The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), Customs was unanimously nominated to host the Director Generals sub-regional conference for the West and Central Africa 2021.
According to GRA top official who attended the meeting disclosed that this announcement was made during the 133/134 World customs organization WCO Director General’s conference held at Brussels from the 27th to 1st July 2019.
The said meeting was attended by the delegations from GRA headed by the commissioner general , in the same vein the Gambian delegation also vied for a vacancy position of the Vice chair of the West customs organization finance committee which was endorsed without any objection.
According to GRA official in a related development, the Commissioner General also intervened to chair the extra ordinary meeting of the delegates following the resignation of the chair of the debate session causing a deadlock. The delegates hailed the commissioner General for the courage in taking voluntary intervention to chair the session to success.
However, to the report at the World customs organization WCO, held on the 28th and 29th day of June 2019 at Brussels said Gambia like other countries is a member of the WCO. Since its inception in 2007, The Gambia Revenue has been actively representing The Gambia in the said meeting.
According to the report, WCO has been rendering assistance to its members including the Authority in the areas of capacity building etc.
The conference entails discussion on E-Commerce as an emerging concept and The European Union (EU) Head of delegation hold the view that cross border E. Commerce cannot be underestimated. This opinion was expressed by some members present. in this regard it is highlighted that there should be a tool to analyse data.
In reacting to this development, the GRA top official expressed appreciation and honour to host this conference in the Gambia. The GRA also assured that the conference will be successfully organised as experts are already on the ground to ensure the successful implementation of this sub-regional. “We are grateful to the WCO and 23 countries are expected to be in the Gambia to attend this meeting.