Sierra Leone’s Auditor General, Anna Caesar has named financial indiscipline and irregularities in Ministries, Departments and Agencies as issues that adversely affect public accounts. Speaking to CTN almost a month after the submission of the Auditor General’s 2009 report to Parliament, Mrs. Caesar said failure by several government institutions to make their books available for inspection has always been a major challenge to the auditing process. The Auditor General’s report shows that at least twenty five public enterprises and commissions, among them prominent institutions failed to submit their accounts for the 2009 financial year.  The Auditor-General’s report is now with the Public Accounts Committee in parliament.

The person in charge of local tax revenues at the Freetown City Council has said that only Le 700 million was accrued from the payment of local tax in 2010. Arthur William Lewis made this disclosure to CTN, while explaining about proceeds from last year’s local tax revenues.   He said “the money collected fell below the 2010 target of more than two billion Leones.” “We did not even get as much as we collected in 2010,” Mr Lewis said.   Mr. Lewis blamed what he called “the disappointing tax collection exercise” on the reluctance of Freetown residents to pay their tax.   Mr. Lewis said citizen’s reluctance was due to what they believe is the Freetown City Council not living up to its expectations.   He said it appeared as if most of their projects being implemented in the municipality were not recognized.   He urged the public to regard the payment of taxes as a civic responsibility.  

Standard Charted Bank has launched the construction of a borehole well for residents of the Brookfields community west of Freetown. Addressing residents of the community, Albert Saltson, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bank, said the project was part of the bank’s social contribution, as well as supporting the government’s effort in ensuring sustainable water management. He said the bank’s water project worth one hundred and ten thousand dollars was aimed at providing water in ten communities in Freetown and Bo.   Commending the Standard Chartered Bank, Honorable Chernoh Bah of Constituency one hundred and ten, which covers the Brookfields community described the project as timely, especially when residents of the community had been finding it difficult to access potable water.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Department of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) has told CTN that the first year of the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Sierra Leone was a huge success.   Alfred Akibo-Betts said that the NRA was able to surmount most of the challenges encountered at the initial introduction of the GST.   Mr. Akibo-Betts said last year the National Revenue Authority (NRA) met its target of about one trillion Leones.   He said the NRA was determined to strengthen public education especially for clients who are defrauding the system.   Mr. Akibo-Betts however dismissed claims that the current price hike of goods and services was being influenced by the GST.   He called on the public to support the NRA in its revenue generation drive, which as he put it was the key to the current development programmes being undertaken in the country.