By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Sierra Leone’s Parliament, led by Deputy Speaker Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, has expressed concern over the National Revenue Authority’s (NRA) failure to meet revenue collection targets. During a recent hearing on the 2021 Audit Service Report at Parliament’s administrative conference hall, Hon. Conteh highlighted the NRA’s underperformance in fulfilling its duties.
The Deputy Speaker stressed that the NRA, which is mandated by an Act of Parliament to collect revenue for the government, has consistently failed to deliver results. He revealed that since the PAC began reviewing the 2021 audit report, over 50 billion Leones have already been recovered from institutions that owed the NRA.
Hon. Conteh criticized the NRA for not being proactive, questioning the authority’s efforts in the face of the country’s financial needs. “With the pressing need for funds to support essential projects nationwide, what has the NRA been doing all this time?” he asked.
During his address to government officials, the Deputy Speaker urged them to work more effectively to support President Julius Maada Bio’s development agenda. He warned that if the government fails to meet its goals, the public will hold the President accountable, while those responsible for poor advice will remain unnoticed. “People will blame the President, but some of you, sitting comfortably in your zones, are the ones giving bad advice,” he remarked.
Referencing the 2018 Government Budget presented by former Finance Minister Jacob Jusu Saffa, Hon. Conteh noted that the budget outlined several strategies to enhance tax compliance. These included the creation of a reliable taxpayer database, expansion of the tax base, and auditing of key sectors like mining and telecommunications.
Key measures discussed in the budget included the establishment of a tax court to prosecute defaulters, a post-clearance audit system to improve customs compliance, a national taxpayer sensitization campaign, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve tax compliance.
The PAC’s findings have raised serious concerns about the NRA’s effectiveness and its role in supporting the government’s broader economic goals.
