ACC Steps In as Questions Mount Over 5% Rice Import Duty Revenue
Sia Lucy Kannah The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has engaged the Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) over concerns surrounding the management of revenue generated from the 5% rice import duty and its intended contribution to the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF).
During the engagement at Integrity House in Tower Hill, ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. said the Commission was concerned about issues raised in BAN’s report and committed the ACC to working with BAN to establish what happened and make appropriate recommendations.
Commissioner Kaifala proposed a two-way approach, with BAN providing recommendations from a civil society perspective, while the ACC conducts its own checks, prepares a report, and shares its findings and recommendations with the Minister of Finance.
BAN Coordinator Abu Bakarr Kamara commended the Commissioner and the ACC for their openness to engagement with civil society. He explained that BAN’s advocacy seeks to ensure that women benefit meaningfully from taxation and agricultural investments, including through its call for at least 30% of relevant ADF resources to benefit women farmers.
The engagement forms part of the ACC’s broader commitment to strengthening transparency, accountability, and traceability in the management of public resources.