By Haddy Touray
The Commissioner of Customs at the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), Alhagie K. Mbye has vehemently challenged the staff of GRA ‘’to buckle up and embrace the changes and challenges associated with revenue collection especially in these times of unstable and unpredictable global problems constantly upsetting the natural flow of things.’’
According to him, to enable GRA customs officers particularly those in the upcountry to mobilize the much-needed revenue, they must intensify the strategy in their operation to enable crackdown on intruders and defaulters of noncompliance of the revenue act.
Mr. Mbye made the advice while addressing GRA staff during a joint meeting between the GRA Board, Top management and staff held at Amadanlie border post recently.
Mr. Mbye went on to sincerely thank the GRA Board and Management for not only initiating a meeting with the staff on the ground, but also sticking to it. He cited that the GRA board and management visit to provincial postings would no doubt boost up their morale and motivation. ‘’The visit demonstrates that the Boards oversight function of the authority is not done with the predation intents of the hawk, but the kindness of the guardian angel.’’
The Commissioner of Customs further acknowledges the efforts of the manager and his team in organizing such a welcoming and ground preparation for the meeting. ‘’I am sure that the management and the Board are very much pleased and appreciative of your level of preparations so far. Your monthly revenue collection speaks volumes of your hard work and industrious disposition,’’ he added.
Mr. Mbye also commended the other security / border agencies for the closed collaboration and teamwork. He added that GRA believed that the work of revenue collection is an interplay of various concomitants directly or indirectly enabled by other border agencies (the police, Immigration, Drug Laws Enforcement Agency, food safety, Military, state Intelligence), the absence of whom things will fall apart. ‘’We are all aware of the numerous cross border threats that confront our wellbeing as a country, and it is only when we complement each other’s efforts, then we can effectively deal with these threats. I encourage all of you to work as one team in carrying out joint patrols and above all share information to make each other’s work easier and cost effective,’’ Mr Mbye emphasized.