the Administrative Building in Tower Hill, Freetown.
The meeting aimed to verify and obtain documentation related to tax arrears and liabilities highlighted in the National Revenue Authority (NRA) report, submitted as part of ongoing hearings on the Auditor General’s 2021 Report. Despite the summons, only thirty-seven of the summoned businesses attended.
Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and representatives from the attending businesses either contested the claims or committed to submitting the required documents to the Committee. Some businesses pledged to settle their outstanding tax obligations promptly.
Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, addressing the attendees, emphasized that businesses challenging the claims must provide supporting documents or receipts within ten days. Those found in default of tax payments were instructed to clear their arrears within the same timeframe.
“For those who failed to heed the Committee’s summons, we will be contacting their respective banks to verify and recover outstanding dues owed to the NRA,” Hon. Conteh stated, underscoring the Committee’s constitutional mandate to enforce compliance.
The PAC’s efforts underscore the government’s commitment to fiscal accountability and revenue collection, essential for national development and governance.
