LRA Launches Leadership Skills Training Program To Maximize Performance

MONROVIA – The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), in collaboration with the Swedish Tax Agency (STA), has officially launched its first Leadership Skills Training Program. This initiative is part of the Competent Human Resources Development component under the Institutional Capacity Development Program (ICDP), sponsored by the Swedish Government through the STA.

The training program covers essential leadership topics such as self-actualization, leadership styles, team building, motivation, goal setting, and effective decision-making.

Speaking at the launch on Monday, May 20, 2024, at the Farmington Hotel in Margibi County, Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah urged participants to engage deeply with the training to enhance their leadership capabilities.

He emphasized that developing competent leadership within the LRA is crucial for improving overall performance and boosting revenue collection. The CG noted that LRA, under his leadership, is on a fertile trajectory, and attributed the development to the leadership shown by staff of the authority. In the wisdom of the CG, “every single staff of the LRA is a leader in a unique way, and because everyone plays a leadership role, that is why we are achieving and, we will achieve our revenue target.”

CG Jallah furthered that because more than 90 percent of the country’s revenue is generated domestically by the LRA, it would require increased performance to achieve the new revenue target of US$738.8 million. “To do so, we need the right leadership, and that is why we have gathered here for this training.”

The Commissioner General expressed gratitude to the STA and the Swedish Embassy in Liberia for their steadfast support in strengthening the LRA’s capacity.

Nikolina Stalhand, Program Officer for Democracy and Human Rights and Second Secretary at the Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia, commended the LRA’s leadership for prioritizing leadership development within the organization. In a statement read by STA Resident Advisor Kristian Paulsson, Madam Stalhand highlighted the strong collaboration between the LRA and STA, describing the Leadership Skills Training Program as a unique initiative to foster dedicated and humble leaders within the LRA.

Mariama Macauley, Deputy Director General for Training and Manpower at the Liberia Institute for Public Administration (LIPA), and Darlington A.P. Smith, Deputy Director General for Human Resource Management and Policy at the Liberia Civil Service Agency (CSA), emphasized the importance of continuous leadership training across government institutions.

They, in separate statements, noted that such training is essential for achieving the government’s ARREST Agenda. The officials applauded the LRA for initiating the training program, calling it a significant step forward in enhancing public sector leadership quality.

Designed for 90 staff members comprising the Senior Management Team, Assistant Commissioners and Middle-level Managers, the LRA Leadership Skills Development Program focuses on a range of essential modules. They include Self-Actualization, Introduction to Leadership & Styles, Building Effective Teams & the Culture of Motivation, Effective Communication & Building Trust and Respect, Setting Goals & Achieving them, and Effective Decision Making (or Thinking Strategically).

Launched in 2019, the ICDP focuses on three main areas: Modernizing Taxpayer Services to improve communication and service delivery, Developing Competent Human Resources to enhance staff competencies and leadership skills, and Enhancing Compliance Risk Management through reform analysis and tax gap analysis.

Supported by the Embassy of Sweden in Monrovia through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the ICDP addresses the low institutional capacity risk identified during the compilation of Liberia’s Domestic Resource Mobilization Strategy, which aims to increase revenue collection.