HARBEL, MARGIBI COUNTY – The Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) on Friday, October 3, 2025, launched a two-day capacity-building training for editors and talk show hosts, aimed at deepening collaboration between the tax authority and the Liberian media to enhance accurate reporting on taxation and revenue mobilization.
The training, held at the Farmington Hotel in Harbel, Margibi County, brought together journalists, media executives, and LRA officials for what is being described as a historic step toward creating stronger communication links between the media and the revenue agency.
Danicius Kaihenneh Sengbeh, Manager for Communications, Media & Public Affairs (CMPA) at the LRA, delivered the opening statement, reflecting on his own journey from journalism to public service. Sengbeh, a former Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), said the initiative represents a deliberate effort to strengthen institutional partnerships.
“For the first time in the 11-year history of the LRA, we are deliberately creating space to strengthen our partnership with the media,” Sengbeh said. “Yes, we have always worked together, and the relationship has been largely smooth. But given the power of the press, we believe the time has come to do more to deepen this relationship, to build your capacity, and to equip you to tell Liberia’s tax story better and more accurately.”
Sengbeh emphasized that accurate reporting on taxation is not just a matter of communication but a strategic tool for national development. Drawing on media theories, he explained how information gaps, agenda-setting, and framing influence public perception of taxation.
“The Information Gap Theory warns us that when citizens lack access to credible information, they make poor choices,” he noted. “If taxation is framed as a burden, people will resist. If it is framed as a civic duty for development, people will embrace it. One headline or soundbite can either build confidence or sow distrust.”
He warned that misinformation or poor framing of tax issues could cost Liberia billions in potential revenue needed for schools, hospitals, and roads. “These theories prove one thing: if taxation is not properly explained, prioritized, and framed by the media, Liberia risks losing billions or not reaching billions in revenue,” Sengbeh cautioned.
The two-day workshop, which costs US$16,000, is part of a broader strategy by the LRA to empower journalists as “Tax Ambassadors.” According to Sengbeh, the initiative is not intended to turn journalists into public relations officers for the LRA but to strengthen their capacity to report on tax issues with clarity, depth, and accuracy.
“You are not here to be PR officers for the LRA, that would undermine your independence,” Sengbeh said. “You are here to be empowered as Tax Ambassadors, trusted voices who can interpret, analyze, and explain taxation for the good of the people.”
He praised the Press Union of Liberia for its role in previous collaborations and expressed optimism for stronger partnerships in future training programs across the country. If the LRA’s proposed budget is approved, the authority plans to train journalists in all 15 counties by 2026, building a network of at least 250 media tax ambassadors.
Sengbeh acknowledged that while many journalists seek clarification before publishing stories, others still speculate or report without sufficient information, fueling misinformation. “That is exactly why we are gathered here: to make the wrong right, to strengthen our partnership, and to open a bright line of communication,” he said.
The training will feature presentations from key LRA departments, including Domestic Tax, Customs, and the Communications, Media & Public Affairs section, with sessions designed to improve journalists’ understanding of tax systems and reporting approaches.
As the training began, Sengbeh called on participants to view the initiative as a shared national mission. “Over the next two days, let us converse, let us challenge each other, and let us learn together. “Because at the end of the day, whether you wear the badge of journalist or tax administrator, we are all working toward the same mission of building a stronger, better Liberia,” he concluded.
