05 November, 2025
Commissioner General, Yankuba Darboe discusses the importance of third-party data in tax administration at ATAF Annual General Meeting.
The Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority was a panelist at the ongoing African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) Annual Meeting in Algiers, Algeria, under the theme “Constraints to Data Sharing”. Mr. Darboe shared The Gambia’s experience in accessing and using third party data to improve revenue collection and the challenges that the GRA confront in accessing third-party data. He noted that in the modern era of tax administration, data is the lifeblood of effective compliance risk management and is regarded as the “new gold”. Th ability to harness third-party data provides an unparalleled 360-degree view of taxpayer behavior, transforming GRA’s ability to address non-compliance, close the tax gap, and foster a fair and equitable tax system.
The Commissioner General shared his personal experiences in GRA’s digitalization journey, particularly the constraints that exist in data-sharing. He emphasized that key among the constraints that exist is concern on data privacy and data protection. He advocated for a trade-off by minimizing data-sharing, ensuring that only data that relates to revenue is shared. He stated that this trade-off is made through the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with government entities and key stakeholders and the recently passed Data Privacy and Protection Act has provided the legal framework to guide the sharing and use of citizens data on the one hand, and the need to protect the privacy of citizens on the other hand.