The Gambia has set a target of increasing its domestic revenue by approximately 3.21 percentage points of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030, under its first-ever Domestic Resource Mobilization Strategy (DRMS) covering the period 2026–2030.
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Hon. Seedy K.M. Keita, announced this while addressing the African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) in Cairo, Egypt, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, where he outlined the country’s efforts to strengthen domestic revenue mobilization amid growing global economic and financing challenges.
Minister Keita said The Gambia’s tax-to-GDP ratio increased from 9.8 per cent in 2020 to approximately 13 per cent by the end of 2025, supported by reforms and strong political leadership.
Despite the progress, he acknowledged that the country’s tax performance remains below the sub-Saharan African average, making further reforms necessary to finance its development priorities.
He disclosed that the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) collected more than D3 billion in March 2026, marking the first time the institution had generated such an amount in a single month.
According to him, the DRMS combines tax policy, revenue administration and diversified non-tax revenue measures, with the objective of bringing the country’s tax effort closer to the sub-Saharan African average by 2030.
The minister also highlighted the global financing challenges facing African countries, noting that the annual financing gap for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) stands at approximately US$4 trillion, while Africa loses an estimated US$90 billion annually through illicit financial flows.
He said declining development assistance, rising debt-servicing burdens, geopolitical tensions and higher fuel and food import costs were further narrowing the fiscal space available to African governments.
Addressing the reforms being undertaken in The Gambia, Minister Keita outlined four key lessons, including investment in digital tax administration, improvements in tax policy, strengthening public trust and ensuring national ownership of revenue mobilization.
He said the GRA was implementing an Integrated Tax Administration System, rolling out electronic VAT invoicing and introducing digital compliance tools for rental income, alongside a telecommunications sector revenue-assurance system.
He further disclosed that his ministry and the GRA were reviewing the Income Tax and Value Added Tax Acts to strengthen taxation of digital services and transfer pricing provisions, while developing a standalone Tax Administration Act.
On public trust, he stressed that citizens were more likely to comply with tax obligations when they believed laws were applied fairly and public resources were used responsibly.
He also maintained that although international partners could provide technical and financial assistance, national institutions must lead reforms and remain accountable for their results.
The minister called for stronger implementation of the Compromiso de Sevilla, an international development financing commitment that includes doubling support for domestic resource mobilization by 2030, advancing progressive taxation and improving transparency in tax expenditures.
He urged ATAF, the African Union and Regional Economic Communities to develop an African accountability framework to monitor these commitments and ensure they translate into measurable benefits for African countries.
Looking ahead, Minister Keita proposed three practical milestones for 2027: predictable multi-year support from development partners for domestic revenue reforms, stronger ATAF-led capacity development and technical assistance, and access to debt-related relief arrangements for countries facing economic and climate-related shocks.
He also called for a common regional ICT reform plan for tax administration, prioritizing initiatives capable of delivering significant revenue outcomes.
He concluded that domestic revenue mobilization remained essential to reducing dependence on external financing and enabling African countries to determine their own development priorities.
He urged African governments and their development partners to move beyond declarations, stressing the need to measure commitments, fund priorities, verify results and deliver on promises.
