FARMINGTON, Margibi County—The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) is seeking a crucial partnership with the nation’s media to drive public understanding and trust in a sweeping series of tax reforms, including the ambitious Value-Added Tax (VAT) rollout by 2027.
Speaking at the close of a two-day workshop at the Farmington Hotel, LRA Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah declared the media an “indispensable partner” in explaining complex fiscal policies and countering the misinformation that often undermines compliance.
“Revenue collection is the lifeblood of government, funding schools, hospitals, roads, and the services citizens rely on,” Jallah told journalists. “But this mission cannot succeed without the trust and understanding of the Liberian people. That’s where your role as media practitioners is indispensable.”
Key Reforms and the Digital Shift
The training, which gathered talk-show hosts, editors, and reporters from Montserrado and several other counties, focused on how to accurately report on the major changes underway:
- Shift to VAT: The transition from the current Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the Value-Added Tax (VAT) by 2027.
- Digital Property Tax: An overhauled real property tax system implemented through digital mapping in collaboration with local governments.
- Expanded Excise Tax regime targeting the informal sector.
- Digital Transformation: The digitalization of LRA operations through systems like the Liberia Integrated Tax Administration System (LITAS), electronic fiscal devices, mobile-money tax payments, and real-time payment tracking.
“These reforms are ambitious but necessary,” Jallah said. “They will only succeed if Liberians understand them—and, more importantly, believe in them.”
Media as Guardians of Truth
Jallah stressed that the media’s role extends beyond simply publishing press statements. By reporting accurately, he noted, journalists help build national ownership of the process and serve as “guardians of truth” against disinformation regarding taxes and government spending.
The workshop aimed to establish a network of “tax ambassadors”—journalists committed to providing consistent, fact-based reporting on revenue collection and reforms.
Press Union of Liberia Vice President Beatrice Sieh welcomed the initiative, asserting that an informed press directly benefits the public and safeguards them from disinformation. Winnie Saywah Jimmie, managing editor of The Inquirer, highlighted the need for stronger economic sustainability for local media to facilitate this partnership, while a representative from Freedom FM urged the LRA to support international training for Liberian journalists.
Mutual Respect and Accountability
LRA’s Manager for Corporate and Media Public Affairs, Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh, emphasized that the collaboration is founded on “mutual respect, transparency, and accountability—not praise-singing.”
“The media plays a watchdog role, and we welcome that,” Sengbeh said. “But as you hold us accountable, we also count on you to ensure that information about taxation and customs is accurate and constructive—because misinformation helps no one, and truth benefits all.”
As the LRA seeks to broaden the tax base and increase compliance to fund development, the consensus from the Farmington workshop was clear: the success of Liberia’s revenue reforms hinges not only on effective administration but also on a well-informed public—and a media equipped to tell the nation’s financial story with clarity and purpose.
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