The Board of Directors and Management of Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) had embarked on field visits to the various GRA offices within the Greater Banjul Area (GBA).
The tour was meant to gather first-hand information on the working conditions of the authority’s staff at the said offices, as well as to thank them for their “hard work, commitment and professionalism” in ensuring that the country’s revenue body achieved its set-target in 2020.
Also, part of their mission was to interact with the members of staff, find out their constraints and see how best to address them, with immediate effect. It’s also geared towards motivating and encouraging the staff to be more committed to their work, as the officials indicated.
Addressing his staff at the various meeting points, the head of GRA, Commissioner General (CG) Yankuba Darboe, held the visit by the officials of the board and management would serve as “motivation and encouragement” for staff, to do more hard work.
Darboe hailed the significant achievement GRA had registered in 2020 despite the global coronavirus pandemic, noting GRA was able to exceed its revenue target.
To the authority’s top official, collecting such an amount [in 2020] is not a child’s play; but he attributed all this to “team work, dedication and professionalism”. Notwithstanding, CG Darboe underscored the need for team spirit, punctuality, code of dress, approach, attitude towards office work and professionalism in the collection of taxes.
Stressing the need for GRA staff to maintain the good image of the Revenue Authority, Darboe also dilated on many other issues all geared towards ensuring that the staff work under a very conducive environment.
He divulged that this year (2021), Gambia government had tasked GRA to collect D12.8 billion. Again, the GRA chief re-echoed, “this is not a child’s play; it needs serious minded-people to do this work”. He praised his staff for the cordial relationship that they are known for in the past.
The Chairperson of GRA Board, Madam Lucy Faye Jagne, used the opportunity to commend the staff for the unprecedented performance that GRA registered in 2020, despite the coronavirus pandemic. She equally challenged them to continue with the “team spirit” for the best interest of this country. The Board head made it clear to them that hopes are high, and more is expected from GRA.
Madam Faye Jagne hailed the top management of GRA through the Commissioner General, for the hard work and commitment, stating GRA belongs to all of them. Therefore, let’s keep up the good work, she told the staff.
During the visits to the various offices, constraints, ranging from office spaces, furniture to IT connectivity, among others, were brought to the attention of the visiting team. However, the GRA boss was quick to respond to some of these concerns and engaged the people in-charge to make a follow-up, to ensure that the issues raised are addressed, accordingly.
