Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, October 22, 2025
The Commissioner General of Sierra Leone’s National Revenue Authority (NRA), Madam Jeneba J. Bangura, had an extensive engagement with Mr. Renaud Massenet, Chief of the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) on the sides of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), to discuss key areas of collaboration, including policy review, revenue mobilization, systems audit, and capacity building — all central to President Julius Maada Bio’s Big Five Game Changers agenda.
On behalf of His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio, Commissioner General Madam Bangura expressed appreciation for Mr. Massenet’s leadership and for UNCTAD’s continued technical assistance to Sierra Leone, particularly through the ASYCUDA World platform, which enhances revenue mobilization, transparency, and system efficiency. She emphasized that ongoing training and system strengthening are critical to restoring both internal and external stakeholder confidence in Sierra Leone’s revenue institutions.
The Commissioner General further noted that the priority areas identified by the UNCTAD Chief of ASYCUDA—such as technical and financial assistance, audit, and revenue mobilization—align closely with the Government of Sierra Leone’s development priorities. She reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to strengthening its revenue administration systems and called for continued collaboration with UNCTAD in advancing digital transformation, revenue governance, and e-commerce initiatives.
She underscored the importance of policy reform and institutional review in building stakeholder confidence, noting that such initiatives are essential to realizing the transformative impact of President Bio’s Big Five Game Changers.
In his remarks, Mr. Renaud Massenet commended Sierra Leone’s leadership and progress in enhancing revenue mobilization and digital transformation. He particularly highlighted NRA’s efforts to upgrade digitization and strengthen training and capacity building across the National Revenue Authority, Ministry of Finance, and other relevant institutions — describing these actions as critical steps toward sustainable economic growth.
He also reiterated UNCTAD’s strong commitment to supporting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) like Sierra Leone, ensuring that the benefits of enhanced revenue mobilization and digital systems reach citizens at all levels. He reaffirmed UNCTAD’s readiness to continue providing technical assistance and capacity-building support to Sierra Leone in areas including audit, digitization, and system modernization.
Mr. Massenet further praised the NRA Commissioner General for her proactive participation in the 31st Session of the United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters, currently taking place in Geneva.
Both parties acknowledged the importance of the engagement, as a foundation for sustained collaboration and constructive dialogue aimed at delivering tangible results in their shared areas of interest.
The Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Geneva continue to champion Sierra Leone’s interests in the multilateral sphere, including during the ongoing UN discussions on international tax cooperation.
For further information, please contact:
Mohamed Sheriff
Information Attaché, Geneva