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There appears to be a simmering war between the Minister of Finance, Dennis Vandy and the Chairperson of the National Revenue Authority (NRA), Mrs. Tuma Adama Gento-Kamara.
It all started with a letter written by the Minister of Finance, dated 20th January, 2022 and addressed to the Board Chairperson of the NRA. The letter instructed the Board Chairperson not to proceed with the Board’s earlier decision to visit and invite businesses for a forensic study on perishable and expired goods stocked in their respective warehouses.
The Finance Minister’s letter stated that such an action by the NRA Board “will result in unhealthy business environment impacting on economic and financial governance of the state.” The Minister in his letter added that, he is putting in place structural and administrative changes at the NRA as well.”
However, in her response to the Finance Minister’s letter, the Chairperson of the NRA Board wrote among other things that: “In its exercise of any of its functions under the NRA Act, the Authority shall not be subject to the directive ad control of any person or authority…the Board is independent.” She furthered instructed the Finance Minister that: “Investigation and disciplinary powers rest with the Authority which can delegate same to the Commissioner General and which also gives the Board of Directors the responsibility to formulate amongst other things, policies for the Authority.”
According to The Open Space Newspaper, she wrote further in her letter that: “I wish to bring to your notice that your directive is not supported by the law which governs the Authority and our investigation does not in any way result in an unhealthy business environment impacting on the financial and economic governance of the state, adding that the Finance Minister has “no evidence to back up such assertation.”
Meanwhile, it is not known what next step the Finance Minister will take in this showdown with the NRA when it is clear that the latter clearly knows its mandate under the law and is determined not to stoop to any person or authority that wants it to do otherwise.
