Globalizing Custom Into Positive Force

-As LRA Takes Int’l Customs Day Celebration To Ganta

The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), through its Customs Department, will join 181 other customs administrations of the world on Saturday (Jan 26) to commemorate International Customs Day (ICD).

This year’s celebration is being held under the global theme: “Smart Borders For Seamless Trade, Travel And Transport”.

In commemoration of the event, the LRA will add to the regular street parade and indoor program, a one-day soccer and kickball tournament in Ganta, Nimba County, with other paramilitary agencies including the Liberia National Police, Liberia Immigration Service, and the National Drug Enforcement Agency as well as the National Customs Brokers Association of Liberia.

LRA Commissioner General, Thomas Doe Nah said the celebration which is usually held in Monrovia will this year take place in Ganta as a way of “taking the LRA and its Customs Administration to the people”.  Besides, Nimba County currently contributes the highest Customs revenue amongst land border counties.

The celebration of the ICD in Nimba County will further serve as a tax awareness via which the people, especially taxpayers there, will better understand the importance of the LRA and their tax obligations to their country.

The LRA Customs Department, working along with other border agencies as a joint team, plays a pivotal role in facilitating trade and travel, simplifying, standardizing and harmonizing border procedures, and securing the borders of Liberia.

The Department is taking the lead in consolidating and further amplifying the ongoing global efforts to ease the flow of goods and people across borders, thus turning globalization into a positive force.

The ‘SMART’ as used in this year’s theme represents Customs ensuring Secured, Measurable, Automated, Risk Management-based and Technology-driven processes in compliance, enforcement and facilitation efforts.

Over the year, the LRA has worked towards simplifying and modernizing customs procedures including the establishment of a Centralized Assessment Unit. This establishment has provided a platform for a paperless environment through which Customs declarations are processed, thus significantly reducing cost and time of declaring and clearing goods.