He warned that GRA would not compromise or entertain any manufacturing company or importer on such illegal tax avoidance. He made it clear that this is part of the new reform the government has introduced and should be cherished and respected.
CG Darboe’s message came on the heels of a visit to prominent manufacturers companies such as Beli Bottling Company located at Bonto in the West Coast Region and Gambega Coca Cola Manufacturing Company both in KMC.
The purpose of the visit was to get firsthand information about their business operations and reactions using the GRA Digital Tax Stamp.
During the visit the GRA officials and Beli Company had a fruitful interaction.
He explained that the primary objective of using the Digital Tax Stamp is to ensure transparency and accountability in the declaration of any business company engaged in economic gains and also boost revenue performance.
According to CG Darboe, he was amazed by what he had seen in terms of level of compliance at the Beli Bottling Company in using the GRA Digital Tax Stamp. He thus called on other manufacturing companies to learn and emulate the Beli Bottling Company.
CG Darboe also used the opportunity to extol the leadership of Gambega Company for being the first company to accept the GRA Digital Tax Stamp, and encouraged them to continue complying with the government policy and reforms.
He commended the management of the two companies for adhering to government reforms.
CD Darboe reiterated that that was the only way forward as Gambia is a tax-based economy and GRA needs to collect on behalf of the government.
“All that GRA is interested in is for business companies to follow the right procedure and pay what is due for the government,” CG Darboe emphasised.
According to CG Darboe, GRA enforcement officers would be on their feet to embark on daily rotation to those manufacturers that refuse to adhere to the government reforms and policies and if found wanting, will face the full force of the Law.
CG Darboe said avoidance of using the GRA Digital Tax Stamp “will not help any business manufacturing company but puts you in trouble as GRA enforcement officers will one day get hold of your company and your company will no doubt face a penalty.”
“This new system is introduced by the government and therefore Gambians and non-Gambian engaging in economic gains should embrace this system to better help GRA to collect what is entitled to the government.”
He clarified that GRA did not increase taxes but broadened the tax based system by introducing various reforms that are helpful to the economy.
CG Darboe warned that GRA enforcement officers would do everything humanely possible to go round and monitor all business manufacturing companies and ensure that they comply with these new reforms by using the GRA Digital Tax Stamp.
CG Darboe seized the opportunity to call for collective efforts to combat non-compliant manufacturing companies and smugglers.
CG Darboe appealed to the public to help GRA crackdown on defaulters or smugglers of beverages into the country without using the GRA Digital Tax Stamp. He acknowledged that GRA alone cannot cover all, and therefore, the cooperation of the public would be highly needed.
“What belongs to the government should be paid to the government. GRA is not looking from any business company than that,” he maintained
Both management at Beli Bottling Company and Gambega expressed appreciation to GRA and assured the GRA boss that they would continue applying the GRA Digital Tax Stamp.
