Monrovia – The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) has organized its first digital symposium in Paynesville to show new technology systems that make tax payment easier, faster, and more efficient across the country.
By Edwin G. Genoway, Jr., [email protected]
The event was part of Taxpayer Appreciation Month and brought together banks, mobile money companies, and development partners.
The goal was to teach taxpayers how new digital tools can help them register, file taxes, and make payments without stress or long delays.
Opening the program, the LRA Deputy Commissioner General for Technical Affairs, Gabriel Y. Montgomery, said the use of digital systems is an important step in improving tax administration in Liberia.
He explained that making payment easier encourages more people to comply with tax rules.
“Making it easier for taxpayers to meet their obligations through digital systems directly improves compliance and enhances revenue collection,” he noted.
He added that the LRA is focused on using technology to reduce the stress people face when paying taxes and to improve how revenue is collected for national development.
Also speaking, Assistant Commissioner for the Management Information Systems Division, Kollie U. Zayzay, said the country is moving from old manual systems to modern digital platforms that are faster and more reliable.
He explained that in the past, tax payment was difficult because systems were not well connected and processes were slow.
“At the heart of this transformation is the Liberia Integrated Tax Administration System (LITAS), which allows taxpayers to register, file returns, generate payment slips, and make payments in real time,” Zayzay explained.
He also mentioned other systems such as ASYCUDA for customs operations, online tax clearance certificates, digital verification tools, duty-free application systems, whistleblower reporting channels, and electronic fiscal devices that track transactions in real time.
Zayzay further said the LRA is now working with banks, mobile money services, and the Central Bank of Liberia to make sure payments can move quickly and smoothly across different platforms.
He added that new digital services are still being developed, including electronic invoicing, VAT systems in LITAS, a taxpayer call center, and wider digital access tools. He also said USSD services are being introduced so people without smartphones can still use the system.
The symposium also allowed discussions between stakeholders on how to improve digital taxation in Liberia.
Topics included system connection, user friendliness, digital rules, and improving infrastructure.
The LRA said the main aim of all these changes is to improve tax collection, reduce delays, build trust and make the system easier for everyone to use.
The Authority concluded that digital transformation is key to strengthening national revenue and supporting Liberia’s long-term development.
