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European delivery companies compliment GRA

Aug 20, 2015, 9:47 AM | Article By: Alhagie Mbye, The Point’s Europe Correspondent

The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) has received an exceptional and outstanding acknowledgement from numerous delivery, shipping and other freight companies across Europe for “credible and smooth operation without constraint or hindrance” regarding operations to The Gambia.

During the past few months, there have been reports of “delays, impediments and hindrances” regarding cargo and other services reaching some African countries due to several “unforeseen and unpredictable factors” and thus causing either ‘diversion or distraction’ in several transactions.

Responding to enquiries from The Point, following such reports as well as “outstanding performance’ on the part of GRA, in the midst of a rather “stiff global competition”, senior officials, operators and freight forwarders emphasised that “there are no specific restrictions” on services to The Gambia.

They also added that containers and other goods are delivered satisfactorily with the “high-quality services” rendered by GRA officials.

Tom Prior, Manager of Tudor International Freight Limited, dealing with air, sea, road, vehicle shipping, collecting and tracking said: “There are no specific restrictions as such on our services to The Gambia.”

In addition, Paul Morrad of Robert Claire and Co, another company that offers a worldwide courier service to over 200 destinations including The Gambia, also said:“As far as I know, there are no constraints ...everything is going very well with our services to Gambia...there are no problems.”

Other couriers and agents, including those operating door-to-door and delivering services to The Gambia, also noted that despite few “hitches here and there, prior to our final destination, so far there is smooth and efficient operation up to the delivery point in Banjul”.

Officials also stressed that with the help of the GRA website which is “now readily available”, made it more “feasible and realistic for customers to know and understand what to expect in terms of tax payments and other levies” that may be involved in such transactions.

Meanwhile, The Point also learnt that some of these companies are currently planning an “intense and powerful public relations exercise” in order to garner and acquire more clients intending to send items to The Gambia, before the end of the year.

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