Zechariah Geedehgar Munford
Monrovia
Summary
A skilled Trade Policy and Research Analyst with over 12 years of progressive experience in Trade and Tax Policy with a good background in research, Tax and Customs Administration having worked with the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) and the (now) Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for several years. Have a good understanding of Liberia's Domestic Resource realities. Have conducted research works in the fields of Health and Welfare Economics, Game Theory, Competition Policy and COVID-19. Served as a lecturer of Intermediate Macroeconomics at the United Methodist University on Ashmun Street. A world Customs Organization Fellow. An Irish Fellow.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Manager: Freport Customs Business Office
Liberia Revenue Authority
02.2023 - Current
- Supervising a team responsible for the collection and reporting of taxes on international trade at the Freeport of Monrovia
- Increasing team productivity by implementing streamlined processes for effective tax collection and communication strategies.
- Developing and executing strategic plans and policies for revenue generation, trade facilitation and border security.
- Reducing operational costs through comprehensive process improvement initiatives and resource management.
- Enhancing taxpayers (importers) satisfaction by resolving disputes promptly, maintaining open lines of communication, and ensuring high-quality service delivery.
Intern Economist
Commission For The Regulation Of Utilities (CRU)
05.2022 - 08.2022
- Conducted few research projects that led to well-informed decisions and successful outcomes for the Irish Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The CRU is Ireland's Independent Energy and Water Regulator with many economic, customer protection, and safety responsibilities in energy and water.
- Researched and proposed an efficient cost recovery framework for Offshore Wind Energy (OWE) in Ireland.
- Completed and presented at a high-level meeting of the CRU, a report with informed recommendations on how Ireland can set up a vibrant OWE regulatory regime and recoup regulatory costs from the developers in the industry.
- Enhanced intern productivity by assisting with project coordination and providing ongoing support.
- Contributed to a positive team environment by collaborating with fellow interns on group projects and presentations.
Manager
Centralized Customs Declaration Compliance Review Unit (CAU) Liberia Revenue Authority
03.2018 - 08.2021
- Supervision and management of a team of compliance officers responsible for ensuring the correctness of import, export and transit declarations
- Advising and mentoring compliance officers in their day to day duties; ensuring correct valuation, tariff classification codes and rules of origin are applied
- Identifying high risk declarations and providing guidance to compliance officers on the risk triggers
- Ensuring that administrative and statutory penalties are applied by compliance officers when offences have been committed
- Identifying, investigation and recommending removal of hanging customs entries
- Identifying technical errors on declarations processed and providing guidance to compliance officers to correct such errors
- Undertaking series of management control checks to assure that staff behavior, attendance and performance is contributing to maximum revenue yield
- Reviewing staff performance and recommending training requirements
- Building a strong customer service profile in the CAU
- Providing daily transaction update through emails, text messages and the electronic dashboard
- Researching and developing of strategies for the implementation of evolving standards and good practices in HS, customs valuation, and rules of origin controls
- Identification and reporting of technical errors on valuation, HS, origin and other laws applicable to customs for the determination duty and tax assessment
- Developing and ensuring the execution of the CAU work plan
- Benchmarking and recommendation of international best practices to continuously reform goods clearance process in Liberia
- Preparing of daily activity reports with specific matrix of functional and system errors and recommended solutions to the AC/Port Operations and AC/Technical Operations
- Providing leading leadership and guidance to the team of supervisors and compliance officers
- Identifying and communicating systematic risk to the Customs Risk Management Manager
- Develop performance plans with set targets, provide regular feedback and conduct quarterly and annual performance appraisals of staff supervised
- Develop and implement career development plan for staff supervised
- Ensure adherence to LRA Act, Human Resource policies and procedures, Professional Ethics and Code of Conduct and all other related documents
- Manage staff performance and conduct in the workplace and serve as mentor and or coach
- Maintain the rule of order in the CAU i.e., clean desk, no mobile phones, restricted access to staff at work, quiet work environment.
Acting Manager
Trade Facilitation and Tariff Management Section, Liberia Revenue Authority
07.2017 - 02.2018
- Managed officers who are responsible for Trade Facilitation issues
- Ensured that annual performance objectives based on the division's operational plans are prepared and performance updated on a scheduled basis
- Forecasting the financial and manpower logistics required to carry out operational plans of the division.
