Liberia Revenue Authority Commissioner General Is Dead
— Nah, tenured at the LRA, saw several reforms that streamlined tax administration, raising the bar of revenue collection from US$400 million to US$700 million, the highest in the country’s history in 2021.
Thomas Doe Nah, the civil society icon who transitioned from his role as an anti-corruption activist to spearhead national revenue generation as Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), smashing domestic revenue records, has passed away.
Nah had a battle with stomach cancer and received treatment in India for a few months.
In a statement, the LRA said it was “deeply saddened to learn, through family sources, about the passing of Commissioner General Thomas Doe Nah, who had been on medical leave. Our heartfelt condolences extend to his wife, family, and loved ones.”
“The Executive Management, staff, and employees of the LRA join together in offering prayers for the peaceful repose of CG Nah’s soul. We mourn this irreparable loss and extend our heartfelt sympathies during this difficult time,” the family added.
Nah, tenured at the LRA, saw several reforms that streamlined tax administration, raising the bar of revenue collection from US$400 million to US$700 million, the highest in the country’s history in 2021. Between 2018 and 2021, his administration collected an aggregate domestic revenue of US$1.954 billion, well above the US$1.796 billion collected in the previous four years (2014-2017). Colleagues remember Nah as a visionary leader and a man of integrity, whose legacy extends beyond his public sector achievements as a champion of anti-corruption measures.
He joined LRA in 2018 as an experienced civil society actor and financial sector professional who had worked and advocated for improved governance systems in post-conflict Liberia. He was reappointed to his post by President Weah in 2022 after his first four-year tenure came to an end.
Nah once worked as Program Lead at the Carter Center and Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), which he co-founded. CENTAL is now the National Chapter of Transparency International (TI). He also worked in the Economic and Commercial Section at the United States Embassy in Monrovia, contributing to the resuscitation of economic governance structures and institutions in post-war Liberia. He was actively involved with the impactful work of the multi-partner governance initiative – Governance Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) and the establishment of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), emphasizing the necessity of a transparent and accountable regime in natural resource exploitation.
At the LRA, he pursued initiatives that made the tax authority people-centered with enhanced transparency, integrity, and professionalism in the collection of lawful revenues. Nah was a graduate of the University of Liberia, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting and Economics, and holds a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He was an avid tennis player and is survived by his wife and with three children.