05 May, 2025
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), in partnership with RippleNami, conducted a training today on the newly implemented Rental Income Tax System.
The system aims to improve tax collection and compliance for landlords and tenants by automating rental income tracking, enhancing transparency, and reducing tax evasion. This initiative is part of GRA’s commitment to modernizing the tax system and ensuring greater efficiency in the country’s revenue collection.
During the training, Mr. Nuha Manneh, Project Manager, discussed the system’s history and the challenges faced before its implementation. Mr. Maar Sarr, Deputy Commissioner for Small and Medium Taxpayers, highlighted the rental sector's growth and the system’s role in improving data accuracy, making tax collection easier. Mr. Fafanding Cham, Deputy Commissioner for Large Income Taxpayers, encouraged participants to become Master Trainers and emphasized the importance of knowledge transfer for long-term sustainability.
Mr. John S.L. Gomez, Director of Internal Audit and Acting Commissioner General of GRA, delivered the keynote address on behalf of Commissioner General Mr. Yankuba Darboe. In his speech, Mr. Gomez acknowledged the growing demands placed on GRA each year and emphasized the need for digital solutions to meet these targets. He further explained that as part of GRA’s new corporate strategy, the authority is working on automating all workflows to broaden the tax base and improve compliance. The new rental income system is a critical step in this direction, enabling GRA to meet its goals more effectively.
This training and the upcoming system launch represent a significant step in GRA’s digital transformation journey, positioning the authority to enhance tax compliance, efficiency, and transparency, ultimately supporting national development and revenue growth.
The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) is pleased to announce the attendance of its top officials at the second International Monetary Fund (IMF) - AFRITAC WEST 2 Regional Leadership Forum, which convened leaders from Anglophone West Africa and Cape Verde.
Notably, the delegation included Commissioner General Mr. Yankuba Darboe, Deputy Commissioner General and Head of Domestic Taxes Mr. Essa Jallow, and Director of Technical Services Mr. Yahya Manneh.
The workshop was officially inaugurated by the Honorable Minister of Finance of Sierra Leone, Sheku Ahmed Fantamadi Bangura. The event also saw participation from the AFRITAC West 2 Center Director, as well as IMF and EU Resident Representatives in Sierra Leone.
The forum focused on critical themes essential for strengthening tax administration and leadership, including:
- Effective decision making in tax administration
- Ethical leadership in tax administration
- Managing political interference in tax administration
- Turning vision into impact through adaptive leadership for tax transformation
- Delivering successful reforms
- Managing a portfolio of reforms
- Handling difficult stakeholders
- Leading for results through performance management
- Personal and professional development
The forum provided a vital platform for Commissioners and management teams to engage on pressing issues concerning revenue administration and reform implementation in the region.
During the event, the GRA had the opportunity to present on the theme "Navigating Political Challenges in Reform Implementation and Revenue Administration."
The presentation highlighted GRA’s practical experiences with key initiatives such as the implementation of ASYCUDA World, the introduction of Digital Tax Stamps on excisable goods, the Revenue Assurance System for Mobile Network Operators, and the Rental Tax Compliance System.
These examples illustrated the Authority’s proactive approach to overcoming challenges related to political interference while driving effective reform and modernization of revenue administration.
The event also provided the GRA’s Senior Management Team the opportunity to learn from the experiences of the other AFRITAC West 2 member administrations on their reforms implementation.