Grand Bassa County tops quarterly tax collection

Grand Bassa County tops quarterly revenue collection across Liberia, contributing about US$416, 200 or 22 percent, the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) reveals.

LRA communication manager D. Kaihenneh Sengbeh, says total revenue collected so far is US$132.37 million from domestic and external resources.

Speaking on a local radio station in Monrovia on Thursday, 17 May he further discloses that US$1.89 million was collected from all 15 counties with Maryland County in second place, contributing US$362, 900.00, which constitutes 19 percent, followed by Nimba County US$252,000 or 13 percent, and Grand Cape Mount County coming fourth with US$178, 800, amongst others.

“The seventh place is Margibi County with US$145,000. If we were to add the Roberts International Airport then Margibi would had gone higher but the RIA is not included in the rural collection “, Sengbeh notes.

According to him, domestic resources are revenues collected within the borders of Liberia outside of donor funding.He says the LRA has a target of US$563 million to collect quarterly, based on the national budget.

“LRA doesn’t have an account where we put the money when collected; we will collect the money; it is deposited into the central revenue account at the Central Bank of Liberia “, Sengbeh explains.

He notes that the LRA runs a voluntary tax regime, and people need to come and declare. “We try to explain to the people the benefits of the taxes that are paid. If we don’t pay our taxes, our hospitals, lawmakers, security sector will all fall flat, because we are not depending on another country to do it for us, to build our own country.” He cautions.

By Ethel A. Tweh-Editing by Jonathan Browne