The validation was spearheaded by GRA’s Legal Department in partnership with the Clearing and Forwarding Agents as well as Shipping Agents among other key players.
The purpose of the meeting was to enable these key players to come together and add input, suggestion recommendations and carve the way forward to enrich the draft regulations document.
Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe said the regulation was the culmination of a drive to improve, standardise and digitise “our customs clearance processes.”
ASYCUDA WORLD system allows for 24/7 online access to declaration processing; it speeds up the assessment of customs declarations and significantly reduces transaction time for payment and release of cargo.”
“As you may be aware about the current system, the ASYCUDA++, has several challenges and as a result, more and more custom authorities around the world are embracing the more advanced and more user-friendly ASYCUDA WORLD system or its equivalent. The Gambia Revenue Authority, therefore, does not want to be left behind in this digitisation drive.”
The ASYCUDA WORLD system is web based, he explained, and as such, “it can be accessed from anywhere in the world as it works on desktops, laptops and all smart devices that have reliable internet connection.”
He also added that after several setbacks and delays caused by stalled negotiations and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, “I am pleased to inform you that we will be launching the ASYCUDA WORLD system on the 20th June 2022.”
“I wish to take this opportunity to thank our development partners such as the African Development Bank (our primary sponsor), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, UNCTAD and the Management and staff of GRA for making this milestone possible and for bringing this reform initiative into fruition.”
“To actualise this reform process, the necessary legal framework needs to be put in place to ensure a smooth transition and to regulate the use of the system by external users. In this regard, the Legal Department of the Gambia Revenue Authority has drafted the necessary regulation that is before you today for validation.”
For his part, the commissioner of Customs, Ismalia Jallow, underscored the importance attached to those documents and challenged the participants to participate fully during the validation. He also spoke at length about the need to validate the documents.
