By Alpha Good Kamara
The Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning has on Thursday 25th May, 2023 launched the National Revenue Pay Platform. The launching ceremony took place at the Ministry of Lands Conference Room at Youyi Building on Brookfields in Freetown.
Making his statement, the Director of Surveys and Lands at the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Tamba Dauda said that the Ministry has various revenue streams, adding that the Ministry has over the years been challenged by computation of figures of revenue that it generates per year adding that the Ministry has been struggling to get bank statements from banks in which monies are deposited on its behalf.
He said that the Ministry sometimes cannot determine what they have collected in a year as per revenue stating that whenever the Ministry is defending its budget difficulty is encountered because of lack of correct data or figures especially with regards to what they have generated.
Tamba Dauda stated that the launch of the National Revenue Pay Platform will enable the Ministry to be able to know the total amount they are generating.
He said the Ministry has also experienced payments purportedly made into the consolidated revenue fund with fake receipts presented to the Ministry.
One of the Commissioners at National Revenue Authority, Sheku Fadika suggested that there is need for Government to strengthen revenue collection.
He said that NRA is keen on discouraging the traditional way of revenue collection adding that through technological innovation it will enable the Lands Ministry to meet the revenue collection target and there will be less tax avoidance and evasion.
Sheku Fadika said that if they are to adopt the available technology and mobilize more revenue the country’s dependence on foreign aid will be reduced.
He noted that NRA has been facing challenges in revenue collection from some MDAs which he said resulted in a gap between what they collect and what they are supposed to collect.
The Commissioner revealed that the National Revenue Pay Platform has benefits to tax payers which includes convenience, flexibility and lowers transaction costs.
Giving the keynote address, Deputy Minister of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Rev. Abraham Sesay-Jones stated that the platform is a transparent and fully accountable system, adding that he is with the strong conviction that the platform it will increase the Ministry’s revenue base.
He maintained that with the platform, the Ministry will be able to implement the SOPs and generally improve service delivery.
Climaxing the event was the official launching of the National Revenue Pay Platform by the Deputy Ministry of Lands, Housing and Country Planning, Rev. Abraham Sesay-Jones.
