As domestic Revenue mobilization is the only way forward for African countries, Gambia Revenue Authority GRA on Monday started a five- day intensive training for its staff under the Domestic Revenue mobilization project. The project is funded by the French Agency for development in 2021 at a tone of 2million Euros. The five days convergence was meant to train Project Management Team of the Domestic Revenue Mobilization DRM on project Management.
The importance of this training for the project team cannot be overemphasised as their work over the next two years will be a key milestone in assisting the Authority to reach the goals set out in the GRA Corporate Strategic plan 2020-2024. The training is one of the first and critical activities of the DRM Project and is expected to sharpen the knowledge and skills of participants to effectively implement projects with particular focus on the French Agency for development AFD DRM Project
To refresh our memory, the French Agency for Development in 2021 approached the GRA through the Ministry of finance and Economic Affairs and expressed interest in supporting reforms that will enhance domestic revenue mobilization efforts. The Authority quickly responded with a funding proposal crafted from the GRA CSP 2020-2024 which include reform activities previously not funded. Following discussions, significant number of the reforms initiatives submitted was approved for funding under the newly designed and approved AFD-DRM Project.
The timely interventions of the AFD will therefore strengthen the Authority’s reforms and modernization Agencies as captured in the GRA CSP 2020-2024.
The project will specifically focus on reform initiatives that contributes to enhancing domestic resource mobilization such as compliance improvement programs, taxpayer education initiative, strengthening of the revenue laws, activities aimed at increasing transparency and fairness of the revenue collecting system , building of staff capacities, and improving revenue administration.
The project is aimed at helping the Authority to meet all the conditions precedent to the first disbursement of 1Million Euros by AFD which effectively led to the commencement of project.
In declaring the training open Commissioner General Yanakuna Darboe said: “As the number one revenue collector for Government, he assures AFD and the Government, of GRAs commitment to realise the objectives of the DRM project which are in line with the GRAs corporate strategic plan. I want to use this opportunity to thank the French government through the French agency for development (AFD) for their approval of the grant to support the Authority’s Domestic Resource Mobilisation efforts.
This laudable gesture by the French Government through AFD is expected to enhance revenue collection by GRA that will support the government’s development programs.’ Commissioner General Darboe also expressed hope and believe that the training will equip the project management team with real life examples of project implementation.