- Monitored and updated the valuation database
- Supported operational units with advice and decisions on Valuation, Classification, and country of Origin issues
- Conducted valuation analysis to detect valuation fraud
- Conducted clarification hearings on valuation and/or classification
- Researched issues of binding rulings when requested and making responses thereto
- Investigated valuation, classification and origin related complaints and advising senior management through immediate supervisor
- Ensured trade policy tools provided by international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) were used and/or referenced
- Ensuring Customs (international trade) operations, Intellectual Property Rights Protection; workings of the World Trade Organization and the World Customs Organization (WCO) were adhered to
- Making policy recommendation on Trade Facilitation to senior management
- Ensure staff analyze traders concerns and/or protests and make recommendations to senior management
- Regularly review the current trade policy instruments and regimes in Liberia and make sure they conform to the current dynamics of the trading world
- Ensure staff provide Advanced Tariff and Classification Rulings in line with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.
Senior Valuation Officer
Trade Facilitation and Tariff Management Section Liberia Revenue Authority
07.2015 - 07.2017
- Referenced Trade policy tools provided by international organizations like the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO)
- Conducted valuation and classification review and research
- Updated valuation database regularly
- Provided advanced rulings on valuation, classification and origin
- Analyzed traders concerns and/or protests and made recommendations to supervisor
- Reviewed the current trade policy instruments and regimes in Liberia and made sure they conform to the current dynamics in the trading world
- Provided Advanced Tariff and Classification Rulings in line with the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement
- Compiled monthly, quarterly and annual reports for the section.
Customs Analyst
Ministry of Finance
07.2012 - 02.2014
- Ensured a balance between actual import duty exemptions and the legally granted tax incentives of the government of Liberia to importers/traders
- Periodically reviewed traders' claims, incentive contracts and concession agreements as well as physical audits for the purpose of ensuring compliance
- Drafted monthly reports on total customs and other duties/taxes waivers
- Ensured the Claim Management System (local database) is active and traders claims are properly monitored
- Performed other tasks that are required by Commissioners and Directors
- Ensured Compliance of traders to their tax obligations
- Profiled Traders based on their import history and other factors
- Identified, mitigated and transferred risk for treatment
- Regularly queried the Asycuda World System for risky traders and selectivity criteria setting/input
- Performed other tasks that were required.
Education
Master of Science - Applied Economics
University College Dublin (UCD)
Dublin, Republic Of Ireland12.2022
Master of Arts - Business Administration
Aoyama Gakuin University
Tokyo, Japan03.2015
B.Sc. Degree - Economics
United Methodist University
01.2011
High School Diploma - General High School Curriculum
WPL Brumskine United Methodist High School
01.2006
Skills
- Good Numeracy/Mathematical skills
- Research skills
- Drafting skills
- Knowledge of STATA, Eviews and R (Statistical and Research Softwares)
- Problem-solving skills
- Ability to accept and learn from criticism
Certification
- 2022: WCO Fellowship, Brussels, S. Korea,
- 2017: WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement Modules 1-5, Liberia
- 2017: International Taxation (Global Value Added Tax), The Netherlands
- 2017: Trade Facilitation Agreement Module 2, Liberia
- 2016: Advanced Excel, Liberia
- 2016: Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT), Liberia
- 2017: International Trade Policy Studies, Stockholm, Sweden
- 2015: Gledis Leadership Coaching Seminar, Liberia
- 2014: Leadership Tokyo, Japan
- 2013: Global Political Economic Analysis, The Netherlands
- 2013: Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies, The Netherlands
- 2012: Customs Fundamentals, Liberia
- 2009: Theory of Education, Liberia
Phone
+231-776-614-617, +2318-886-387-797
Personal Information
- Age: 37
- Passport Number: PP0129696
- Date of Birth: 10/19/86
- Gender: Male
- Nationality: Liberia
- Marital Status: Married
Health Condition
Good
References
References are available upon request
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Limited Working
Timeline
Manager: Freport Customs Business Office
Liberia Revenue Authority
02.2023 - Current
Intern Economist
Commission For The Regulation Of Utilities (CRU)
05.2022 - 08.2022
Manager
Centralized Customs Declaration Compliance Review Unit (CAU) Liberia Revenue Authority
03.2018 - 08.2021
Acting Manager
Trade Facilitation and Tariff Management Section, Liberia Revenue Authority
07.2017 - 02.2018
Senior Valuation Officer
Trade Facilitation and Tariff Management Section Liberia Revenue Authority
07.2015 - 07.2017
Customs Analyst
Ministry of Finance
07.2012 - 02.2014
Master of Science - Applied Economics
University College Dublin (UCD)
Master of Arts - Business Administration
Aoyama Gakuin University
B.Sc. Degree - Economics
United Methodist University
High School Diploma - General High School Curriculum
WPL Brumskine United Methodist High School
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