Monrovia, Liberia – With a significant emphasis on strengthening anti-smuggling technical measures, the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) AFRITAC West 2 has formally commenced Phase 2 of its Customs Capacity Development Mission at the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA).
15 LRA Customs Officers will participate in a two-week anti-smuggling training during this phase. Numerous important topics are covered in the training, including operations, investigations, reporting systems, recordkeeping, information-sharing channels, and anti-smuggling tactics.
The mission is the first IMF-hosted anti-smuggling effort at the LRA and is headed by IMF specialists Kevin Atkison and Jacqueline Penfold. The program involves field evaluations and strategic interactions with important customs stakeholders in addition to classroom sessions.
IMF Expert Kevin Atkison promised attendees at Tuesday’s inaugural session that they will have a hands-on, intensive learning experience that will improve their operational effectiveness and investigative abilities.
The mission is a significant step in the Authority’s larger effort to modernize and professionalize its Customs operations, according to LRA Assistant Commissioner for Compliance and Enforcement, Atty. Blamo Kofa. In order to accomplish the institution’s objective of raising compliance and enforcement standards, he emphasized the significance of capacity building.
Although you are already knowledgeable about your field, it is always beneficial to adopt fresh perspectives that advance professionalism. Be open-minded, take in as much information as you can, and look for ways to modify this instruction to fit our local situation,” said Atty. Kofa.
He also asked the LRA Anti-Smuggling Unit Officers to maintain their concentration during the training, emphasizing that the knowledge and abilities gained must be used to better anti-smuggling procedures and observable changes in the LRA’s Customs Department.
The training is a component of the LRA’s continuous collaboration with foreign organizations to enhance domestic resource mobilization through more efficient customs enforcement and to develop institutional capacity.
