President George M. Weah’s nominee for the Commissioner General position of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), Atty. Samora P.Z. Wolokolie, has been the center of discussion in street corners, with people opinionating about the merits and demerits of his appointment at this time, as well as his credentials, professionalism and character.
Wolokolie, who was recently nominated by President Weah to replace deceased Thomas Doe Nah, is the Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.
While he is being accused of contributing to the mismanagement of the country’s economy under the Weah administration, Dr. Wolokolie has had great impact on the revenue and tax policy of the country.
Investigation independently conducted by the Hot Pepper revealed that Dr. Wolokolie provided guidance on tax policy, resulting in increased revenue from 2018 to 2023; led the transition of the fiscal year from September to June to align with the calendar year—January to December; oversaw transitional activities related to Value Added Tax (VAT); managed amendments to the Liberia Revenue Code, focusing on streamlining tax expenditures in accordance with Section 16 of the Liberia Revenue Code.
Also, he effectively presented and defended national budget revenue estimates at the National Legislature for five consecutive years, and issued administrative regulations to facilitate trade and enhance revenue generation.
As regards expenditure policy and execution, Dr. Wolokolie played a major role in establishing transparency in budget execution reports; published weekly fiscal reports on the Ministry’s website; implemented a comprehensive data management system encompassing processes and people; and strengthened and improved the robust Cash Management System, enabling the preparation of cash plans guiding the allotment process based on available cash resources in the bank.
The financial expert also played a key role in renewing and extending the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, instituted fiscal measures leading to a significant decline in inflation from double digits to single digits and an increase in the economic growth rate.
Accordingly, it was based on these achievements and several other initiatives that President Weah nominated Atty. Wolokolie for the position, with the hope that he will perform, as usual, to help the government generate domestic revenue.
Dr. Wolokolie has over 18 years of impactful service in academics and public service, influencing and inspiring countless aspiring young Liberians through his role as a university assistant professor. His career spans public finance, certified public accounting, forensic auditing, and law, with a showmanship of ethical professionalism and dedication.
At Present, Dr. Wolokolie serves as the Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, and manages the nation’s fiscal economy, designs fiscal policies and supervises all government accounting operations and expenditure proposals. His previous roles include Managing Partner at BICON Inc. Liberia, Director of Internal Audit at the Ministry of Finance, etc.
He is currently a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) student, reading economics at the Faculty of Social Science and Law, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and M.Sc. in forensic accounting and audit in February 2020 and February 2016 respectively, from the Charisma University in the Turks & Caicos Islands and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Accounting from the Cuttington University in 2007, and a Bachelor of Law (L.L.B.) from the prestigious Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia in March 2021.
He is a member of several professional bodies, including the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA), Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ghana), Liberian Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (USA), International Institute of Certified Forensic Investigation Professionals, Liberian Institute of Tax Practitioners, Institute of the Financial Accountants (UK), and Institute of Public Accountants (Australia).