Why President Koroma Trusts NRA
President Ernest Bai Koroma
When the President addressed the whole nation last Friday at the House of Parliament and mentioned the achievements of the nation’s revenue collection agency-NRA associating it with much of what he calls the Agenda for Change, one could only be led to retrospect on the President’s inaugural declaration to end the aged old dependency syndrome as he promised to run the country like a business.
Whilst the country has been rated top in the provision of the requisite business and investment environment in the Mano River Sub-Region, we at the same time see the National Revenue Authority-charged with the sacred role of harvesting the needed returns from such business and establishment- reforming itself, to run the country on tax rather than donor dependency to meet the challenge.
So far, the current administration at NRA has not failed in living up to the expectation of both the nation and the president in ensuring that whilst business and investment are made to strive in the country, we conversely benefit from taxes paid. The president did not mince his words in letting the whole world know that he is happy at the way things are going on at the revenue agency which made him declare that his government is “very committed to reducing our dependence on foreign aid by increasing internally generated revenue.”
Most certainly, the president would not have had the confidence to make such apt proclamation if NRA had not performed in the requisite manner to eventually take the country out of what President Ernest Bai Koroma referred to as dependence on foreign aid.
The Head of State wasted no time in enthusiastically announcing that the total revenue collected by the Authority in the first half of 2009 exceeded Le.300 billion-an increase of over Le.27 billion compared to the same period last year. Using this achievement to alert other government agencies is very important as it shows there should be no room for complacency.
The president’s conviction was certain on the issue of effective tax collection and management in alleviating the problem of tax evasion through the innovation of NRA in bringing the Goods and Services Tax that Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma gracefully declared to kick off in January next year. Whilst the performance of NRA has met the satisfaction of the Head of State, much optimism now exists in the operation of the GST, making tax collection and our revenue base a much dependable option in our budget support.
By and large, we see that the president’s Agenda for Change is now much predicated upon the success of the Revenue Authority in the country and if the tenets of the institution we all rely on to move us to where we want to get to is taking hold, then we all must be seen joining the president in ascribing our gratitude and support for the hard work of the fine men and women that are beating the system to generate the much needed revenue even in these hard and difficult times. Knowing what the economic situation is right now in the world, it is certainly a feat if NRA can support the government is such an enormous way.
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