Honourable Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has accused the National Revenue Authority (NRA) of obstructing efforts to recover outstanding debts. The PAC had directed commercial banks to garnish the accounts of defaulting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) for unpaid Goods and Services Tax (GST). However, the collected amount fell short of expectations, prompting an investigation. It was revealed that the NRA had instructed banks to halt debits on these accounts, a move Hon. Conteh called “an affront.”
Despite the setback, the PAC remains committed to its target of recovering SLE 50 million and is reviewing bank statements for accuracy. The committee has also set up a designated GST account for MDAs to directly deposit payments, streamlining the process. Hon. Conteh reiterated the PAC’s broader goal of recovering SLE 524 billion in outstanding tax liabilities, with SLE 30 million already recovered from twelve commercial banks.
