By Mariama Jallow
The second-in-command of the country’s revenue authority has pointed to an encouraging “state of affairs” regarding their revenue collections during the past year.
Deputy Commissioner General (DCG) Essa Jallow of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), who doubles as the Authority’s Head of Domestic Tax, on Friday, 15 January, 2021 disclosed during an interview at the GRA Head office in Banjul, that in 2020, GRA was given a target of D10.1 billion of revenue collections. But the authority’s Number 2 was happy to declare that by the end of 2020, they were able to mobilize an amount of D11.8 billion for the Gambia Government, thus exceeding the government’s target by 1.7 billion, or 17 per cent above the said target.
DCG Jallow while admitting 2020 was “not a normal year” as they had to gamble with Coronavirus, however maintained that despite all that, they were able to meet government’s expectation in terms of revenue collections; by not only meeting the target but also putting an exceed collection of D1.7 billion which, he believes, is going to support a lot of Government projects and programmes.
He said what they always try to do at GRA is to maximize their collections regardless of what the target was, “so that we are able to give Government more physical space to address more problems for the Gambian people”.
Jallow used the interview to put on record the staffers’ contribution to this feat, as he commended the GRA staff “for the hard work” in ensuring that they exceeded the target, noting mobilizing revenue is not easy, but the staff are always there working as a team.
While intimating the staff are hardworking, Jallow also reminded that the revenues are contributed by the tax-payers; and he therefore, thanked the Gambian tax-payers for their compliance with, and respecting the Gambia’s Tax Laws, which made it possible for tax-payers, in most cases, to come voluntary and pay their taxes. He also encouraged the staff of GRA to continue the hard in order to exceed the 2021 target of D12.8 billion– to be met without difficulties. He added that they are expected to add 1billion dalasi to what they had collected in 2020; and that they banking on both the hardworking of the staff and the tax-payers as well.
Jallow concluded by pointing out that the Board of GRA provides the strategic plan of the Authority, so whatever GRA achieves is through their leadership. He held that they (Board members) need to be commended because “we depend on their guardian and leadership to do our work in a very efficient manner”.
