{"id":44605,"date":"2025-04-23T16:29:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T16:29:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/passport-company-netpage-under-probe-for-744-9-million-unremitted-payments-to-sierra-leone"},"modified":"2025-04-23T16:29:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T16:29:01","slug":"passport-company-netpage-under-probe-for-744-9-million-unremitted-payments-to-sierra-leone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/passport-company-netpage-under-probe-for-744-9-million-unremitted-payments-to-sierra-leone","title":{"rendered":"Passport Company NetPage Under Probe for $744.9 Million Unremitted Payments to Sierra Leone"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. <\/strong><\/span>The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has uncovered significant financial irregularities involving NetPage Ltd., the private firm contracted to produce and market e-passports.<\/b><\/p>\n

According to the 2023 Auditor General\u2019s Report, NetPage failed to remit $744.9 million in royalty payments due to the state, sparking serious concerns about accountability and lost public revenue.<\/p>\n

The PAC hearing, chaired by Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, brought together representatives from Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL), NetPage, and Members of Parliament in a tense exchange over the company\u2019s non-compliance.<\/p>\n

The audit report revealed that the government is entitled to 9% of all e-passport sales, yet no royalty was received for the 82,777 passports issued in 2023. Alarmingly, auditors noted this was not an isolated incident, but rather a continuation of concerns raised in the 2022 audit report.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government did not receive the expected royalty payment of $744,993,000 in 2023,\u201d an ASSL official told the committee. \u201cDespite repeated follow-ups, as of December 31, 2023, NetPage had not provided any proof of payment into the Consolidated Revenue Fund. The issue remains unresolved.\u201d<\/p>\n

In its defense, a NetPage representative admitted the company had not made the payments, attributing the lapse to \u201cexternal financial challenges\u201d such asthe COVID-19 pandemic and foreign exchange losses.<\/p>\n

The representative disclosed that NetPage had written to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, requesting permission to offset previously paid royalties amounting to over Le 5.2 billion against outstanding tax liabilities with the National Revenue Authority (NRA). He further claimed that the royalty payments were not part of the original contract ratified by Parliament, but instead stemmed from a \u201cgentleman\u2019s agreement\u201d reached with the Ministry of Finance in August 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are currently operating at a loss,\u201d the representative said. \u201cPaying these royalties along with our tax obligations could bankrupt us and jeopardize our international partnership with HID Delarue UK.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further scrutiny revealed additional liabilities, including $223,000 in unpaid taxes such as PAYE and corporate tax for the last quarter of 2022. The company pledged to consult with its tax advisors and reconcile accounts with the NRA.<\/p>\n

Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh voiced frustration over NetPage\u2019s inconsistent responsiveness to government bodies. \u2018\u201dYou responded to the ministry in one day, but when Parliament calls for documents, it takes you forever,\u201d he said. \u201cThis must change.\u201d<\/p>\n

The session ended with a recommendation for more inclusive audit procedures, allowing direct engagement with contractors like NetPage instead of relying solely on government ministries to provide documentation.<\/p>\n

The PAC is now awaiting additional documentation from NetPage, including reconciliation reports with the NRA and formal proof of any payments made. Until then, the Auditor General maintains that the financial irregularity stands unresolved.<\/p>\n

This case underscores ongoing concerns about transparency and oversight in public-private partnerships especially those involving essential national service like passport issuance.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has uncovered significant financial irregularities involving NetPage Ltd., the private firm contracted to produce and market e-passports. According to the 2023 Auditor General\u2019s Report, NetPage failed to remit $744.9 million in royalty payments due to the state, sparking serious concerns about accountability and lost public revenue. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":44604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[292],"class_list":["post-44605","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-sierra-leone"],"yoast_head":"\nPassport Company NetPage Under Probe for $744.9 Million Unremitted Payments to Sierra Leone - Sierra Leone<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/sierra-leone\/all-news\/passport-company-netpage-under-probe-for-744-9-million-unremitted-payments-to-sierra-leone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Passport Company NetPage Under Probe for $744.9 Million Unremitted Payments to Sierra Leone\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has uncovered significant financial irregularities involving NetPage Ltd., the private firm contracted to produce and market e-passports. According to the 2023 Auditor General\u2019s Report, NetPage failed to remit $744.9 million in royalty payments due to the state, sparking serious concerns about accountability and lost public revenue. 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