‘Gov’t committed to introducing policy to expand tax base’

Mambury Njie was speaking during the 4th Edition of the Gambia Revenue Authority taxpayers Awards held over the weekend at the Kairaba Beach Hotel.  

Njie said the event is ‘very important’ and something worth celebrating, while describing as fruitful the cordial relationship between GRA and Ministry of Finance.

“Today’s award ceremony is a clear indication of the relationship. This ceremony is an opportunity to come together to honour the tax payers among us who beautifully make the obligations to their government and by extension to the people of the republic of our great nation.”

Minister Njie indicated that the National Development Plan is to expand tax payers base thus creating the enabling environment for not all the business, but as means of promoting evitable growth. Meanwhile in a complementary move the Ministry of Finance and Economics Affairs in partnership with the Ministry of Trade Regional Integration are currently beginning to create incentives to attract foreign direct investment. 

For his part, Yankuba Darboe, commissioner general of the Gambia Revenue Authority, disclosed that the growth in our institutional manpower and capacity has translated into the excellent revenue performance they continue to register year after year.

He indicated that since they started operations in 2006, the Authority has been able to grow revenue from 2.8 billion in 2006 to over 12.7 billion in 2021, registering a growth of over D10 billion within 15 years.

“During this period, average monthly revenue collection grew from D235 million in 2006 to over D1.1 Billion in 2021, representing more than 350% growth. Similarly, the average year-on-year revenue growth between 2006 - 2021 stands at 11%, making the authority one of few in Africa to have registered this level.”

He noted that from an institution with just a handful of graduates in 2006, the authority now boast of having 245 diploma holders, 141 degree holders and 65 master degree holders in various fields.

“As you may be aware, we are on the verge of introducing two new tax collection systems, one for the Customs revenue collection and the other for the Domestic Tax collection. But what is more exciting about the impending introduction of the two systems is that they are both web-based. These systems will enable taxpayers or importers and clearing agents to sit at the comfort and convenience of their homes or offices and file their tax returns or fill their declarations and pay the self-assessed tax or duty online without the need to visit our offices.”

CG Darboe indicated that this reform will obviously reduce compliance burden for the taxpayers, have the potential to close revenue leakages, enhance transparency and trust, facilitate trade and improve administrative efficiency.