Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Commissioner General-designate Thomas Doe Nah Monday faced Senate’s confirmation hearing for a second term and expressed the possibility of taking the country’s annual revenue collection to a billion United States dollars or more. At his confirmation hearing, CG Nah stated that the LRA remains committed to surpassing last year’s collection of USD$579 Million.
Mr. Nah took over the LRA in 2018 with approximately USD$400 Million in domestic revenue annually and pushed the amount to over 500 million by 2021. With the 2022 revenue target at USD$809 million, Mr. Nah assured the Senate’s Committee on Ways, Means, and Finance that Liberia can reach the billion-dollar target or more in revenue in the next few years with their full support.
The Commissioner General designate noted, “Liberia is a country, and we deserve to be dividing a billion dollars and not 500 million” to foster national developments that will improve the people and the country’s welfare. The LRA CG designate told the Senate that with the help of his dedicated employees, he has successfully steered the affairs of the LRA, stabilizing it through innovation and technology, despite global economic meltdowns worsened by the Covid 19 pandemic.
The LRA has since digitized tax payment through several means, including mobile money transfer, direct bank transfer, and electronic filing, among others, to boost revenue collection in what he called “changing the digital ecosystem of tax collection.” He underscored the importance of tax compliance in moving the revenue to billions and pleaded with the Senate to support LRA’s drive to ensure and enforce compliance from all public officials.
The CG lauded President George Weah for reposing explicit confidence in him to continue serving the country while applauding taxpayers for their commitments and compliance postures. Meanwhile, Senators across the floor commended CG Nah for the excellent service to Liberia and urged him to continue if confirmed.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, August 31, 2022, the Liberian Senate confirmed Mr. Nah to lead the tax authority for the next three years.
