MONROVIA – The Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), James Dorbor Jallah, along with Deputy Commissioners for Administration and Technical Affairs, pledged their commitment over the weekend to institutional reform and adherence to policies aimed at boosting transparency, building staff confidence, maintaining integrity, and enhancing revenue collection.
The LRA executives emphasized in separate statements that the LRA operates as a professional institution with rigorous policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) that uphold its integrity. They committed to these standards as they lead efforts to meet the nation’s revenue targets.
These commitments were made during a three-day review of the LRA’s key policies and SOPs. Organized by the Enterprise Design, Quality Assurance & Results Division (EDQARD), the review aimed to ensure that internal processes effectively support the LRA’s lawful revenue collection initiatives.
The LRA currently maintains over 100 SOPs and policies, many of which were established between 2016 and 2018. According to Thomas Jallah, Manager of the Enterprise Design and Results Section (EDRS), the review focused on essential SOPs, including those on taxpayer return processing, HR staff rotation, and logistics management, to align them with current operational needs and challenges.
EDQARD’s Assistant Commissioner, Niasehkar Glausea, stated that following stakeholder engagement and feedback, the Division will work with SOP owners to develop process flows for each new and revised SOP, ensuring ease of understanding and compliance.
Deputy Commissioner General for Administrative Affairs, Samuel Bennett Jr., commended participants for their dedication and urged them to approach discussions purposefully as they refine these critical policy documents. He remarked, “We are on strong footing; let’s continue making progress together.”
Deputy Commissioner General for Technical Affairs, Gabriel Y. Montgomery, voiced his support for revising policies and SOPs to meet present-day realities. Highlighting taxpayer return processing procedures, he stressed the importance of collaboration with the banking system to streamline returns. Montgomery noted that if SOPs and policies are re-engineered and rigorously followed, they will strengthen the LRA’s operations and drive revenue growth.
Meanwhile, Commissioner General Jallah praised EDQARD for engaging internal stakeholders in these critical discussions to align LRA’s policies with current needs, including digitization. He emphasized that beyond creating or updating policies, everyone must adhere to these standards consistently to achieve the desired outcomes. “We must show discipline and live up to the standards we establish. We look to you, the experts, to craft policies and SOPs that drive our success,” Jallah noted.
The executives announced that the revised policies and SOPs would be presented to the incoming LRA board for approval. Once endorsed, these policies will be implemented to enhance the effectiveness of LRA operations and improve revenue collection.
The three-day event concluded with participants recommending the reengineering of several policies, including staff rotation, staff secondment, asset disposal, work incentives, and staff professional ethics investigations—all aimed at enhancing transparency, accountability, and revenue collection.
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