Revenue & Tax Policy Division

The Revenue and Tax Policy Division (RTPD) was created by an Act of National legislature in 2013 as a result of the Reform that detached the then Revenue Department from the Ministry of Finance, thus creating the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) and dissolved the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs. The RTPD, charged with the responsibilities of formulating tax policy and forecasting revenue, is headed by an assistant minister and comprises of four units (The Revenue Forecast and Modeling, Non Tax, Direct Tax and Indirect Tax Units), each headed by a director. The overall goals of the RTPD are twofold:

1. To formulate and design effective revenue and tax policies as well as keeping track and measuring the impacts on domestic revenue mobilization
2. To forecast revenue that feeds into the national budget, monitor and analyze the outturn and report same.
The revenue and tax policy division is charged with the statutory responsibilities to:

1. Provide daily revenue estimates to support the effective execution of the national budget
2. Develop and coordinate tax policies and procedures for personal and business income tax
3. Develop, coordinate, and evaluate tax policies with concentration in customs, GST / VAT, and Excise Tax
4. Coordinate the harmonization of indirect taxes within ECOWAS Region
5. Develop administrative policies on fees and non-tax related revenue

Non-Tax Unit
The Non Taxation Revenue Policy Unit is responsible for the development and evaluation of tax policies and legislation, in consultation with fees collecting Ministries and Agencies and the Liberia Revenue Authority, in the area of non-tax revenues relating to government ministries & agencies fees, including those specified under Chapter 21 of the Revenue Code of Liberia.

The unit is headed by a director (Oliver K. Clarke) and ably assisted by an assistant director, and core of senior analyst and analysts.

Modeling and forecasting unit
The function of the Modeling and Forecasting Unit within the revenue and tax policy division includes the following:
To develop and maintain data bases and models for revenue forecasting, analysis and evaluation of tax policies
Responsible for collating receipts of direct, indirect and non-tax revenues in consultations with other Divisions and Sections and passing them on to the Budget Division.

To bring together in one place the quantitative work and analysis of the division and would work closely with the other three Sections and the Macro and Fiscal Sector Policy Section of the Department of Economic Management.
The unit is headed by a director (Alphonso B. Teah) and ably assisted by an assistant director, and core of senior analyst and analysts.

Direct Tax Unit
The DTU is responsible for development, monitoring and evaluation of tax policies and legislation in the area of direct taxes, including personal and business income taxation and property tax, in consultation with Liberia Revenue Authority. The Direct Tax Unit also develops natural resource tax policies, including negotiations of mining, petroleum and other concession agreements. The DTU supports the Revenue Forecasting and Modelling Unit with the forecasting and performance monitoring of direct tax receipts as well as supports the Assistant Minister on tax harmonization emanating from International Tax Institutions on issues relating to direct taxation.
The unit is headed by a director (Prince Nelson) and ably assisted by two assistant directors, and core of senior analyst and analysts.

Indirect Tax Unit
To develop and evaluate tax policies and legislation in the area of indirect taxes in collaboration with the Liberia Revenue Authority. This includes customs duties, excise taxes, General Sales Tax and preparation for the introduction a VAT, as required by ECOWAS. To ensure the indirect tax harmonization within ECOWAS member states.
The unit is headed by a director (Hassan Karneh) and ably assisted by an assistant director, and core of senior analyst and analysts.