By Maimuma Sey-Jawo
Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General of The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), has acknowledged the role of the Gambian Journalists in helping GRA in its awareness creation on revenue collection for the Government.
He said the important role of the media in improving tax compliant cannot be underestimated when it comes to revenue collection as awareness creation is keys.
He stated further that media plays a cardinal role in educating general public on the role of GRA and the importance of payment of taxes to government.
“Therefore, at the level of GRA, we acknowledged your efforts and services in helping GRA educating and sensitizing the public through your medium outlets”
He made this statement in an interview with the media representative at the opening ceremony of GRA staff training on Reform and modernization held at the Senegambia Beach hotel on Tuesday 14th December.
GRA boss stressed on the role of the media in our society, saying the media are key partners in development noting that the GRA has a very cordial relationship with the media over the years and this has boosted the level of revenue collection of his authority from the Taxpayers.
As visibility is the key for any institution, CG Darboe therefore GRA will continue to engage the media for more training through the Network of Financial and Tax Reporters to to enable them in their daily job to continuing to educate taxpayer’s unit.
Further to that, he as well commended them for the positive image they portray on some of the unprecedented performance that GRA continuing to register over the years in regards of revenue collection.
According to him, he said the GRA is now taking up a new paradigm shift, by focusing more on domestic revenue mobilization because it is more reliable than international trade which is full of external shocks.
CG Darboe therefore used the opportunity to reflected on importance of digitalization, as GRA is now migrating from ASYCUDA++ to ASYCUDA World which is more reliable, web based accessible anywhere once you have your users name and password word to the system.