Aminata Kelly Lamin, Governance Adviser with ActionAid said that tax has been serious challenge in the country since colonial days.
“The idea of tax sectors, like the Income Tax and the National Revenue Authority was introduced by the Government to facilitate tax issue in the country” Madam Kelly Lamin noted.
She pointed out that ActionAid believes the policies that promote fair, equitable and progressive tax systems are posed to eradicate poverty and enhance the dignity of people living in poverty.
She said this trend will build the capacity of civil society organizations, people living and working with poor communities and the media, on tax justice issues. It will further generate public interest, she stressed and urged for participation in identifying the effect of unfair taxes and demanding for a complete power shift.
“The power shift can only happen when citizens with enhanced capacity mobilise to demand fair tax actions to provide for public service delivery in the poor communities”, Madam Kelly Lamin lectured.
She explained the training would contribute to a national movement of tax campaign in Sierra Leone made up of youth, women, civil society activists and media practitioners; empowered to demand transparent and accountable and fair taxes, that enhance equity and accessibility and affordability to basic public social for the people living poverty.
The training brought together civil societies, NGO’s expertise, who charted the way forward for Sierra Leoneans to know their right about taxpaying and to hold their Government accountable for not providing them basic necessity after paying their taxes.
