By Ralph Sesay
Margaret Murray, Public Relations Officer, Anti Corruption Commission has told newsmen in Freetown that the ACC has cleared Orange Sierra Leone over reports in the 2018 Auditor General’s that they owed Government Le 4.2 billion in taxes.
The ACC mouthpiece continued that on the 7th January, 2020 the Commission called a press conference inviting the media,civil society players and partners in the fight against graft to discuss the Auditor General’s Report of 2018.
Murray confirmed that at the said meeting the ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala had mentioned a number of MDA’s, Public Enterprises and GSM companies of in default in the AASL report.
Orange Sierra Leone, Murray continued was reported to have owed the Government of Sierra Leone Le 4.2 billion in taxes.
The ACC according to her had assured members of the press,civil society players and the general public that his Commission will work with the NRA and Orange Sierra Leone to recover the said amount as noted by the auditors.
Orange Sierra Leone like many others entities mentioned in the report had approached the ACC to clear their organization’s image, Murray stated.
She disclosed that Orange Sierra against this backdrop has provided sufficient and adequate documentary proofs to the ACC to substantiate that they are fully tax compliant to the NRA and do not owe the Government of Sierra Leone a dine.
The ACC’s Public Relations Officer assured newsmen that the Commission has vetted all the documentary evidences provided by both Orange Sierra Leone and the National Revenue Authority with regards the tax status of Orange Sierra Leone.
Nightwatch has also seen a letter from the Director General of NRA ,Samuel .S.Gibao addressed to the Chief Executive Officer Orange Sierra Leone, Aminata Kane dated 10th January,2019 clearing Orange Sierra Leone of all tax obligations to the Government of Sierra Leone.
The NRA in the said correspondence has exclusively noted that Orange Sierra Leone has fully and completely discharged their full tax obligations to the NRA including the Le 4.2 billion liability reported in the 2018 Auditor General’s Report.
The letter has also indicated that the Le 4.2 billion tax arrears mentioned in the AASL report was an outstanding plan in line with the payment plan as at the time of the external field audit.
The Anti-Graft body said responses to the queries raised in the AASL report against Orange Sierra Leone were forwarded by the NRA but could have arrived late prior to the publication of the 2018 Auditor General’s Report.
NRA has also praised Orange Sierra Leone as a tax complaint company and remains one of the many operating in the country that has a tax advisory unit within its internal structures.
Orange Sierra according to the NRA Commissioner has remained in constant touch with the Authority on its tax obligations.