By Nasratu Kargbo
Unlike the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) that collects ten percent (10%) commission from monies they recover, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament does not collect commission from monies recouped, according to Chairman of PAC Ibrahim Tawa Conteh.
Conteh made this statement on the 12th August 2024 during a public hearing on the Auditor -General’s Report in Parliament. He therefore expressed their committee’s wish for the ACC to allow them to handle the Auditor -General’s Report.
“When the ACC collects they take a percentage from what they collect, but we are collecting and not asking for anything, so it is better that we keep this report and work on it” he said. The Chairman who also doubles as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament said that even tax consultants that are contracted to collect revenue ask for an amount to be given to them.
He noted that they had collected about thirty billion, stating: “These is clear evidence that the PAC is working and our demand to get the ACC to allow us to deal with the audit report is indeed geared towards enhancing the collection and recovery of monies that they themselves cannot derail down to. When we report figures, these figures are authentic figures that have either been paid into the Consolidated Fund or credited to the necessary NRA’s GST account”.
Conteh said if they had requested for as little as one percent from the monies they collect, they would have had three hundred million from the recent thirty billion they had collected for the NRA, adding that they could have shared the money amongst themselves, but noted that their aim is to generate resources for the government.
The MP explained that what they want as a committee is for people that owe NRA to pay, stressing that the more revenue the government has, the better it can take care of certain issues such as salary increment and other developmental strides.
He stated that they have ensured Media presence in their hearings for transparency and to keep the public informed on the strides they are making towards recouping government’s money and sending out a clear message that any person that is liable will have to pay what they owe.
“No more secrecy under my watch, the era of secrecy has passed” he asserted.
Citing how effective they are in recovering monies, Conteh showed evidence of receipts which had just been presented to them by a representative from an institution called Moore Steven, amounting to six hundred and sixteen thousand five hundred new Leones, explaining that on the 3rd July they called Moore Steven to make payment and that in the receipt presented to them, the institution did so on the 5th July.
The MP explained that people have been complaining that he robustly recoups so much money not considering relationships, which was at variance to what obtained in the committee before. Conteh said the monies his committee collects are not for his personal use but for the country, explaining that he has never requested for NRA to give them some percentage neither negotiated for the same.
He said that so far they have only dealt with taxes and GST to be specific, revealing that they will soon start addressing issues on withholding and corporate taxes.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (16/08/24)
