By Bakary Touray Jr.
The Brikama Area Council on Tuesday, 7th January 2020, launched a digital tax management system under the theme, “Introducing Digital Tax Collection to Enhance National Development”.
The project aims to ensure efficiency and transparency in tax collection process, improve confidence of the residents in the financial dealings of the council, thus averting tax fraud, evasion, and corruption in the Council’s tax collection processes.
In his statement, the Deputy Governor of West Coast Region, Mr. Musa Suso, said{moving from} the manual system to a digital tax management, is a new efficient and digital transformation system for tax collection that enhances tax filings and reduces tax avoidance, evasion, corruption and tax fraud.
“The project seeks to go digital, improve tax revenue and reduce tax processing cost, which is the reason for the council investing so heavily in this project.
“It is a wise move, and I urge Brikama Area Council and 5c Energy Gambia Limited to seeing this noble project through,” he remarked.
Chairman of BAC, Mr. Sheriffo Sonko, told the audience that the launching of the digital tax management system is a fulfillment of the key recommendation made by the interim management committee of the Council, before he assumed office.
“The council entered into partnership with 5c Energy Gambia Limited on the basis of Public-Private Partnership and signed a framework agreement in 2019, with the objective to enhance the tax collection, accuracy and efficiency, as well as reduce tax evasion and guaranteeing transparency in the entire process of revenue generation,” Sonko pointed out.
The Brikama Area Council head urged the people of the region to take ownership of the project and be tax compliant, in order to maximize Council’s revenue potentials that would immensely guarantee transformation of the WCR.
The Chief Executive Officer of Brikama Area Council, Mr. Modou Jonga, said their Council needs adequate resources to become vibrant and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the public.
In that regard, the CEO believed they have to ensure the viability of its revenue sources, as it’s the council’s fundamental duty.
Jonga added, “It is our major expectation that this system will maximize our revenue potentials, reduce the cost of tax compliance and drastically eliminate revenue leakages”.
Also speaking at the event was Brefet Constituency’s representative at the country’s Legislative House, Hon. Sunkary Badgie.
The National Assembly Member for Foni Brefet, who previously served as BAC Chair, is positive about the digitalized tax system. Hon. Badgie believed if implemented, it would boost taxpayer’s confidence in the BAC and therefore, increase compliance, reduce tax administration cost, processing time and ease monitoring.
Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government, Mr. Samba Sowe, said the event marked a turning point in efforts to enhance effective revenue collection for the BAC.
The project, alongside other development initiatives of the council, as DPS Sowe noted, would go a long way in strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the tax collection systems; and also minimize corruption within the society.
