Yankuba Darboe, while presiding over the opening ceremony of a daylong training for 27 GRA staffs on Revenue Laws and other tax matters, said that the objective of the training was to enhance the capacity of staff in understanding the various revenue laws that the GRA administers and how these laws are interpreted and applied.
The training was organised and funded by GRA through its Legal Department. It was meant to enhance the capacity of the staff and deepen their knowledge on the revenue laws.
The participants were drawn from various departments within GRA.
Understanding the GRA laws, he said, would help staff to administer and to enhance their knowledge in customs laws and procedure, taxation, tax administration, and corporate governance.
“This will ultimately improve staff's existing knowledge and skills, and learn new ones to become more effective and efficient in the performance of their duties.”
“It is also important for GRA staff to understand the revenue laws that we administer to enhance their relationship with taxpayers especially for those of you dealing directly with taxpayers, importers, suppliers and the general business community.”
“As revenue administrators, the general public relies on our knowledge of the tax laws and the fair and impartial interpretation and application of the same. This will ultimately build trust and confidence between GRA and the business community and enhance taxpayer compliance,” CG Darboe pointed out.
“It is for these reasons that the management decided during the drafting of the current corporate strategic plan 2020-2024 to make this training a yearly activity. Last year, more than one hundred staff in four separate batches benefitted from this kind of training.
According to Mr. Darboe, the training is conducted on a yearly basis and it forms part of the activities of the Legal Department as enshrined in the corporate strategic plan.
“This, without a doubt, will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness in the discharge of their functions as revenue administrators,” CG Darboe hinted.
“As you may be aware, GRA is a creation of the law and charged with the mandate to act as an agent of the government of the Gambia to administer, assess, and collect revenue on behalf of the government of the Gambia, " he reminded the gathering.
According to Mr. Darboe, the GRA Act effectively made GRA the principal revenue collector for government with the responsibility to administer and enforce revenue laws. “Over the next five days, you will delve into the main legislations that govern the operations of GRA; such include the Customs and Excise Act 2010, the Income and Value Added Tax Act 2012 and the GRA Act 2004.”
The deputy commissioner general and head of Domestics Taxes, Essa Jallow, said the training was meant to equip GRA staff with a requisite knowledge of the revenue laws as administered by GRA.
Key among these, he said, are the GRA Act, Income and Value Added Tax Act and Customs and Excise Act among other laws that the GRA administers.
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