Monrovia — The Liberia Revenue Authority has commended taxpayers in Lofa County for their continuous contributions to revenue collection in Liberia through the payment of their taxes.
Leading a weeklong LRA assessment and tax awareness delegation to the county, Commissioner for Domestic Tax Department Darlingston Y. Talery, on behalf of the LRA Senior Management, applauded taxpayers in the county for helping build Liberia with their taxes.
Commissioner Talery indicated that despite the many challenges that the business community faces in the county, they have not reneged on their obligations to their country and termed them as responsible taxpayers who are committed to seeing their county and country develop. He urged them not to stop their nationalistic duties, indicating that "the more money the government has in the revenue pot, the more it is empowered to carry on development" such as the ongoing Lofa road construction project.
During the weeklong tour of the LRA's Voinjama, Foya and Zorzor Districts Tax Business Offices (TBOs), the delegation held talks with local county authorities and the business community about collaborating to improve the Authority's services and visibility as a way of attracting tax compliance and revenue boost.
The discussions featured the automation of LRA services, with specific emphasis on mobile tax payment and real property expansion as well as 4% tax for small businesses, among others.
The Commissioner appreciated the local government and business people for working with the TBOs in Lofa and urged them to remain committed to supporting the country's development through their regular payment of taxes.
In order for a country to flourish and for its government to fulfill its responsibility of providing basic social services to residents, the payment of taxes is essential, and every law-abiding citizen and institution in Liberia must be tax compliant, Commissioner Talery told the gatherings.
Meanwhile, tax payers and the business community voiced their dissatisfaction over delays in getting tax clearance and business registration certificates, while others complained about the bad road conditions to Lofa which, they said, undermine their businesses and tax-paying potentials.
Commissioner Talery has assured that tax clearance certificates will now be issues in the county through the Foya, Voinjama and Zorzor TOBs, while discussions would be held with the Liberia Business Registry for the automation of acquiring business registrations certificates.
He emphasized that the taxes collected are at work with the ongoing pavement of the Gbarnga-Zorzor segment of the Lofa Road, while the Zorzor-Voinjama corridor will follow suit. The delegation meanwhile took stock of challenges TBOs are facing and assured the local staff of working with senior management to remedying them.
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Other members of the delegation included Assistant Commissioner for Taxpayer Services Division Isaac Beyan Stevens, Assistant Commissioner for Large Tax Margaret Krote, the Manager for Rural Tax Business Offices Clara M. Goba Harris, Manager for Modernization and Transformation Ambrose Bonny, and Manager for Communications. They made respective interventions by answering questions during discussions and took notes of challenges hampering tax payment in the county.
