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.
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.