Monrovia, Liberia – The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) began a week-long process on Tuesday, July 8, to update and improve its Customs Department’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Increased productivity, operational efficiency, and alignment with the Authority’s ongoing digital transformation are the goals of the change.
With the help of the Enterprise Design, Quality Assurance & Results Division (EDQARD), the exercise aims to make sure that all Customs SOPs take into account modern realities, such as technological improvements and the automation of essential business procedures. This includes the development of a computerized platform for processing Duty-Free applications and the automation of at least six LRA Customs Business Offices.
The Customs Department owns 30 of the 109 SOPs that the LRA possesses in total. These 30 Customs SOPs are currently being reviewed to align with the Authority’s rapidly shifting digital environment.
The Manager for Enterprise Design, Quality Assurance, and Results at EDQARD, Mr. Thomas Jallah, stated that SOPs are essential to institutional efficiency because they define roles, provide necessary resources, and outline expected results, all of which promote public and taxpayer confidence.
“In order to guarantee uniformity and excellence in the way tasks and procedures are carried out, especially within the Customs Department, these SOPs offer detailed instructions,” he stated.
Jallah added that “SOPs are essential for promoting efficiency, transparency, accountability, and compliance, while eliminating confusion and operational conflicts, in an organization that generates revenue like the LRA.”
To guarantee robust checks, balances and adherence to global best practices, representatives from a number of other departments are also participating in the process, including Legal, Internal Audit, Risk Management, and the Commissioner General’s Office.
Attorney William L. Buku, Assistant Commissioner for Customs Policy and Technical Operations, emphasized the value of accountability and adaptability. He called on customs officials to assume complete accountability for determining the instruments they will employ, since they are the owners of the process.
“You are the focus of this, you are creating specific documents you will utilize in accordance with the law. Be truthful and realistic. Your work here will be accepted and used as a benchmark and guide for your everyday activities, this process is yours,” Buku remarked.
Mr. Rufus Mahn, the Officer-in-Charge of the Internal Audit Department, also spoke during the inaugural session and said that although his department does not control the process, its function is to direct it from a management and compliance perspective.
In the best interests of the LRA, he said, “We are here to help strengthen these SOPs by ensuring checks and balances, identifying gaps, and offering recommendations to improve efficiency.”
System modifications over time, such as the switch from SIGTAS to the more recent LITAS platform, have rendered many of the current SOPs redundant. This endeavor comes after a similar review in June modified 13 Domestic Tax Department SOPs to reflect current operations.
SOPs are essential to professionalism, effectiveness, and good governance; they are not just bureaucratic tools. By ensuring that income is collected, managed, and reported in a transparent, responsible, and efficient manner, organizations like the LRA eventually contribute to the growth of the country.
Single Administrative Document (SAD) process, General Cargo Examinations, Detention and Seizure of Forfeited Goods, Customs Service Fee Collection, Control and Reporting of Craft and Cargoes, Processing of Travelers and their Baggage, Customs Operations at Rural Sea Ports, Airport Cargo Handling, Clearance Process at the RIA Customs Business Office, and Clearing Procedures at the LPRC Customs Collectorate are some of the Customs SOPs that are currently being reviewed.
