Following concerns raised by the Ministry of Finance over low domestic revenue generation in February 2025, the National Revenue Authority (NRA) has rolled out a series of corrective measures aimed at curbing revenue leakages at customs, according to a public notice issued by the NRA’s Public Affairs and Tax Education Unit on 3rd March 2025.
These initiatives, the NRA stated, are designed to enhance tax compliance and financial accountability without introducing new taxes, reinforcing the government’s focus on improving revenue collection through better enforcement and transparency.
The latest measures, totaling 21 corrective actions, primarily target fraudulent practices within customs operations. A key reform involves stricter controls over the issuance of Classification and Valuation Certificates (CVCs), which are managed by the government-contracted Integrated Trade Service (ITS).
Under the new policy, NRA Customs Services Department officials will now have direct access to these certificates, ensuring that declared valuations remain accurate and unaltered before customs processing.
“These measures are likely to infuriate certain individuals and/or groups of people who may be beneficiaries of the bad practice,” the notice emphasized, signaling the NRA’s firm stance against revenue malpractice.
The move comes days after Finance Minister Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura and his team visited the Customs Department at the Port and other key tax collection points, urging NRA officials to enforce existing tax laws and improve compliance. During these visits, NRA Commissioner General Jeneba Bangura disclosed a 25% revenue shortfall since January 2025, prompting renewed efforts to close tax loopholes.
Reaffirming the government’s position, the NRA clarified that no new taxes have been introduced in 2025, as outlined in the Finance Act 2025. Instead, the focus remains on reinforcing compliance and minimizing revenue losses as a strategy to boost collection without increasing tax rates.
“It is important to emphasize that the Government has not imposed any new taxes as evident in the Finance Act 2025 since it is convinced that revenue collection in 2025 can be improved just by strengthening tax compliance and reducing leakages without necessarily raising tax rates or imposing new taxes,” the statement reiterated.
The public has been urged to support these reforms by rejecting tax evasion practices such as under-declaration, misclassification, document forgery, and collusion with customs officials—activities that undermine revenue collection and national economic stability.
