Tax Updates in West Africa – Sierra Leone and Togo: by Emeka Nweke, Tax Research Manager, WATAF.

 

NATIONAL REVENUE AUTHORITY, SIERRA LEONE LAUNCHES MOBILE PAYMENT APP AND E-SERVICE

The National Revenue Authority on Thursday 28th July 2022 launched a Non-Tax Revenue Mobile Payment Application which is an E-Service platform aimed at enhancing easy payment access for all government services offered by Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

This platform will automate all non-tax revenue payments, resolve payment verification challenges, Improve the entire collection process through a payment App among others.

This initiative is part of the African Development Bank (AfDB) project titled ‘Enhancing Tax Compliance’ (ENTACO) which was earlier flagged off in 2019.

The Commissioner General of NRA Dr. Samuel S. Jibao emphasised that the new online platform for the non-tax revenue payments will lead to easy payment of court fines and other payments in locations where banks may not be available, easy verification of payment, automatic receipting, and ease of reconciliation with the banks.

He enjoined all who witnessed the demo session of the payment process to come on board in making this desire a reality.

OFFICE TOGLAIS DES RECESETTES (OTR) LAUNCHES THE SECOND EDITION OF MEDIA COMPETITION ON TAX CIVILITY

On Wednesday, September 21, the OTR launched the second edition of the Tax Media Competition. The ceremony was flagged off in the presence of the Minister of Communication and Media, Government Spokesperson, the Commissioner General of OTR, the president of the Togolese Media Observatory (OTM), and various actors from the world of the Togolese media.

The media competition on taxation is a collaboration between the Togolese Revenue Office (OTR) and the Togolese Media Observatory (OTM) with the objective of promoting the work of Journalists as a means to drive voluntary consent to taxation. This joint initiative will make use of all media channels to raise awareness of tax compliance.

It is expected that the that the competition will help to sensitize, train and further educate the Togolese taxpayer on the role of taxation in the development of a nation and this informed the choice of the theme – Taxation and Local Development.

Media professionals have a timeline of two (2) months to submit their works and four prizes are up for grabs, in the written press, online press, radio and TV categories.