Customs House, Cline Town
Freetown
30th July 2025
The National Revenue Authority (NRA), through its Customs Department, held a productive meeting with commercial banks and the Association of Clearing and Forwarding Agencies (ACFA) as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance transparency and efficiency in revenue collection processes.
The meeting brought together representatives of all thirteen banks collecting revenue on behalf of the authority, key top officials at the customs department and executives from ACFA. The discussions focused on collaborative strategies to improve the collection, remittance, and reconciliation of government funds.
Commissioner of customs, Mr. Tennyson Bio emphasised the important role of financial institutions in effective public revenue management. He urged banks to prioritise the timely transfer of government revenue and highlighted the significance of accurate monitoring and reporting to facilitate smooth trade operations.
“We are counting on our banking partners to ensure that every transaction is properly monitored and accounted for. This is essential for maintaining trust and improving overall service delivery,” he stated.
Deputy Director of Finance, Mr. Christian Alex Kamara, reiterated the Commissioner General’s commitment to developing a robust revenue reconciliation and reporting system. He stressed the importance of integration and coordination between the Authority and its financial sector partners. Mr. Kamara encouraged banks to ensure the timely remittance of collected revenues and to provide both access to core banking platforms and daily hard and soft collection returns to aid prompt reconciliation.
As part of modernising the Authority’s revenue systems, the NRA proposed a series of reforms aimed at streamlining processes and strengthening accountability. These include access to core banking applications to enable real-time viewing of transactions, daily submission of collection returns, and improved communication between clearing agents and their customers.
All attendees welcomed the proposed measures and expressed their willingness to collaborate on reforms that would enhance the overall effectiveness of the revenue collection framework. Representatives from ACFA and the banking sector pledged their continued support to the NRA and acknowledged the importance of shared responsibility in strengthening national revenue systems.
The engagement reaffirmed the collective commitment of stakeholders to work together in advancing systems that support national development while promoting trust, efficiency, and transparency in public finance.
Public Affairs and Tax Education
National Revenue Authority
RENSIS House, 5 Gloucester Street, Freetown
www.nra.gov.sl
