NRA surpasses half yearly target by Le 39 billion

The National Revenue Authority (NRA) has collected Le1.081 trillion against a half yearly revenue target of Le1.042 trillion, thereby recording a surplus of Le39 billion in the first half of 2013(Jan-June). This represents a 22% increment in revenue collection when compared against figures for the first half of 2012 when just Le886.7 billion was collected. This difference of Le 195 billion between the first six months of 2012 and 2013 is due to the impressive performance of all collecting agencies according to the Acting Director of the Monitoring, Planning and Research Department.

While announcing the figures during a press conference held at the Authority’s office in Wellington Street, Dr Philip Kargbo attributed this high performance to improved efficiency in tax administration through the implementation of several tax reforms. These include the restoration of petroleum excise through the two-tier petroleum pricing formula which was not in existence in the first half of 2012 and improved collection of mineral royalties in respect of Iron Ore and diamond.

Dr Kargbo said the Authority is on course to meet its yearly target as it aims to maintain this remarkable performance in the second half of 2013. He outlined several strategies the Authority is implementing to ensure it achieved this objective. This includes close monitoring of monthly targets, intensive field audits, on-the-spot visits to taxpayers, strethening of tax policy and legislation and formation of an emergency revenue task force.

It could be recalled that since taking over office in late 2009, the NRA Commissioner-General, Madam Haja Kallah-Kamara (in photo) has been remarkable in transforming the NRA for improved revenue collection through a robust modernisation programme. In 2011 for example, the Authority more than doubled its revenue collection of 2009 from Le 700 billion to over Le 1.4 trillion. Growth in domestic revenue performance by the Authority recorded 49.5% in 2011 compared with an impressive revenue growth of 22.7% in 2008 while tax revenue ratio to the Gross Domestic Product also increased from 10.1% in 2007 to 14.9% in 2011. No other Commissioner-General has achieved such a feat.

Since the inception of its Modernisation Programme, the NRA has made enormous strides in applying modern information technology solutions to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of its operations. The main thrust of the modernization programme involves redesigning tax administration on functional lines rather than tax types, and improving upon the Authority’s business processes and procedures for better service delivery to augment domestic revenue mobilisation.

The Modernisation programme has led to the introduction of several result-oriented reforms. This includes the introduction of the Taxpayers Identification Numbers (TIN), the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA ++) and the Goods and Services Tax (GST). It also resulted in the establishment of the Domestic Taxes Department (DTD) and the enactment of the 2011 Customs Act.

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