Sierra Leone threatens crackdown on tax evaders

The government of Sierra Leone said on Thursday it would crack down on tax evaders in a move aimed at reducing the country's reliance on foreign aid.

"It is time as a nation that we begin to shoulder our own responsibility rather than depending on international donors' tax payers' financial support for our development," said John Bamba, a spokesman for Sierra Leone's National Revenue Authority.

Speaking on national television, Bamba said over 105 government ministries, departments and agencies have failed to bring in their tax obligations over the past year, leading to a shortfall in state revenue.

"For too long we have been holding dialogues with these evaders, so this time around punitive measures must be enforced," he said, without identifying the alleged tax evaders.

Peace was restored to Sierra Leone in 2002 following a bloody, decade-long civil war. However, despite abundant natural resources, including iron ore, bauxite and diamonds, the country remains one of the world's poorest.

Bamba said the revenue authority had a target of 930 billion leones, but between January and September 2010 had generated about 620 billion leones.

According to African Economic Outlook, revenue collection in 2009 stood at only 11 percent of GDP. In the same year Sierra Leone ranked 146th out of 180 states in Transparency International's corruption table.