County News – James Jaber, assistant commissioner for real estate tax division at the Liberia Revenue Authority, has urged all county officials and stakeholders to take responsibility for increasing knowledge of real property taxes and sensitising the public to the importance of generating their own revenue sources.
He said that because of its complexity and resource requirements, the Liberia Revenue Authority intended to expand its Local Government Real Property Tax Administration into fourteen counties, under the direction of the Real Estate Tax Division.
At the beginning of a week-long training exercise with the topic “Realising Fair Share of Revenue through Real Property Tax for County Development and Growth,” Mr. Jaber made the announcement in the counties of Nimba, Margibi, and Grand Basssa.
The project, according to the tax expert, aims to improve county development through revenue sharing, expand real property sector databases, close the gap on revenue leakages and loopholes, increase real property compliance, increase revenue collection, and increase citizens’ readiness to contribute to national development.
He stated that the Real Property Expansion Pilot Project aims to boost revenue collection across counties, broaden the tax base, and give local governments an opportunity to get their fair portion of the money made from real estate taxes paid in the counties.
The project, according to Mr. Jaber, is also a platform for developing incentives to encourage local governments to be effective and efficient in utilising their own potential for income mobilisation.
Joseph Fahnbulleh, who oversees the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning’s Public Financial Management Reform Coordination Unit, expressed gratitude and appreciation to local authorities and stakeholders for their enthusiastic participation and willingness to support the local government by raising tax compliance and revenue.
Superintendents in Nimba, Margibi, and Grand Bassa Counties lauded the Liberian Government for taking a significant step towards raising knowledge and promoting sensitization about the extension of real property taxes in the counties through the Liberia Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
In order to increase Own-Source Revenues through Real Property Tax Administration, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning collaborated on the week-long programme.
The government’s domestic resource mobilisation plan, which aims to increase revenue collection, growth, and development throughout the rural areas, is focused towards the Real Property Tax Administration’s awareness and sensitization of own-source revenue through Real Property Tax.
However, the opportunity to comprehend the elements of own-source revenues and advantages to county development and progress will be provided by the knowledge and education of county and local stakeholders on the extension of the real property tax.
Reported by: Augustine Octavius
Contact: +231777463963
Email: augustineoctavius@gmail.com
