Aggrieved revenue agents of the 26 collectorates at the Ministry of Finance, have reacted sharply to news reports that they were dismissed from the Ministry by the authority.

The revenue agents said at no time were they dismissed contrary to claims by the Ministry as aired on a local radio station.

The aggrieved revenue agents said they stand by their earlier statement in which they alleged that the authority at the Ministry were infusing untrained and unqualified people with well-trained and qualified people.

The revenue agents said as a tax collector, one should be bonded and trained for surety and honesty since they will handle government funds and other important properties including flag receipts.

They added that contrary to this standing policy of the bureau, people are being employed before they file bond.
They cited a particular case in point as the appointment of the new revenue agent at the Buchanan Collectorate whose employment letter was signed by the personnel director on December 17, 2003 before filing in bond.

They further accused the personnel director of usurping the function of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue whose responsibility includes the assignment and transfer of tax collectors to revenue agents with approval by the Assistant Minister for Revenue.

According to them, they are not against the normal transfer procedure, stressing that all they want is for such transfer to be done by the Commissioner of Revenue and approved by the Assistant Minister of Revenue. They called for the intervention of the NTGL Chairman in the illegal transfer of collectors.

They called on the NTGL Chairman to place stoppage on the pending induction for the controversial newly appointed agents for Kakata and other places until the problem is resolved to avoid payroll over-padding.

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© 2004: This article is copyrighted by The Inquirer newspaper (Monrovia, Liberia) and distributed by The Perspective (Atlanta, Georgia). All rights reserved.

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