Monrovia- The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) will soon begin to license Customs Brookerage firms in the county, a press statement from the LRA said here on Thursday.
The exercise will be done through its Professional Responsibility Section of the LRA, which concluded a one-day dialogue on March 7, 2019 with Customs Brokerage firms across the country.
The aim of the meeting was to abreast existing and prospective clearing firms with the rules and requirements regarding the process of licensing Customs Broker Firms. During the interaction, the LRA management provided insight to the existing laws and encouraged customs broker firms to abide by the regulation laid down in the Customs Brokers Administrative Regulation and the Disciplinary Guide, including the Sanction Regime for Violation of Professional Conduct.
Making remarks at the program, Customs Commissioner Saa Saamoi urged heads of clearing firms in Liberia to remain in full compliance in meeting those set criteria as enshrined in the Customs Brokers Administrative Regulation and the Disciplinary Guide.
Commissioner Saamoi said the role of customs clearing firms are cardinal to the growth and development of businesses engaged in importation.
“You need to go just beyond clearing of containers, take your work to another level by technically advising your respective clients when they go wrong” He added. According to the Commissioner, broker firms have between now to June 30th, 2019 to meet all basic requirements to obtain their licenses to operate in the country. Commissioner Saamoi further said that access to the ASYCUDA will be granted to only broker firms meeting the set criteria after this June 30th 2019 deadline.
At the dialogue included seventy five (75) heads of clearing firms and the president of the National Customs Brokers Association of Liberia (NCBAL) Ivan Tumbay.
The move by the LRA is aimed at transforming and professionalizing the customs broker sector and creating integrity, competence and transparency. This is the first time that the LRA is initiating the licensing of customs broker firms to boost revenue collections, the LRA press release concluded.