Corruption drains effective revenue generation and impedes national development efforts, according to the Anti-Corruption Commission’s northern regional director, Fatu Florence Kamara. She made the statement as part of her keynote address at a customised meeting with staff of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) held at the office of the Authority on Dr Vincent Kanu Road in Makeni, on 24 July 2025.
Mrs. Kamara noted that the key function of the NRA is to collect revenues including but not limited to taxes and custom duties for government. However, she stressed that unethical conduct such as complicity in tax evasion and tax avoidance could damage this vital role of the Authority, with dire constraints on the ability of government to generate the needed funds for development programs.
While she commended the Authority on taking strides to ensure increased tax compliance and seamless tax administration through digitalization, the director called on the staff to uphold best practices in service delivery. Aside from the need for technology to push up revenue collection, she added that the human aspects of transparency and accountability should be pursued to ensure good governance of revenue in the country.
‘I implore all staff members of the NRA here in Makeni – both permanent and volunteers – to refrain from any practice that may constitute an act of corruption under the 2008 Anti-Corruption Act, which was amended in 2019,’ she said.
Speaking on prevention, Mrs. Kamara pointed out that public education and cross-agency coalition are premium strategies the Commission employs to prevent corruption within the public sector. This is the reason 'we conduct meeting of this nature with Ministries Departments and Agencies and call for collaboration. And this is the carrot approach.’ The public, she went on, needs accurate and adequate information on the dangers of corruption and the benefits of living in a corruption-free country.
In his contribution, Senior Public Education Officer, Aiah Sourie, mentioned that while preventing corruption is a flagship approach, the Commission also applies the ‘stick’ – prosecution. He gave an overview of offences in the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 including Abuse of Office, Abuse of Position, and Offering, Soliciting and accepting an advantage. Mr. Sourie added that these offences go with increased penalties in fine and imprisonment, warning his audience to avoid coming into conflict with the force of the law.
Responding to the messages, Martin M. Bangura, manager of the Revenue Authority, commended the ACC’s approach to prevent corruption through public education engagements. He described the anti-corruption messages as a reinforcement to the core values of his institution. Mr. Bangura disclosed that the Commissioner General, Mrs. Jeneba J. Bangura, has always urged employees of the Authority to strive to adopt established standards in carrying out their duties and responsibility.
Mohamed M. Kallon, supervisor at the Domestic Tax Department, expressed similar sentiment, saying that the Authority has conducted meetings on the importance of integrity in delivering service to the public. He called the ACC to continue its engagement with the NRA and other public bodies in order to win the fight against corruption.
The meeting ended with an interactive question-and-answer session, and a vote of thanks delivered by Aminata Sarah Lamin, Revenue Officer.
