By Henry Kargbo
An engagement was recently held by the Commissioner General, National Revenue Authority, (NRA), Ibrahim Swarray, together with senior management team and telecommunication operators with regards the 15% Goods and Services Tax (GST) charged on their mobile money transactions.
During the said engagement at the NRA headquarters in Freetown, among other things he said the 15% GST is deducted from the charges levied by telecommunication companies and not the principal amount the customers sent to families.
The 15% GST on mobile money comes as a result of the Finance Act 2023, text messages sent by the telecommunications companies to their customers is a deducting GST from the principal amount stands misleading.
The 15% GST on mobile money transaction is government revenue, but the Finance Act does not mandated that the charges should be increased, NRA Commissioner General.
Martison Obeng-Agyei, Director of Afrimoney Sierra Leone raised huge concerns about the 15% GST fees.
The Chief Executive Officer, Orange Sierra Leone, Sekou Amadou Bah told NRA’s Commissioner General they have written several letters to the National Revenue Authority (NRA) and copied other relevant institutions, citing Bank of Sierra Leone, Finance Ministry and National Telecommunications Authority for an engagement that has to do with the implementation of the Finance Act.
Having listening to concerns from the telecommunication operators, NRA’s Commissioner General disclosed he didn’t saw any of such letters or else would have called them long before now, because he is yearning for a win –win situation for both parties.
Commissioner Swarray therefore ordered them to bring all relevant documents for another engagement that the commissioner referred to truthful.
