-LRA Commissioner General Denies Resignation Speculation
By Jerromie S. Walters
Amid recent report regarding his resignation, Dorbor Jallah, the Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), has clarified that he has not resigned from his position. In a post released on the LRA official Facebook page Wednesday, October 16, 2024, the Commissioner is quoted as saying, “I have not resigned. I am still the Commissioner General. We are actively working to expand the revenue envelope of Liberia.”
This comes amid swirling rumors and speculation about potential leadership changes within the agency. Jallah emphasized his commitment to the ongoing efforts aimed at enhancing the country’s revenue generation and financial stability.
The LRA, tasked with managing and increasing Liberia’s tax revenue, plays a crucial role in the nation’s economic development. Jallah’s leadership has been marked by initiatives aimed at improving tax compliance and broadening the tax base but with a little stint slime in recent weeks over his authorization for the purchase of a vehicle valued at US$96,000 by former Commerce Minister Amin Modad.
Amin Modad resigned from his post on Tuesday, October 8, 2024. Since then, many have called out the LRA Commissioner General to also resign. The controversy centers around allegations that Modad authorized the purchase of a customized vehicle valued at US$96,000 by the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) for his personal use.
This purchase is alleged to have violated the 2024 budget law, which stipulates that vehicle procurement costs, except for the highest-ranking officials such as the President, Vice President, Speaker, Pro-Tempore, Deputy Speaker, and the Chief Justice of Liberia, should not exceed US$45,000 after duty.
In a release on September 23, 2024, the LRA attempted to clarify the situation, denying the purchase of a vehicle valued at US$150,000, as some reports suggested.
The LRA confirmed that it had approved a request from the Ministry of Commerce in early May 2024 for US$96,000 from its Customs Capacity Building Fund under the Destination Inspection (DI) Contract with MEDTECH Scientific Limited (MTS) for vehicle purchases intended to support trade-related activities in collaboration with Customs.
The LRA emphasized that the specifications and deployment of these vehicles were determined by the Ministry of Commerce, not the LRA. Contradicting the LRA’s clarification,
former Minister Modad maintained that the vehicle in question was purchased for the Ministry of Commerce, with payments made directly to the vendor, and that no funds passed through the ministry or his accounts.
Howbeit, over the weekend, the LRA Commissioner General disclosed that as of September 30, 2024, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) says it has achieved a significant milestone, collecting a total of $513.8 million in domestic revenue. This figure represents an impressive 74% of the national domestic revenue target of $694.4 million for the year, marking a 12% increase compared to the same period last year.
The LRA’s collection efforts have surpassed the year-to-date revenue target by $54.3 million. The 2024 national budget has set an ambitious target of $738.86 million, with $696.4 million expected to come from domestic tax collection and an additional $42.4 million projected from external support.
Notably, as of now, no contributions have been received from external sources, highlighting that all revenue collected thus far has been generated domestically by compliant taxpayers. With $513.8 million already secured against the pre-recast annual domestic revenue target of $696.4 million, the LRA is on track to meet its revenue goals for 2024.
