An advocacy group, Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Tax Administration the Institute for Democratic Action and Development ( IDAD), on Wednesday 19th April 2023, Concluded a one- day working meeting on the establishment of a Tax Justice Taskforce team.
The meeting was aimed at checkmating Government lines Ministries and agency on Taxes generation.
The inception meeting, was held at the IDAD office in Congo Town, with approximately ten CSO’s and community base organization within Montserrado County in attendance.
The CSO’s groupings brainstormed on formulas as a relate tax collection and it’s benefits.
Addressing the gathering in his opening Statement and Important of the Meeting, IDAD Program Director Sylvester J.M. Saye said the one day tax justice working group inception meeting was gear towards building the capability and strengthening the knowledge of various CSOs and CBOs in the establishment of a technical working group on issues relating to the collection of tax across the country.
Today we brought 11 civil society organizations including people with disabilities, trade union, Liberia business association, Liberia marketing association and the workers union among others so as to formulate a tax justice working group across the country says Mr. Saye.
He told the session that the tax justice working group will develop a strategic action plan which will be submitted to their partners to source out funding for it subsequent usage to help engaged the national legislature, and other relevant stakeholders.
” We want to build the capacity of CSOs and CBOs to engage national government who are to pay their taxes but aren’t paying”
Mr. Saye stressed the significance of the tax justice working group inception meeting was to establish a tax justice working group.
IDAD expectations from those CSOs and CBOs that are participating in today’s meeting is for them to have a knowledge and idea of establishing a tax justice working group that will foster the issues about tax administration in Liberia he adds.
He said IDAD is a nonprofit civil society organization that was established to promote the decentralization aspect of government edvidence was their involvement into the citizens feedback mechanism where he says they talk about government decentralization drives, and the strengthening the various counties service centers.
“Our aim and objective as civil society organization is to help provide education and create awareness around the issues of lawful tax collection in the tax justice system” nothing that his organization is currently working in ten of Liberia fifteen counties through a UNDP funded projects something he says will allow citizens to engage local government processes to development purposes can be adequately implemented.
At the closed of today’s meeting we hope to build the capacity and strengthening of the technical working group that will be established.
We want to increase the knowledge of those various CSOs and CBOs in creating awareness on how to engage key stakeholders including the national legislature and those institutions responsible for the collection of lawful taxes said Mr. Saye.
” We are anticipating that the beneficiaries will be aware that the taxes they pay should be equitably distributed for national development”
He recalled here in 2022 the Liberia Revenue Authority or LRA made a pronouncement about a huge collection in revenue generated which contribute significantly to the national budget.
He said it was against the backdrop that his organization saw it prudent to bring various civil society together to strengthen and build their capacity especially in the case where he says Liberia is a low income country interns of basic social services.
We as civil society serving as a watch dog decided to formulate policies and form a collaboration to see how best we can advocate for policies reforms in our different tax system here in Liberia he adds.
Joseph Cheayan, IDAD Executive Director lauded the participants for showing up and taken keen interest in the project.
He said the meeting was funded by ActionAid Liberia with their organization which he says has been in existence since 2019.
According to him the overall objective of the meeting was to consolidate ideas in the way where they will established tax justice network, says as civil society organizations, private sector, trade union, business association we all have a key role to play the taxes that we pay we should be able to put more pressure on government to deliver those basic social services.
He said it was against that backdrop that IDAD had call those various CSOs and CBOs to strategize, consolidate ideas to have the group established and begin their advocacies.
Meanwhile making remarks Action Aid Liberia communication officer Mr. Khulekani Sibindi express excitement to have sponsor IDAD in it’s quest to garther various civil society organization in building their capacity as it relates to the formulation of tax justice working group.
He said Action Aid was proud to have supported the initiative, adding that the coming together of various CSOs and CBOs to brainstorm will put the organization on the right trajectory as it relates to the formulation of the tax justice working group.
