LRA to launch tax Inspectors Without Borders program

The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) will host a one-day High-level Hybrid launch of the OECD/UNDP Tax Inspectors Without Borders for Criminal Investigations (TIWB-CI) program at its headquarters in Paynesville on Thursday, April 4th.

Monrovia, Tuesday, April 2, 2024: The TIWB-CI program, a collaborative initiative spearheaded by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), aims to bolster tax administrations’ capacity to tackle tax crimes by disseminating knowledge and best practices.

According to a press release, central to this initiative is a self-assessment exercise employing the OECD Tax Crime Investigation Maturity Model (Maturity Model), offering a comprehensive framework to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of tax crime investigation practices.

The LRA fosters robust inter-agency collaboration, enhancing the nation’s capacity for tax crime investigations in concert with various law enforcement agencies and competent authorities, including the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Ministry of Justice, and Financial Intelligence Unit.

During Thursday’s launch, LRA Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah will indicate the LRA’s commitments to the TIWB-CI project and its pivotal role in empowering Liberia to combat illicit financial activities, thereby bolstering domestic resource mobilization endeavors.

The event’s hybrid format will enable local and international participants, including domestic law enforcement and financial crimes agencies in Liberia, to participate either in-person at the LRA premises or via Zoom, facilitated by the OECD.

Following the launch, an introductory session will convene for all participants, wherein the OECD will acquaint them with the TIWB-CI program, its objectives, and the forthcoming self-assessment workshop scheduled for the following week.

Slated to take place from April 8 to 11, 2024, in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, this workshop assumes paramount significance in fortifying the requisite capacity for effective tax crime investigations. It underscores our unwavering commitment to combating tax crimes effectively and fostering international cooperation through the OECD and UNDP partnership.

Facilitated by Olivia Okello, boasting extensive experience in criminal investigations and intelligence garnered from the Kenya Revenue Authority, the workshop will further endeavor to evaluate Liberia’s tax crime regime, representing the nation’s active engagement in the joint OECD-UNDP TIWB-CI.

The TIWB-CI program, tailored to provide technical assistance, aims to fortify jurisdictions’ tax crime frameworks and expedite resolving tax crime cases through real-time support of intricate investigations.

Adopting a ‘whole of government’ approach to combat illicit financial flows, each agency’s involvement is critical in ensuring the program’s success in Liberia. Press Release