Monrovia – Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Commissioner for Domestic Tax Darlingston Talery has applauded revenue-collecting government’s Ministries, Agencies and Commissions (MACs) for their contributions to the national budget for the first half of the 2016/2017 fiscal period.
“We are pleased, but we are not complacent,” Commissioner Talery said, adding, “we can do more and we must work hard to meet our revenue targets.”
Mr. Talery was speaking Friday (Jan 20) during a meeting with MACs in Paynesville.
The meeting was intended to review their performances, discuss challenges and strategize mechanisms in addressing those challenges as a way of spurring revenue collection and meeting the targets of the 2016/2017 National Budget of US$600.2 million.
The Commissioner said it will require concerted and consistent efforts by all stakeholders in the revenue collection cycle to raise the needed revenues that will foster national growth and development.
Commissioner Talery indicated that some of the mechanisms for improvement will include increased public awareness, compliance enforcement exercises, and engagements with stakeholders including the Liberia Business Association to increase business registration.
The Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce, Information, Justice, Labor, Public Works, Transport, Youth & Sports, Post & Telecommunications, Education, Foreign Affairs, Lands Mines & Energy, Internal Affairs, Health as well as the Forestry Development Authority, Liberia Business Registry, Temple of Justice (Judiciary), Liberia National Fire Service, Liberia Immigration Service, Center for National Documents and Records, General Service Agency, Liberia Telecommunication Authority, National Investment Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency are institutions that make up the MACs.
The generation of domestic revenue from MACs is regulated by Sector Ministry Section of the Domestic Tax Department of LRA.
Making a presentation, Sampson Dee, the Manager for Sector Ministry Section, who works directly with MACs also lauded the performances of the government entities and admonished those that performed beyond target not to become contented in the second semester.
He named performing entities as the Ministries of Agriculture, Education, Foreign Affairs, Public Works, Internal Affairs, Lands Mines & Energy, Transport, Post & Telecommunications, Information, as well as Liberia Immigration Service, and the Liberia National Fire Service.
“We challenge those in the red to reshape their strategies to improve, and those in the blue to maintain their performance, as there is no room for complacency,” Mr. Dee said. He assured that LRA will partner with the MACs in addressing challenges associated with enforcement and related logistics to enhance their performances.