FCC Clamps Down on Local Tax Defaulters By Melvin Tejan Mansaray ‘If you don’t want to be embarrassed on your traveling in and out of Freetown, then pay your Local Tax’, This was the statement by Freetown City Council Metropolitan Police officers who this week stormed major traveling routes around Freetown to restrain if not arrest Local Tax defaulters from traveling out of the city and those arriving from outside the city. According to the Metropolitan Police, tax compliance is a constitutional duty of every Sierra Leone. They maintained that they will not continue to sit by and watch whilst a good number of the citizenry do not or refuse to pay tax, whilst others are complying. However, the issue of tax compliance is one that has always faced opposition if not avoidance. Last week at Jui and in some other outskirt communities, hundreds of commuters were disrupted by Metropolitan Police when they mounted a barricade, checking for those that have not obtained Local Tax payment slips. Surprisingly, many of the travelers had not thought of such a holdup which many described as an embarrassment as they had not prepared for the unforeseen tax defaulters arrest. Others blamed the FCC for not adequately informing them about the campaign. According to many residents of Freetown, though the payment of tax is obligatory, many of them are finding it very difficult to pay, especially when they consider the negative past of the former Mayor Herbert George Williams, whose administration was found wanting of squandering huge sums of tax payers money. However, the present Mayor, Franklyn Bode Gibson has stated that this should not warrant tax defaulting as his Council is working relentlessly to provide a facelift on the ancient city of the Freed Slaves, Freetown. ‘If they don’t pay their taxes, where do they expect Council to get money,’ he asked, adding that taxes are needed for the Council and the Municipality to actualize development programs; as 40% of tax money would be returned to the communities for such development programmes. The FCC has nonetheless called on the general public to see reason and comply with the Local Government Tax Policy as outlined in the 2004 Local Government Act; and assured compliers of accountability and transparency.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 09:44:26 +0000
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