New NRA Commissioner General Promises Teamwork, Transparency to Enhance Revenue Collection

Freetown, August 20, 2026 – Abu Martin Kanneh, the new Commissioner General of the National Revenue Authority (NRA), has promised a leadership agenda of teamwork and transparency as he takes over an agency he has served for more than two decades. In a rare act of transparency, the new CG voluntarily declared his and his family’s assets to the Appointment Committee while being vetted, a first in the history of public appointees, according to the Leader of Government Business.
“You have to get your team working, and the challenges of the Authority are something I want to solve as a collective,” Kanneh said. He said he is ready to “lead from the front or the back” if needed, showing a flexible, hands-on management style.
The Commissioner General said that closing revenue gaps was a key operational priority, with special focus on the informal sector, which he believes is the most probable source of leakages. He also promised to improve GST compliance by better employee engagement and public awareness campaigns. “We are going to go to the emerging problem, identify the area and then increase our engagement around that area to find practical solutions,” Kanneh explained.
The Ministry of Finance has established a performance contract to guide his tenure and expects there to be quantifiable improvements in revenue. The Authority’s response has been largely positive, with colleagues reportedly greeting his appointment with optimism and one colleague saying that the response has been “the highest accolades from your colleagues,” suggesting confidence that under his leadership, this will translate into improved fiscal outcomes for Sierra Leone.