Director General of the Liberia Revenue Authority, Mr. James Dorbor Jallah diverted, escaped and shun conversation at the Liberian senate public hearing regarding the facilitation of the Liberia Revenue Authority regarding in the purchase of US$ 150,000 vehicle for former Commence Minister, Amin Modad.
Both LRA Director Jallah and self-resigned Commence Minister, Modad was invited by the Liberian senate based on communication from Margibi County senator, Nathaniel McGill and others to seeking an immediate investigation into allegation for the abuse of power, and misused of public resource involving the Minister of Commence and Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority.
The communication is intended to establish whether or not the authorization of public resource for the purchase of vehicle was done within the confirm of the law, which he believes violated the direct status of the Liberia Revenue Act and the Public Financial Management Law and the Budget Law of 2024 which clearly states that ‘’ all government institutions purchase vehicle not exceed more than US$45 thousand.
However, honoring the senate communication, LRA DG Jallah and his Commissioner for contracts stormed the Liberian senate.
When provided the space to testify to the allegation, senator Jallah said that even though the LRA has a statutory mandate to collect legitimate revenue for the country, they do so in collaboration with other agencies and Ministries of government.
According to him, over the years, the LRA has provided resources to those agencies to enhance revenue mobilization and in the specific instance case regarding purchase of vehicle, he just like to begged the indulgence of the body to give some historicity regarding performance of DI contract and the purchase of vehicle under that contract.
Jallah stated that on July 1, 2021, the government signed customs Destination Service Inspection contract with MTN and under that agreement, the LRA benefits a 20% share intended for both hard and soft capacity building of customs, adding that he was never in government at the time or signature to the contract.
He said that he inherited the contract almost three years later from the last administration, adding that in his almost respect for the rule of law, and the sanity of contract, he owned endower to kill any defect in the contract execution in respective of whether or not the government or the contract is at fault for this defect.
According to him, all of his efforts on this contract have been to achieve two goals which include, upholding law relating to contract and getting the maximum benefit the government negotiated for itself in the contract.
‘’ Regarding the allocation or purchase of vehicles for the Ministry of Commence, which is the subject of this meeting, following all the precedents from my predecessors I outlined and considering the Ministry of Commence as a key stakeholders to LRA particularly custom, was constrain at the beginning of the Financial year. We accepted request to make good fate allocation as it has always being done by my predecessors. The question that remains unanswered in my mind is, what did my predecessor of the last administration do right by providing resources for the procure purchase of vehicles for the Ministry of Commence as well as other agencies of government, what did they do right that I did wrong. What did they do then that was right that now I do the same thing, it’s wrong’’ Jallah contended.
Mr. Jallah said that the august body, the legislature has also benefited from resources expanded by LRA for members to joint study tour and others.
‘’As we speak right now, to investigate and analyze what our counterpart countries are doing in sub-region. We now have a proposal from the senate and the House for a study tour in our neighboring countries to learn how they are solving allocation similar to the road fund. And that proposal is before us from members of this august body, this legislature. If that is not wrong, how is expanding the resources to enhance domestic revenue mobilization is wrong’’ he wondered.
He further explained that unless that legislature in its wisdom grant unto them the power to do so, the LRA without legal authority to determine or enforce the speciation and value of vehicles of government agencies buys.
He said that on July 19, 2012, the government of Liberia represented by now senator Amarah Konneh then Minister of Finance and others signed a custom inspection Services Contract with befi, however, he added that under that agreement, the company procure ten vehicles for customs and some of which was given to customs services.
Also, he noted that September 30, 2016, the government of Liberia again signed another custom contract service with Befi and under that agreement, the company provided capacity building to customs including provision of equipment and contribution of residential building for customs among others at the amount of eight hundred twenty five thousand United States dollars.
Additionally, Mr. Jallah said that the capacity building also included the provision of three vehicle and ten motorbikes for the Ministry of Commence. However, he further indicated that in 2018, the government of Liberia extended the contract and they benefited from approximately four hundred thousand and vehicle was procured for Deputies Ministers at the Ministry of Commence and it’s still being used.
Later, the LRA boss left the conversation on the vehicle allegation and begun providing historical conversation on the LRA contracts and utilization of funds and intervention made by the institution to boss domestic revenue mobilization.
The LRA boss said that they have helped the Liberia National Fire Service in printing its certificate, and has funded joint enforcement exercise by the Ministry of Labor, Immigration Service, Transport and other institution.
Based on the diversion of the conversation, he was called to order to leave the success stories of the institution and focused on what he has been invited for.
However, LRA boss said that with due respect, this is an issues that has been wildly discuss in the media, while expressing dissatisfaction of being short in his explanation.
‘’ I already discuss the issue, but since they want a full context for the public consumption then, we will stop here. Senators: The order here is that the witness was presenting a global position of the LRA. He wants to deities how we conduct the hearing. Jallah: They said that we misallocated public resources. My point from all those resources is that we have not. Presiding: however, this session is adjourned and will resumed Tuesday with presentation distributed to all senators’’ concluded.
